What makes you drag?

[AcosmicRN]

I'm trying to get to the root of negativity in nursing, so I was wondering what makes you drag yourself to work, what it is you hate the most about going to work, or what it is that makes you feel negative when you're at work.

Arrogant people make me feel negative--especially new nurses who were just one semester ahead of me in school. They acted arrogant in school, and now they walk the floor all determined like they know exactly what they're doing and like saying "Hi" to me would be too much time out of the important things they have to do.

I hate it when people try to make me feel like less than they are. I don't need to be superior to anyone, I just don't like being disregarded, and being disregarded tends to make me feel negative.

What do you hate? And what suggestions do you have for me?

Acosmic

[jnette, ASN, EMT-I]

Personally, I love arrogant ppl...it gives me someone to mess with.. to aggravate. :rotfl: Play with their all-too-big heads. Seriously, I have fun with them.. and they are somewhat taken aback with this approach... since I always smile while I screw with them. Fortunately, however, I don't run into this much. I had a little difficulty with one of our staff after I completed school... she had started, the same time, then decided to drop out. For nearly a year she barely spoke to me...but I just ignored it and treated her with the same respect and kindness I always had. I knew where her problem was coming from, and figured eventually she'd get over it. She did, and we're fine now.

As far as what makes me "drag"... the lack of UPPER mgt. support. Not our NM.. she's the best. But HER superiors.. the company suits, who in their CQI meetings never even acknowledge the floor staff, nor EVER ask us for our input on ANYTHING. That irritates the heck out of me.

Also the lack of proper staffing.. being overworked. More and more patients, and no extra staff to tend to them. When the PATIENTS recognize this, I don't see how mgt. chooses to be so blind.. take that back.. of COURSE I do.. they're blinded by $$ signs... keeping costs at a minimum.

How silly of me.

[susanna]

Arrogant people don't bother me at all. I like most of them because they bring fun and cheer to rhe job. It feels good that someone is arrogant about their job. That means that they really care about it, put effort into it, and feel they do a good job at it. I don't mind them showing off or bragging to me. It makes everyone feel good and positive and makes the work place lighter and easier.

Now, NEGATIVE, EGOCENTRIC, and ATTACKING people bring me down real fast. Just because they are scary, yo. Who feels comfortable around people who relate absolutely everything to themselves thus taking everything personally, attack everyone else, and make everyone look at the dark side of everything? Its like you're their litttle victims that are drawn into their own little world of egocentiricm(sp?). Ah, get away!

[SCRN1]

Things that ARE a drag...

- being understaffed which causes me to feel like I'm not able to give each patient the all individual care they deserve

- negative attitudes whether from co-workers, patients, or patient's visitors

- getting a new admission as soon as I get to the floor and haven't had a chance yet to assess all my current patients first...or...at the end of the shift when it's time to get everything else done that's supposed to be done during those last 2 hours

- not having a secretary at night who can help out by answering the phone, call light, or put in new orders

- waiting on the tech to give me the vital signs, BMGs, etc when they were supposed to be done over an hour ago when she was sitting & yacking (about personal stuff) while we were trying to concentrate on our charting or even refusing to do things asked

- my relief coming in late - habitually - because I come in early myself so the person I'm relieving can go home on time if they're caught up

- not being able to get a nap the 1st day of going back to work that night after being off the night before

Things that drag me back to work:

- being able to help people in a time of need

- the patients who do appreciate the care they receive

- even the patients who don't show they appreciate the care. I look at it that they are sick or in pain, not able to be in their own surroundings, etc. and I don't take it personal if they are snappy

- the families who show appreciation

- the families/friends who actually try to help

- the fun people I work with

- always learning something new

- and I enjoy using all my nursing skills

[angel337, MSN, RN]

what makes me drag? not having enough supplies, support staff (of course) and not having enough time to document. i'm so used to working like this that i never really thought about it until now. we just lost 3 nurses in my department due to the things i mentioned. they went to another hospital that is known to be cushy but pay about $3 less an hour.

[AcosmicRN]

Things that ARE a drag...

- being understaffed

I'm curious SCRN1: I read all your reply, but I have to get some clarification on your very first point. What is your typical patient load, and what kind of floor do you work on? And, if you would indulge me, is your hospital a small for-profit hospital or is it a larger, maybe county, hospital?

Thanks for your response.

Acosmic

[SCRN1]

I work on a 32 bed orthopedic floor in a major hospital here. In addition to orthopedics, we get A LOT of med/surg/psych overflow. It's not uncommon to have about 8 patients with over half of them confused and trying to climb out of the bed, rebreaking a hip that was just operated on, for example. When you have several doing that, and maybe have the rooms you're assigned to spread throughout the floor, it's very difficult to ensure patient safety...unless you use restraints, which is a last resort and very much frowned upon here.

Don't tell me this is the first you've heard of a floor being understaffed?

I'm curious SCRN1: I read all your reply, but I have to get some clarification on your very first point. What is your typical patient load, and what kind of floor do you work on? And, if you would indulge me, is your hospital a small for-profit hospital or is it a larger, maybe county, hospital?

Thanks for your response.

Acosmic

[zenman]

What makes me drag? I guess when I put on a dress!

[AcosmicRN]

I work on a 32 bed orthopedic floor in a major hospital here. In addition to orthopedics, we get A LOT of med/surg/psych overflow. It's not uncommon to have about 8 patients with over half of them confused and trying to climb out of the bed, rebreaking a hip that was just operated on, for example. When you have several doing that, and maybe have the rooms you're assigned to spread throughout the floor, it's very difficult to ensure patient safety...unless you use restraints, which is a last resort and very much frowned upon here.

Don't tell me this is the first you've heard of a floor being understaffed?

I hear you. That sounds like a load that is too much for one RN. The max on a floor like that should be 7. Or at least that's what seems to be the norm (It really should be 6.). Why are they understaffed? Do people not show up, or does the hospital just assume nurses can work with 8 patients?

The reason I ask is because where I work, we have 4 patients (an intermediate cardiac floor). It's the only place I've worked, so I wonder about how nurses handle situations like you describe.

Acosmic

[movealong]

What makes me drag? It can be working too many shifts in a row. My schedule is important. It's not so much because of external obligations like family, but more because having a day off is really a time to mentally refresh myself.

I do telephone triage, so I sit in front of a computer for 9 hours a day. While it is not physcially challenging like floor nursing is, I really don't like to work more than 3 shifts in a row. I get antsy sitting down for so long. I love the work, but like I said, getting a day off at the right time makes sure I am fresh and ready to go.

In the past I worked in situations where I dreaded going in every day, usually becuase of either floor politics, or coworkers that were problematic. Thank god it's been awhile since I've been in one of those situations.