Or Thursday, or even Friday! LOLOL I have to confess, I completely forgot to post on Wednesday, so here I am!
Pouring my heart out...
I am afraid I am burned out. It does happen. In fact, it happens a lot. I have been working as an ER nurse for 15 years. Before I went to the ER I was working Med-surg, which I enjoyed, as a new graduate nurse I had many good preceptors and mentors who trained me well.
Then I ended up going to the ER. And it became my career. Back in the late 90's and early 2000's it was pretty commonly noted that ER nurses burned out in 8 years. This means I have almost worked 2 ER nurse lifetimes.. and I smell smoke.
My patients do not ever know the level of my discontent. In fact, I enjoy talking to my patients and am commonly told that I must really love my job, when in actuality I dont.
I have thought about this a lot, I hold my practice to extremely high standards because I do not believe that a nurse should be working in emergency medicine without extremely high standards, however I work with many many nurses who just do enough to get by. They dont want to learn, they dont want to listen to those of us who know what we are talking about because they know it ALL.... then they make huge mistakes. And management comes to us to find out how to avoid these mistakes, because we dont make them.
My answer is always the same, our standards of nursing excellence in our department is very low. And until people are held accountable for raising their quality of nursing then mistakes will happen.
I think back to my mentors throughout my ER career, I realize with great pride that I was taught by some amazing women. I have always wanted to pass my expertise and wisdom on to others, they just dont want to hear it, so I keep my mouth shut. And I make sure that MY patients are well cared for, and that I am in no way EVER associated with those who do crappy work. As it stands right now the doctors come to me and treat me like an associate, not like a subordinate. I appreciate their trust, and their confidence.
My desire for my future is to move forward and work in what, I hope, will be a job opening in the upcoming months. I have been working as assistant Trauma Coordinator/Trauma Registrar at our hospital and I would love to move on to the permanent Trauma Coordinator when the economy eases up and the job is available. Please keep your fingers crossed for me, it would really make my life easier!!!!
4 comments:
sounds like it would be a great opportunity for you to do something different. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you and for the economy! Have a great weekend.
I could so just sign my name to this post and say Amen. The quality of nursing isn't there because the administrators, coin counters want it all...frugality, top patient care as long as you can do it in 60 seconds or less. That's why I had to get out of nursing. The patient is primo but the family has needs as well and I want to meet them all. Your future career choice sounds phenomenal and very interesting.
Have a great weekend!
Big problems at hospitals all over. They've cut the staff down at our local hospital..one nurse to 7-8 patients in ICU. Ridiculous.
I hope you can get the new job soon!
you sound like an amazing nurse. this country needs more like you. quality health care is nowhere to be seen anymore. well, to my knowledge, it has yet to be seen. i think i have finally thrown my hands up in defeat. the last couple of years i have finally been able to have my pain eased or kept under some control. with that much out of the way, i have stopped looking for answers.
i am a walking head to toe diagnosis... a med student - or a dr's dream patient. one to learn from. study. possibly cure. no one out there who has the means, or the opportunity gives a damn.
people like you, just might. what can be done in a 15 minute time slot? oh yeh. the co-pay. that's right.
best of luck on the new job. you deserve it. i see your name on it.
ps-- haha i found you too :))
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