New Nurses Stressed by Workplace

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“Oh ER nurses are constantly toeing the line with this. Some goodies I’ve said recently: “Visitation is a privilege, not a right. If you continue to speak disrespectfully to me or the other staff, I will have security escort you out.” - to the mother of a 20-something who was being incredibly condescending and demanding cranberry juice. “I didn’t make you come to this hospital.” - to patient complaining about every aspect of their care “The doctors are busy with very sick people. You wait because”

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I am grateful for nurses like you if I ever happen to come in with a STEMI. And I mean that very sincerely bc as an RN myself, I worked cath lab…

“Harsh nurses are busy and confident they can get your vein, so want to get on with it already and knock it out because they have work to do Seriously, when I’m called to get an IV on somebody with veins who has a fear of needle/, refuse or shut up, otherwise I’m poking you while you panic and getting the vein, I don’t have time for your anxiety or to miss a vein, so I make sure I find a good one and one shot it So it’s just a bit of bias selection on that end. You’ll remember the harsh guy who j”

“My old hospital use to have RSI kits that we could pull from the Pyxis that contained all or most of the intubation meds. Do you guys have that your hospital and if so how do you guys deal with ordering/charting on it? I’m hoping to have something similar for my new hospital but don’t really know the logistics around it. submitted by /u/bromato1 [link] [comments]”

“Hi, fellow nurses! I just want to ask for advice or hear your experiences regarding medication errors during probationary status. I’m currently a probationary staff nurse, and unfortunately, I had a medication error. I accidentally administered paracetamol to the wrong patient. The patient who received it was on seizure precautions, although paracetamol was not part of their prescribed medications. Thankfully, the patient remained stable and no sentinel event or adverse reaction occurred. The in”

“Once as a tech, I was the only one on the floor because everyone else had called off. A new patient came up from the ER was placed in a room on the opposite end of the unit from me. The board was still hand written at the time, and no one ever updated it. I only found out about them because I walked down there later while catching up on rounds and stocking, and saw the door was closed. The nurse then yelled at me and tried to blame me for their vitals not being done. How the hell was I suppose t”

“I don’t know what I’m doing. I feel useless. I feel stupid. I feel like I’m hurting patients more than I’m helping them. This shits hard. That is all. submitted by /u/Repulsive-Throat5068 [link] [comments]”

“Is anyone a pact rn at the va? Would love to get your input. It has been a poor experience and eqm is like car sales. submitted by /u/Rosceahottie34 [link] [comments]”

“Had to have a meeting with my nurse manager and clinical instructor this morning because the ICU nurse I was shadowing didn't want me back. That's a story for another day. A lot took place and was said during this meeting and I have no intention of writing a lengthy post. So that said, some of the key takeaways is that my manager has made clear that every move I make going forward is going to be watched and scrutinized. My preceptor and/or I have to check-in multiple times during the wee”

“coming from outpatient ortho to IRF it’s definitely very different. Not that I don’t think my team is going to be very supportive- but I do want to be prepared. What does your day to day look like? how stressful? Mostly, what should I brush up on? The biggest thing I’m nervous about is lab values and changes in patient status. The time that I was an outpatient ortho I thankfully never had any changes of status for patient where I had to call EMS. I guess my biggest fear is going to be decipherin”

“We had a nurse in my hospital who suffered a fatal car accident on her way home from a 7p-7a shift. Hit close to home and I started taking a nap in my car before driving home many mornings. It truly does happen.”

“The Pt had psych issues and couldn't properly communicate why he was is distress. His nurse, her new grad, and the PA were all in the room desperately trying to figure out why he "randomly" started screaming (he even received a dose of fentanyl for it and was about to receive a second one). I walked in and he was writhing around on the bed, wearing nothing but a diaper, with blood oozing from his freshly cathed penis. It was a grizzly fucking scene and my gloves were soaked in thic”

“Yep. We literally fired an ien 2 years ago since she lied about her credentials...only came up since a lot of nurses working with her made numerous complaints that she had no idea wtf she was doing even basic nursing skills...in the emergency department...like wtf”

