When you have done all you can and it still seems not to be enough.

CaLLaCoDe, BSN, RN · Aug 22, 2007

Orientation is just plain tough. Sometimes I felt that it was a minnie nursing school all packed into 8 weeks! Actually I do believe mine lasted 12, but boy did I ever struggle. Know you are not alone. We all must start somewhere. Leave the grumpy ones to be grumpy and know you did try your best. Honestly, I think so. Don't give up, it is such a learning curve!

For humors sake please check out my post at the bottom of this thread:

https://allnurses.com/forums/f35/officially-off-orientation-tonight-yeaa-203190.html#post2035733

EmmaG, RN · Aug 23, 2007

Eh, don't let it get under your skin. You'll find there are those who will nit-pick and bully and ***** and complain no matter what. Just do your best and let it go. Don't give them the power to ruin your day.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Aug 23, 2007

It gets better with time. I do hate when another shift comes in and starts make judgements when you've had the day from hell.

Don't let people yell at you. That's so inappropriate. Having someone say "you should know........." is one thing, but yelling is another. Nip that in the bud immediately. That's unprofessional and uncalled for.

MIA-RN · Aug 23, 2007

Stuff like how much a patient voided etc does not have to be in report unless it was inadequate. I always say "voided sufficiently for shift, the exact total is on the I/O flowsheet." The only time I would give exacts is if there was a problem.

But if you want, and what I do when I am trying to remember to do stuff, is at the very bottom of your assignment sheet, write prompts for yourself. Like: I/o: Void total:___ Intake PO___ Intake IVF___, that sort of stuff, just to use as a visual to remind you to write it down.

When I was new I felt a little bit of 'hazing' from the more experienced nurse sometimes. They would ask questions that seemed to make no sense, or question things that were easy to find out (like the info on the flow sheets etc) I think that was their way of kind of breaking in a new nurse, and also maybe they were making sure that as a new nurse, I was on top of things and so that they wouldn't go in and see a patient who they thought was good but turned out to have a problem that wasn't given in report.

If you are truly getting yelled at, then you need to speak to whoever is in charge because new nurses do NOT deserve to be bullied. But if you are using yelled at as a slang, meaning spoken to, then I think its probably for the reasons I mentioned above.

Good luck. It really does get better.

deeDawntee, RN · Aug 23, 2007

I am an "old" nurse and I don't always remember everything I am supposed to tell the next nurse. You do the best you can.

I firmly believe that "less is more" in most cases...just like in charting by exception, I believe in reporting by exception.

If I have had a bad shift, I tell them straight off, I didn't have a chance to read the chart etc.

If the next nurse has a question about something I missed, she can look it up!!

:uhoh3: :uhoh3: :uhoh3:

sharann, BSN, RN · Aug 23, 2007

I am an "old" nurse and I don't always remember everything I am supposed to tell the next nurse. You do the best you can.
I firmly believe that "less is more" in most cases...just like in charting by exception, I believe in reporting by exception.
If I have had a bad shift, I tell them straight off, I didn't have a chance to read the chart etc.
If the next nurse has a question about something I missed, she can look it up!!
:uhoh3:

Exactly my feeling. Every nurse has their own "nit-point" as I call them. I know an ICU nurse who will interruprt every part of my report to ask me what the urine output was on every patient (I tell them this but not always the FIRST thing on the list). I usually do a focused report and then go out from there. If the patient has been having seizures and the meds are the issue then start there as Im sure you do then go. In CPR we do the A B C's. So is nursing.

Just tell the meannie nurses that you are doing your best and that is all you can do. You can't be sorry, just tell them you don't know the exat answer and we will look it up when I am finished.

Don't be discouraged! I sucked at report for a couple years and now I am really great at it(just don't ask that ICU nurse!):trout:

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Aug 23, 2007

We all start out new. We all have to learn how to give report, and in a way that feels comfortable to us. It might help you to go in a specific order just like you do when assessing someone so you don't leave out anything important.

I also know that when you have nights/days like what you described, you are lucky to get 45 seconds to pee, much less know right off the top of your head what someone has peed. I wouldn't worry about it. I get report from nurses who've been there for 25 years who don't know everything. And you know what? I don't know everything when I give report. And I bet the nurse that got on your case doesn't always give complete report.

Let it slide off your back, honey. If that is the worst thing you ever do in your nursing career, you are doing REALLY well. Chin up! :)

Edited to add that I have called back to the floor many times on my way home from work to tell someone something I forgot earlier. It happens. You'll be alright.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Aug 23, 2007

So sometime I get yelled at example for today " You should know how much or if the pt has voided"

Don't allow anyone to yell at you. If they do it once and get away with it, they'll surely do it again. If you become known as an "easy mark" for yelling and abuse, it will make your life at work many times harder. Unfortunately, many experienced nurses will test the waters with newer nurses during report, just to see how you'll react.

Here's my observation...I have noticed that bully nurses target certain individuals, while leaving other persons alone. Unfortunately, it's all about perception. If you are perceived as one who will not stand up for yourself, you'll be targeted for further harassment during report. If you're perceived as someone who will put up resistance and not allow anyone to yell at you, then people will quickly know to leave you alone.

Bullying is a crime of opportunity. Bullies tend to pick the most opportune targets: people who are less likely to respond in a defensive manner to the yelling. Also, if nothing is done, the bully will continue his/her rampage, because he/she knows that he/she can get away with it.

ShayRN · Aug 23, 2007

Don't allow anyone to yell at you. If they do it once and get away with it, they'll surely do it again. If you become known as an "easy mark" for yelling and abuse, it will make your life at work many times harder. Unfortunately, many experienced nurses will test the waters with newer nurses during report, just to see how you'll react.
Here's my observation...I have noticed that bully nurses target certain individuals, while leaving other persons alone. Unfortunately, it's all about perception. If you are perceived as one who will not stand up for yourself, you'll be targeted for further harassment during report. If you're perceived as someone who will put up resistance and not allow anyone to yell at you, then people will quickly know to leave you alone.
Bullying is a crime of opportunity. Bullies tend to pick the most opportune targets: people who are less likely to respond in a defensive manner to the yelling. Also, if nothing is done, the bully will continue his/her rampage, because he/she knows that he/she can get away with it.

:yeahthat:

One way to reply is, Well that would be in the chart as you will see when you do YOUR assessment. Sometimes I think they want us to report everything so they don't have to look themselves. I even had a nurse ask me one time which arm the PICC was in, told her to pull back the covers and look when she got into the room, yeesh.

CHATSDALE · Aug 23, 2007

if the nurse in question is in the habit of interupting your report to ask questions, quit answering them when she asks. write it down and say you will cover that when you finish...smile and keep on with your report

gonzo1, ASN, RN · Aug 23, 2007

Some nurses want you to tell them everything so they don't have to do an assessment or look anything up.

I don't need a nurse to give me a detailed report because I'm going to interview and assess the patient myself, thank you.

There's some nurses you can never make happy, just ignore them