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Discussion

What did I get myself into?

My first day on the unit was a nightmare. Our manager had been fired the day before. There was NO communication between nurses and ancillary staff. Ancillary staff wouldn't round up patients for meds. There were more new employees than vets. I mean brand new. My preceptor for the day allowed another pushy nurse to send me to do accuchecks and VS for a good part of the day. She didn't ask. She ordered. There was no mistaking her tone or her intention. I told her that I didn't want to get hung up on tasks. That wasn't my goal for the day. I can do accuchecks from here to next year just fine thank you. My preceptor for the day (a float from another unit) just gave me the helpless look. I was already on the defensive. No one showed me around. The patients were allowed to threaten staff without behavioral consequences. What I should have been learning was the basics. No one even showed me where to put my personals or where or how to get my personal security alarm. I spoke with the acting manager about my concerns. She assured me that when I come back for my next shift, it will be different.

The entire hospital swears off this unit as a problem. I would like to be part of a solution to build a team of cohesive practitioners. We have a new manager who can build structure where there is none. I hope it's structure with a heart but from what I see, it's her way or the highway. I want the ancillary staff and the nurses to at least know each others names for pete's sake. The alternative is the continuing revolving door and I will be one revolving out.

Any suggestions on how, as a new nurse on the unit, I can be part of the solution? Also, how can I survive and get the most out of my orientation? I'm new to psych from a critical care and community health background.

Featured Replies

Sounds like a really bad situation. Good luck.

Thank you, for being willing to being part of the solution! I work in a similar sounding unit.

My plan is to keep the lines of commumication open and show respect for members staff. I make sure that I'm always available to help anybody with any task (housekeeping, techs or clerks), I too am trying to learn everyone by name this build teams.

It will be interesting to see what your manager will have changed for next shift???

Best of Luck!

I feel you pain RnKittyKat. I have also posted on my 8 days of orientation. I also wonder what did I get myself into. I know we will survive come what may. I hope things get better for you and I wish you all the luck in the world!

Sounds like you started on "one of those days" that we all have.

Don't be too upset yet......they needed someone to do a job they could count on and they asked you....seems the manager needs to get some things organized, for sure..

I work in a great facility....our MHT's know us and we know them..we can usually count on them and vice versa....a lot of new people coming in at the same time can certainly seem like it is very chaotic...give it some time and see what happens....seems like no one really knew what anyone was responsible for, it will come together, I hope...attend all the staff meetings and listen.....then after working there a little while you can start to put you own input in......

Give it some time before you bail out.....GOOD LUCK !!!

(I still have days like that after years in psyche)

I forgot....it was so hectic in my orientation I never did know where the bathroom was, let alone where to put my purse !!!! (I left it in my trunk the next day) and kept asking till I found the BR......

Any suggestions on how, as a new nurse on the unit, I can be part of the solution? Also, how can I survive and get the most out of my orientation? I'm new to psych from a critical care and community health background.

I would say that as the "new kid" first day on the job, doing the tasks was probably the best thing for that moment, so they could re-organize and get out of panic mode! SOMEbody had to do it. YIKES it sounds like it was bad. Yep the unit needs work - first off it needs SAFETY as a psych unit, right? So everybody doing their part to assure that for that day - while the new manager gets her act together and a plan - man I don't envy her. Or you. But stick it out! It actually could be a GOOD thing, being part of the unit's building from the ground up. Sometimes ya gotta dynamite the building and then start from scratch, and that's what your unit is doing.

  • Author
. It actually could be a GOOD thing, being part of the unit's building from the ground up. Sometimes ya gotta dynamite the building and then start from scratch, and that's what your unit is doing.

I've had a little time to process. This pretty well sums up my thinking.

I forgot....it was so hectic in my orientation I never did know where the bathroom was, let alone where to put my purse !!!! (I left it in my trunk the next day) and kept asking till I found the BR......

Wow, sounds like it was really far away or camouflaged.

Either give it some time to see how the new boss does or get out. It sounds awful.

Although a place that gives you a personal alarm can't be all bad.

  • Experts

If you are going to stay a while and try to make the best of it (and be part of building a new team) .... The first thing you need to do is to become part of the team. That includes being helpful to the senior staff around you when they are trying to cope with an unexpected crisis. That includes doing some menial tasks that may not exactly match your ideal learning plan for the day. As they learn that you can be counted on to be a team player and helpful to have around ... and as the immediate crisis passes, they will be in a "place" where they can focus on your needs.

It sounds as if you walked in on a crisis. That happens sometimes. And when it does, the newbies usually need to stand back and let the experienced staff manage the crisis, makiing sure all of the patients are safe. That is the first priority. Once the crisis has been managed to the point where safety has been assured, then they can move on to lower priority needs, such as your orientation.

Give them a few days -- maybe even a couple of weeks -- to get organized under this new manager. Then have a sit-down meeting with whoever is in charge of your orientation to revise your plan as needed. Be gracious and understanding why the beginning of your orientation was far less than ideal -- and willing to "start over" with a plan to meet your educational needs once the dust has settled a bit.

After you complete orientation and are a regular member of the staff, you'll be much more comfortable on the unit and in a position where you can have more of an influence. In fact, having weathered this crisis cheerfully with your fellow staff members, you may have formed strong bonds that will be of benefit for years to come.

Good luck to you.

  • Author

Things are starting to calm a bit. More new nurses are processing in. Our floor orientation is super short. Only two weeks following 3 weeks of classroom orientation. What's left of the pre-existing nursing staff are mostly very helpful. I will have multiple preceptors. I've had to more or less structure my own learning and have made time to spend on the mileu to get to know the MTs and problems they encounter. Even though it sounds awful, it's really going very well. I'm enjoying my work in a way I didn't when in critical care. The technical end of it is fairly straightforward and manageable. The docs and residents are friendly and we genuinely enjoy mutually respectful relaxed relationships. So far, so good. It's getting better.

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