“Had a wtf moment in class today. (I’m in a DNP program, been RN x 8 years). There are some fresh nurses with 2-3 years experience (some who became NPs fast and are back for DNP or some who are in a BSN to DNP program). Some of the NPs just graduated and haven’t even found a job yet which is fine but like come on prof asked what are some organizational issues that cause domino effect of problems Ok first of all…. Let’s think THE MILLIONS OF PROBLEMS that happen as a result of organizational polic”

“I'm one of those nurses who struggles a lot with confronting patients and/or their families, mainly because I'm conflict-averse but also because I'm scared of getting in trouble (aka getting reported to mgmt by the pt/family, and mgmt caring more about patient satisfaction than anything). Also, this question doesn't necessarily only have to be about patients/families who are manipulative/demanding, though I know many times that's the cause for having to lay down the law. Coul”

“I work bedside and it’s hard af. Some patients you’re never going to make happy and will complain about it all. I’ve started setting clear boundaries when I go in. If we have no aide and it’s just me? I tell them it just ME caring for people, so if it take a bit to get in here that’s why. Do you want a snack? Go to the bathroom? Cause I’m here NOW and can’t just come back in two minutes when you want a juice or to get up. The chatty ones? If they’re stable, they get seen last. And once I’m done”

“Nursing is a second career for me as well. I left my last unit b/c…get ready for this, a young nurse abandoned her 5 patients. Yes, abandoned and then attempted to blame it on me, said she gave report to me. She most certainly did not, and my midnight text asking her if she was returning proves that. It didn’t stick as she still got in trouble, and management never asked me about it, however her friends on the unit all treated me icy afterwards. She’s also a nepo baby which saved her. I figure I”

“I'm so sorry this is happening to you. I can certainly relate. My first nursing job was in the middle of COVID. I worked in a level one trauma center on a step-down unit that was essentially the ICU waiting room at the time. I lasted 6 months and was in a similar mental health boat as you. I would have night terrors about work and had constant passive suicide ideation. Eventually that passive started sounding more active and I put in my two weeks. I didn't even tell my coworkers I was le”

“The facility I’m working at right now wants therapists to transfer patients to their car when they’re leaving, even after they’ve been taken off caseload since they’re being discharged. Is that even allowed? submitted by /u/FantasticNumber3 [link] [comments]”

“I work in a high acuity step down and have 4 years experience at this acuity level and 12 years total nursing years. The other day I had a really rough assignment. Two a-lines, two downgrades. Sent one to the floor, got a rapid response urgent transfer in their place. My stable non down grade had abdominal drains requiring flushing q4 and dressing changes, . multiple antibiotics and electrolyte replacement, needing cathflow and more usgivs. Tube feeds, q2 turns, but also a+ox4 and needy. One of”

“I’m an LPN doing 1:1 pediatric nursing, and I’m seriously considering asking my agency to move me to another case. I need outside opinions because I don’t know if I’m just emotionally overwhelmed today or if this case has genuinely become too much. My client is a young, nonverbal child with a G-tube who can have very significant aggressive behaviors. I’ve been hit, kicked, scratched, bitten, had my hair pulled, and have had skin broken more than once. She can also throw things, throw herself to”

“Utterly exhausted and only 2 out of 3 shifts. Last 2 consecutive shifts had me running from one room to another. Patients needy and complaining despite me going above for them. Everyone needs me at the same time and expects me there within 2 minutes. Plus I'm not only handing out their meds but also their damn refreshments! Not to mention I feel like some of the Patients purposely talk your ear off and take up so much of your time when you go in. Like dude I'm in here every 2 hours. You&”

Do Not Attempt Intubation

“Why wasn’t tele on the patient as they arrived to their room from procedure? In my hospital if the patient has tele orders the patient is either placed on tele before transfer, or they are transferred on a portable monitor and tele is applied on arrival. Either way they are monitored. The nurse or a nurse on the floor is present upon arrival to receive the patient. If there are any incisions or anything post procedure the handoff nurse and receiving nurse/present nurse, view that together. The p”

“Ugh, this kind of thing drove me insane at the hospital. If someone has time to walk around inspecting where your water bottle is, maybe they have time to help with the actual staffing problem.”

