What is Your Biggest Challenge as a Nurse or a Nursing Student?

honeyforasalteyfish · Jul 23, 2015

908 margarita thank you it does help. Thank you everyone. That is the plan I have been exploring as many avenues as I can while still maintaining my time for class. As soon as I have a break I look at schools in state, make phone calls, schedule counseling appointments etc. I have my first over the phone appointment with an out of state ADN program tomorrow. So we will see how that goes.

honeyforasalteyfish · Jul 23, 2015

I completed it.
I'll post some of it here:
I struggle greatly with anxiety (I mean full blown anxiety attacks sometimes). It's never triggered by anything in particular (such as stress at school or work, etc), it's just something I can feel is going to happen. I can wake up in the morning and think to myself, "Today is going to be bad." and I can mentally prepare myself for a meltdown later. This is somewhat new; I never had issues with this until the past year and it has gradually gotten worse.
I'm afraid to speak to a doctor because I don't want to be put on medication, but I'm getting closer and closer to it every day.

You should not be ashamed of going on medication. I don't like advertising this, but I am on some heavy duty depression medication. That is why I said overcoming my depression. It has really helped me a lot, and since then I have been more confident, more proactive, and more driven since going on medication. I suffered from depression for years, and it really held me back. Since taking antidepressants I am starting to believe I can accomplish all I want to accomplish out of life, and then some. The bouts of sadness, and anxiety still linger sometimes, but the medicine really does help. I won't say it makes me happier, because it doesn't, but it does put me on more of an even keel so to say so I can accomplish more things, and pursue what I want to pursue. Just thought I would share. Only you can decide what is right for you, but if you shouldn't feel afraid, or ashamed of seeking help for anxiety its a part of life, and anything that helps you on a day to day basis should not come with a stigma attached to it. I hope things improve for you.

AliceTrout · Jul 23, 2015

The results of this should be interesting!
While I love my co-workers, there are a few who I struggle with. There are nurses who will copy my charting and document it as their own. I've brought this to my manager's attention and nothing is done. This is very frustrating to me.
Secondly, some of the people I work with are lazy (charting wise) and fail to document things that I think are baseline, important, and relevant. I shouldn't stress about things I cannot control but it is a source of frustration for me. Anyone have ideas?

I notice people at work do it with my charting as well. What works for me is knowing that their bad charting and obvious inattention is just that, if charting were ever reviewed in court or before the nursing board, they would be chopped liver.

Also, and this is important, I don't police my coworkers (unless I were to observe something downright dangerous to the patient of course!). You said you brought it to a supervisor's attention, so let them handle it because it is their job to do so. I know how frustrating it is when you feel like they ignore the problem, believe me. But no sense in getting worked up over it.

My strategy is just to focus on my job and how well I can take care of the patient, at the bedside and in the chart. Every minute I spend thinking about how someone else does their job is a minute I am not spending thinking about my patient. And to me, that makes me equally complicit in slacking as the lazy nurse I am mad about.

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Jul 23, 2015

Honey, it's the short, women nurses that call the shots on the floors. Trust me. You will be fine.

This is true...

I just called the shots to a parent that was 5'11 and wanted to leave when it got real...got real crispy until I gave her REAL-all professional like.

To add: I did this to a similar Amazon three months ago when I got off orientation...I get one a season.

I have enough of a rep in my years as "the lieutenant", "the warden" and now, affectionately "the boss" to the first years. :)

I did the survey...sometimes I need a great reminder on keeping me balanced against my med side effects and when my health problems creep up-I'm good at needing to go to the doctor (for once in my life and I go out of necessity), however, sometimes a preventive reminder would be nice-and extra "check in" so to speak-I'm sure this is a great idea that I could be expounding on if I could have support for this...

mariebailey, MSN, RN · Jul 23, 2015

After several years of working as a nurse outside the hospital setting, I took a job working med-surg. I have realized that hospitals take great strides to put standards & guidelines in place to hold nurses accountable for their performance, but nurses are rarely given a reasonable workload that makes it possible to adhere to such standards/guidelines. In the end, you are forced to compromise your values to stay employed. Potential solution: Safe staffing needs to be a priority, & federal legislation to limit nurse to patient ratios.

