People with Jobs in Nursing (United States)

It all stated many years ago when I was first out of nursing school and was made charge nuse when I was only approximately 4 months out of school. During that time we got minimimal feedback from administration and how they wanted to have things run. I concentrated on the nurses working for me, and making sure those nurses provided appropriate patient care no matter what else happened. When I changed jobs to go in the ICU at the same facility my montra remained the same.. Take care of my patients and their families as best as would could, then help the other nusrses take care of their assignments the same. I have always been oriented about what was best for the patient and the patient family. Not necessarily if it was the perfect administrative way to handle it. I even went to work with school based nursing for approximately 3 years. I really enjoyed that work - one on one with the student trying to make a difference in their daily lives. I feel like I had an impact on the students there and hopefully an impact on the way they will live their lives. I decided to go back to working full-time in the hospital setting in the ER. I had worked some relief there but decided I liked it enough to go full-time. I love how you never know what will come in the door next. It could be a GSW or a tooth ache. In between the trauma, you get really sick patients who need to be taken care of as compassionately and quickly as possible. Their family also needes a moment to try to grasp what is going on with their family member. This is where is am partly my best. Yes I can stablize a pt near the brink of death, but that doesn't mean anything unless the family can be there to be with their loved one. I had to do this last weekend - call a family in Texas and tell them their mother had a massive CVA and would not be able to recover from it. Thankfully, both brother and sister made it to the bedside before she passed away. That makes me feel good that the children were able to be with their mother at the time of their passing. That's what nursing is to me - taking care of the patients and the families. My problem evidently lied where I was too vocal and adament that a pt be moved up stairs quickly so the family and pt would be more comfortable that being in an ER. I also expected alot of my nurses to move patients efficently either toward disposition or admission. If everyone isn't working toward a common goal, it can become lost and gridlocked. Everyone has to be a team member - the doctor, nurse, resp therapist, tech, secretary, radiology, phlebotomist, house keeping, food services, etc has a job to do that helps take care of one pt. All to often there is a breakdown in one of these teams that cane affect how a pt gets cared for. That is where the Charge Nurse comes in. It is his/her duty to make sure everything runs smoothly and everyone gets the job done for the patient and the family. As a charge nurse I worked so hard to get the patients into the er and get them back out of the er as quickly as possible. Find out want was wrong with them along with the other team members, develop treatment plan, and either admit the pt to the hospital or send the pt home with the proper advice and follow up. It has been said that not all nurses appreciate what I am trying to do in moving pts as quickly as possible. They complain that they don't want their rooms filled up with pts again, that they haven't had their smoke break, etc. The floors complain that the patients come upstairs too soon even though the patient has been waiting in the ER on a stretcher for 12-15 hours waiting for their room to get cleaned. I think if you know that a patient is coming to a room you should be ready whether it comes in 5 mintues or 5 hours. Ambulance drivers not knowing what they are bring in or the severity of what they are bring in also makes the life of a charge nurse anxiety ridden. Have they diagnosed the pt correctly and started the apporpriate treatment or have they made things worse. Did the medic bring the pt to the wrong hospital. What was the pt and family's wishes. This can call for heated exchanges between the ambulance personnel and the charge nurse. But no matter in the end the pt is the one we will take care of no matter what. I always felt my job was to #1 take care of the patients and their families, #2 make sure my staff was taken care of and was doing their jobs correctly and efficiently, #3 Be the go to person for when anyone needs advice or a skill leason, #4 was there for my staff when ever or where ever they needed me. They could always count on me to be there for them. Administration just didn't like the fact that I took care of all these people so loudly that I "shook the cages" to often. I only wanted to provided the best care to the patients, the patient families, and to support and care for my staff of doctors, nurses, techs, and secretaries to the best of my abilities. Maybe I was to vocal or took to much one at one time. I would like another chance to concentrate on patient care again. I will miss the ones I concered by extended family.

Nursing appears to be a very territorial profession and sadly, many compete for the favor of our doctors. If you ever have a preceptor who takes more smoke breaks than work assignments, ask to be re-assigned (forget about hurt feelings) your livelihood is on the line.

When switching from one department to another; when asked, be carefull how you portray the old department.

I landed the best job ever. I was good at it, enjoyed it, and gave it my fullest potential. Training my self, researching on the internet, and I excelled. It seems that this threatened and made my boss uncomfortable. I was wrongfully terminated. Having all proof of this it did me no good. This devistated me. Knocked me down so hard I couldn't get back up for months. So do you do your absolute best at all times or just what is required. Is it ok to go above and beyond? What ever you decide, be careful. There are others that don't like to see another get ahead, don't appreciate your efforts, and may even hold it against you. Be sure not to step on any toes. Keep records, documentation, all information to protect yourself. Weather it does do you good or not, you will know yourself that you did your best. Don't let anyone tell you that you are incompitent. Show them you are. Be confident but respectful at all times. Don't over step yourself. And biting your tongue can be beneficial to you. It's ok to go home with a feeling of accomplishment from you days work...

I was hired through a long term care facility. everything semed fine, the people were nice and the co-workers friendly. then the company found out I did not have a wife but am a same sex couple. As soon as they found out this information the write-ups started. not a day went by after this that the bosses didnt find some excuse to write me up for things I was never even told about. This went on for about 2 months before I was eventually fired. the reason for firing: "You care too much for the residents"

This company was not only unfair, and cruel about a first time CNA working at their facility but downright discriminatory towards me just because i happen to have a boyfriend. DO NOT!!!! under any circumstances let your employer have private information on you unless you are willing to have them use your information against you.

As a LPN, I was a staff nurse working in a Nursing Home in Mississippi. On numerous occassions I had been asked by my supervisor and other nurses to help the night shift by giving medications early before leaving my shift. Of course, I was caught and eventually I was fired trying to help others on another shift. My advise is NEVER help anyone on another shift. If they cannot do their job, it is not your responsibility to help them. My advice is if anyone in an organization asks you to do anything like that, politely tell them that would be endangering your nursing license. I would also tell them that staffing shortages need to be addressed to the administration, not to the staff. Asking to cover for another shift is only asking for trouble in more ways than one. You could not only loss your job, but could be reported to the State Board of Nursing. You do not want to go there; believe me, I know from experience. Always, always, cover your license! That is the best advice I can give to anyone. Not only should you know your policy and procedures, but think before you say yes to anyone. It could cost you.

I have a 33 year career history, with no prior negative apsects (always 4+ on evaluations, never written up) and in the course of the last year, I have been written up, had something called a "last chance agreement", which I was forced to sign while under duress, followed by numerous "investigations" which were unfounded by managments investigation, but never apologized for; suspended, and then terminated; without due process permitted (the suspension/termination: " was, is this you ?; you did this on this date ?; you're suspended pending further investigation: then terminated, without allowing me to give events from my side." My advice: Remember three things : -1.) you are a GREAT nurse. (lawyer/accountant/whatever). -2.) you are a GREAT person. -3.) you LOVE yourself. Repeat these three things 10 times upon rising each morning. Additionally, you must go forward. -find another job; whether permanent or per diem (to keep you financially afloat.)So you do not have to take a payout on your investments. -create a "plan that works best for you." And above all, I hope everyone who goes through what I did, has a supporting mate, and remembers this is not the end of the world. Look at your options, what can be done to resolve the issue amicably, so you may list the former employer, for future jobs. Good Luck to all !!