“I’m 7 months in on a med surg floor and I’m just exhausted. My orientation was kind of a mess. 10 weeks, many of which were with the extremely busy charge nurse. Like leaving me in the middle of a new skill to tend to the floor and coming back to ask why I didn’t just finish up. Then, I was on nights working every other night and it destroyed my sleep and mental health. I was constantly tired. I recently switched to days and it’s better for my sleep, but incredibly busy and overwhelming of cours”

“What is the question? The RN is responsible to ensure delegated tasks are completed and to review the data. She didn’t do that. She knows she didn’t do that. The providers are also responsible for reviewing vitals before a procedure. The hospital is likely not going to take a huge action like firing people immediately if they have been notified of a lawsuit, since it assigns blame on their end. I’m sure there is a lot of freaking out going on behind the scenes that a travel nurse isn’t privy to.”

“How screwed am I? I’m a relatively new nurse with only about a years experience in pedes heme onc, last night I had two patients with the same PRN pain regimen (2mg/1ml morphine). I accidentally pulled it from the Omni under one patient’s name when the other patient needed it. And then administered it to the correct patient, scanning and doing a pain assessment on that patient as well. I said as much in the audit email they sent me, but my manager is out of office and have no way to ask if what”

“Yup. We go into it wanting to help people only to realize the system is so fucked by everyone who will never even touch a patient”

“Okay then yeah that makes less sense since yeah, your program should have had some more nurses who had more experience. A variety helps a lot.”

“Yeah, my floor is CHRONIC for this. I recently pre-floated to a different unit for a month and a half—got all 4 reports done and dusted and was always walking out at 0720 (we start at 0700). It felt AMAZING. My unit? For some reason, for the same amount of patients, we tend to finish around 0740-0750 and it pisses me off. Granted, our patients are more critical than the other floor and are typically hospitalized longer, but I don't have to tell you when their IABP was removed 3 weeks ago, or”

“The perspective of “why don’t they just…” is sort of the same (although maybe a slightly dramatic example) as blaming an abuse victim for staying with their abuser. The answer is it’s just complex and the states where unions are not common have a combination of such low wages people are scraping by combined with the fear you’ll be fired and lose benefits. A lot of those areas are also very rural and there may only be one or two hospital or healthcare systems within an hour or two drive. Blacklis”

“As long as you document everything you do and every interaction with the pt, there’s no reason why you would get in trouble. And if there’s other nurses’ charting pt’s behaviors, it wouldn’t just be an issue with you”

“Why do you think she’s pointing the finger at me, saying I didn’t give medication because this patient is having behavioral issues”

“Lately, I feel like I have been seeing or hearing about other nurses getting fired. Is it my imagination or is this really the reality of the nursing profession? Even when I log onto Reddit (usually daily), there is a nurse reporting they got fired. And usually they are getting axed for petty reasons. I know nationwide hospitals took a hit when Medicaid/Medicare got cut. But I wasn’t expecting it to affect nurses. I know people are getting laid off. Departments downsize or lack the funds. But nu”

“I’m feeling so bad for my mom, and honestly, very angry. She’s a nurse with 25+ years of experience - her personality, which I believe played some part here, is very meek and non-confrontational. She’s the epitome of an honest worker, her patients and colleagues love her. She works for an infusion clinic currently undergoing a merger/acquisition of some kind. Because it’s the first day of that acquisition, all employees needed to sign their contracts once again, and while there were some nurses”

“Hey y'all, I need some help I've been lowkey mentoring a baby nurse and I would like to make her a list of abbreviations/acronyms that we may come across. Things like: 10/7 or 3/12, qtts, i-iii, pc and ac, hs.. Especially anything older doctors would use? Or even something the older generation might say. Like I had a few people request for "2 22's". I had to think on it for a minute to realize they were asking for Tylenol! Thanks in advance fam submitted by /u/H”

“I’m an ER RN (2 years at this job) 8 years total as an RN. We’ve been drilled to just accept the stupid hydration station myth that makes absolutely no sense. Why can’t I just drink water while I’m charting at a completely different area than patient care. I did it anyway by either hiding my drink behind something so management wouldn’t see it or something else. But today was when it all clicked for me. I’ve been out on maternity leave for about 6 months and I returned to work yesterday. First d”

“I recently started a job as a Plastic Surgery Clinic RN for a cosmetic plastic surgeon. I was surprised to discover that part of the job expectation is to take after hour calls from patients mostly to address post-op questions and concerns, as they arise. The surgeon I work for expects me to take 1st call with another surgeon acting as a designated 2nd call when he's out of town. His expectation is that I will answer any after hour calls from patients and escalate it to the surgeon on call a”

“you def shouldn't be opening charts when off the clock and i never understand why people do”

No. Say your piece and GTFO. I’ve got work to do.

