So my career in nursing is very piecemealed. If I liked an institution I would end up having to quit for personal reasons (I.e one job was 65 miles from my husband, another could/would not accommodate the time I needed to go do fertility treatments....it is rather last minute when you know you have to leave so I get it, but a life without a child would have just been worthless for me.) And the other half of the time I quit because the job was asking to much from my life (Salaried but working 60 hours a week to do a good job, home care was great except for the non-ending nature of it.) Only one time in the last 13 years have I quit a position because I just couldn’t go back to even complete a two week notice due an unsafe work environment. I believe I am there again. I started this job 8 weeks ago and I’ve had 3 serious near miss incidents. No this place is so crappy that they wouldn’t even care if I didn’t fill out the IRIS report, but I do because that is the kind of person I am. I have given notice, but I’m not sure I can go another shift. I need the money until I find another position, but I could just throw up thinking about having to go to work tomorrow. I know that there really isn’t anything more to say (yes I have reported this place to state) but just knowing I’m not alone in this experience is helpful. Everyone at this job has been working this way so long that they don’t even see the danger in what they are doing anymore. It makes it very hard on the person doing the right thing when most of the responses from supervisor roles are, “I’ve worked way worse situations than this, and with less an orientation you’ve had.” (Which I highly doubt because I didn’t get an orientation but even so, just because one gets put in a situation that provides crappy care doesn’t mean that’s the standard we should be aiming for right? So for any of those that are young in nursing, here is my advice for knowing when you should quit a facility regardless of your lack of experience:
1) The orientation is hard to follow, lacks direction, and organization.
2) You are not even close to being out of your orientation period and the place tries to give you a team of your own (even if it is only 1-3 patients) due to short staffing.
3) People are angry with you for being slow and behind and asking how to do something you have been shown. The average adult learns and RETAINS 5 new things a day. There is no way you aren’t going to need to be shown things more than once....for at least a year.
4) Your orientation does not have a checklist of skills you need to demonstrate proficiency in with your preceptor. Or there is a list but no one takes the time to sign it, or ensure that the times were reviewed.
5) There is a sign on bonus. Take it, but don’t spend it so you can give it back if it isn’t safe.
6) Finally, if they are using contract nurses and none of them are renewing their contract, that is a big tale about how bad the culture there. Especially if 50% of their staff is contracted.
Good luck! Hope everyone has a better experience than I have had at this CHI St.Luke’s at Brazosport in Lake Jackson, TX. Don’t go there if you are traveling. Super scary. I had hired on as regular staff and moved for this position, just an unsafe and scary disaster waiting to happen there.