Rocknurse, MSN, APRN, NP · Jul 23, 2015

My biggest struggle is the chronic disease I have that knocks me to my knees every month. I have stage IV endometriosis and for about 2 weeks I feel great...normal, energetic, able, enthusiastic, and then at day 14 of the month the pain hits, the fatigue makes it impossosible to function and I feel like the world is crashing down. Being a very active and busy person this makes life a big struggle, particularly as I'm in grad school, and I am taking steps to improve my hormonal balance naturally to make me feel better, but approaching peri-menopause with this condition is no fun at all. It's absolutely draining. Luckily, I currently have a desk job, and I remember how tough it was doing 12 hour shifts in the ICU receiving fresh open heart post ops. However, once clinicals start I'm going to have to suck it up and just deal. I don't see a way to make it better, and there's no way I can just stop living, so what can you do?

CHESSIE · Jul 24, 2015

My biggest nursing challenge has been the unwillingness of hospital administrators to see nurses as their most important asset. Instead of spending more money on PR, spend it on the things the nurses ask for to be able to do their jobs better. Increasing staffing noticeably instead of just increasing salaries would make a world of difference!

You are correct. Although, I have been retired for ten years, this scenario was the case when I was working as an RN.

In January my husband was hospitalized in the same hospital where I had worked and the situation had become even worse. Staffing was dangerously low, but the RNs and ancillary staff who were there were terrific, knowledgeable and compassionate. My husband and let it be known, that these dedicated professionals were stretched to the limit. Whom did they send to speak with us? A new or relatively new, administrator with the title of "VP of Patient Care Excellence!" He stayed in my husband's room approximately two minutes, then had an "urgent meeting to attend."

To attain "patient care excellence" the answer is patently clear, hire more nurses.

Breyson · Jul 25, 2015

Completed it as well.

I would also also like to add that I am worried about my GPA. Some of my teachers are under the impression that medical facilities don't look at it so they feel free to knock us down a few points on meaningless assignments.

I know now for a fact that some do look at GPA; the military is a good example. I spend tons of money and effort to get my degree and for what? Teachers spending hours droning on with outdated power points that they didn't even create themselves.

TIB217 · Jul 25, 2015

I just graduated this year and also started my first nursing job this year.

As a student my biggest challenge was the pressure associated with nursing school - it demands a significant amount of time and energy - and there was very seldom down time. What down time I did have I spend planning an outline for the next paper or researching for a quality improvment project etc. It was all consuming.

As a new graduate Nurse, my biggest challenge is being taken seriously. Because I'm new my coworkers still consider me a student and don't always take my nursing insights seriously.

meljohns · Jul 26, 2015

Nursing in Aged Care is totally different from a hospital I realise, but also has its challenges. Becoming 'attached' to certain residents is virtually impossible, as we attend to many of them for years. We do not have anywhere near the number of deaths, but the ones we endure are very hard.

HM-8404, BSN, RN · Jul 27, 2015

In my second year as an ER RN I transferred out of state to a new ER. WOW! What a difference. The nursing is the same as my old job but the expectations and responsibilities are different. When I get a new emergent patient I am expected enter all of the protocol orders. Example... A suspected stroke comes in and I will assess the patient. During my assessment the MD will enter the room and do their assessment. By the time he/she is done I am expected to have already ordered labs, CT head, etc. Then when I have a patient that is being admitted the admitting Dr. calls me to give me admission orders which include, who being admitted to, inpatient or observation, telemetry or not, diagnosis, diet, all consultations and who/when they are with, we will go over EVERY home med one by one and he will tell me to continue, adjust dose, or hold. To make matters worse I honestly believe you must be foreign born with terrible English skills to work as an MD upstairs.

I am frustrated beyond belief.

adventure780, BSN, MSN, RN, APN · Jul 27, 2015

time management and trying to maintain my skills along with gaining more skills, more paperwork and still expected to do it all in less time