“I have been working at a facility for 2 years now and everything was perfect then we ended up getting a new dsd and she come in changing everything. All CNAs had a permanent section and now she wants us to rotate sections every month. This adds an insane amount of work for the fact that we have to relearn the patients every month. When we had a permanent section we were able to get into a routine with the patients which makes it so much easier on the day to day. I absolutely hate coming into wor”

“I’ve been off orientation since December so I’m still a baby nurse, but how do yall deal the constant criticism and scrutiny from management, and just never knowing everything I’m supposed to know? Maybe this is just my floor but I feel like I’ve gotten so much non constructive feedback from management and then I’m left googling what i should have done, and asking other nurses. For example, my patient last week had low BP so I held his metoprolol, but he also had afib history and the next day we”

“Dumb question for you all. Back in nursing school, one of the professors always pronounced the cm as SONTImeters when it was in regards to suction. Is this just a weird dialect she specifically applied to suction, or is this a completely different measurement from centimeter? submitted by /u/willy--wanka [link] [comments]”

ER type shi

This right here.

“As an experienced nurse going to a new hospital out of state in a new unit you feel like orientation is irritating? Do they treat you like a new grad and make you feel like idiot and all your experience means nothing or just me? submitted by /u/Additional_Tonight39 [link] [comments]”

“How do you handle/cope with surprising patient deaths? Someone dies despite feeling like you were helping and things were going in the right direction? I find myself in a puddle because sometimes it feels like although I went into this career to help, it seems like the help sometimes isn’t enough. Idk, I know I can’t fix chronic health conditions but my logic goes out the window sometimes. I’ve been a nurse for a while but there’s some deaths that just get me hard. submitted by /u/An”

“Thank you! Some nurses are just such assholes about it. I’m still green & i share that right away. But holy hell, some of these nurses shouldn’t have access to people 🤭”

“I am an ED hold nurse full time and yea that sounds about right we get hit and hit hard then turn over the district and start again. Usually don’t have techs and usually don’t have monitored stops that have tele tech….you have to watch your own monitors 🥲”

“I was a Nursing Supervisor during COVID. A lot of new RN’s walked into it after graduation and, despite the circumstances, did a great job. Everyone did. Now things are much better here. In NYS we have staffing grids which are pretty fair. Not all states have this though. Thank you for what you do and I hope your staffing situation improves.”

“hello everyone! i’ll be starting my senior practicum soon, and i’ll be doing my rotation in psych! i’ve never had psych clinical experience this extensive before, so i’m looking for advice from nurses/other students. what are some things i should be aware of beforehand? i’d also really appreciate advice on communicating with patients (im a bit socially awkward), conducting mental status assessments, and generally making a good impression during practicum! thank you all so much. submitted b”

“The facility I work for doesn't have a vascular access team at night, which is bonkers because it's a trauma hospital. I've asked my managers to put me on the list to be trained to place ultrasound guided IVs. I'm already one of the nurses who gets asked to put IVs in hard sticks, so might as well have the additional training.”

“My respect for educators went way up when I left bedside and went to a research coordinator role. I have to do so much education with staff and providers related to research protocols and procedures and getting anyone to listen for more than 2 minutes is a huge win. You'd think I was asking them to do double work. Anytime they see me it's nothing but eye rolls.”

“I think sometimes people talk crap to make themselves feel better about the shitty work conditions & amount of stress you can be under with inpatient jobs. It’s the same with people who act like a martyr for never calling out sick. Don’t make decisions based on what other people are saying & just do what’s best for you.”

“THIS. What are those educators doing besides finding ways to make yearly comps more tedious? (No hate to educators but it’s been years since I’ve worked with one that’s done much of anything, working nights I only see them once a year maybe. I’m sure there’s plenty of more involved ones out there)”