What makes nursing stressful for you?

[dudette10]

The "least stressful unit" got me to thinking, which is, as most people who know me would say, a very dangerous thing.

Anyhoo, for me, it's paperwork. While I'm a work, I keep thinking, "I need to chart!", "I need to fill out the forms for QI," "I need to do the audits," "I need to complete the admission paperwork," etc. etc.

All this while I have the smile on my face as I'm fetching water and a blanket. Or toileting someone. Or cleaning up a patient. It's frustrating, because that's basic patient care, and I'm thinking about the paperwork I'm behind on which takes me literally hours to do, as if the paper work is "something better/more important to do." It's NOT!

That's my beef on the stress I experience in nursing. What's yours?

[cantdoit]

*meds that

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

lack of staff. I can deal with anything, if there are enough people on the floor.

[NurseFrustrated]

Not enough staff to do what needs to be done (therefore you can't give the kind of quality care to patients that you would like to give), the people who decide what staff our unit needs being people who do not even work on the unit, lazy coworkers who don't pull their weight (would rather sit at the desk and text on their cell phones rather than answer a call bell), management who won't do anything about the problems on the unit despite being well aware of them, worry that you can't complete your work on time (due to not enough staff) and will get in trouble for clocking out late, work always calling you on your day off to come in, worry that a patient will go bad at any minute when you are tied up in another room, rude doctors, not having what you need to do your job (missing meds, no dressing supplies), trying to do an admission with six other patients needing care at the same time, always juggling 15 things at once, not getting a lunch break or getting interrupted if you do get one, non-nurse co-workers who think that all nurses do is "give pills and sit at the computer", no support from management, no praise for a job well done, feeling unappreciated, being pulled to other units that you are not familiar with, rude and demanding family members....just to name a few.

[msjellybean]

Never having enough staff. Not having the supplies I need. Meds not being on the floor when I need them & having to harass pharmacy several times, over a scheduled med that they should have sent hours ago.

[Rensoul]

Honestly it's that dang phone they hand us at the beginning of shift. When it's used as intended it's not bad. Numbers are in the pt room so they can reach us directly, which is great most of the time. Unless your UC is from the day when we had no phones and feels it necessary to call you 80 million times a day over silly things........makes it hard to keep your train from derailing lol. Especially as a new nurse. I'm sure it gets better, but right now I could cheerfully chuck that phone straight out the window!

[Anne36, LPN]

Everything right now. Everyone has to clock out on time, last night was insane. I clocked out 15 min late and did very light charting. I never felt like I had enough time yesterday to even do the basics. I made a mistake that might get me fired. I feel incompetent because I know it was all my fault because I was too busy and felt very rushed the whole night. Im so embarrassed to go into work tonight. Im also exhausted beyond belief and all I need right now is sleep. I dont know how Im going to get through tonight.

[LDrounette]

Yeah, the paperwork is overwhelming. Unfortunately, Medicare, Medicaid, and the insurance companies require a LOT of it! In creating more and more laws and regulations to "provide better patient care", they have increased the paperwork burden tremendously!!

[merrywhiterose]

I'm in a Long-Term Facility. Too few nurses, too much paperwork, & inconsistency in what we are supposed to do--with rules changing daily. We are constantly being threatened, "if you do this you will be wrote up!" A doctor that won't answer his phone or his phone messages are full, but we are required to talk to him. On top of that, if a nurse or CNA calls in, WE have to find a replacement.

[merrywhiterose]

TOO many meetings that require us to show up in the middle of the day on our days off!!!

[merrywhiterose]

We had walkie talkies in the long-term care facility because we spent too much time looking for aides. They took them away because the company didn't like the idea!

[NsugaBuga]

I'd have to agree. Its about the higher people telling you to punch out and get the work done on time no matter what.... Well, the stress level goes high when you have a re-admit at 2:30, and a fall at 2:45.... plus the everyday paperwork to do. What then? Oh not to mention, nobody else "is able to" help you since they claim (insert excuse here).

[lorirn58]

OMG you are soooo right.