How dare you!

11 Tonight I worked my tail off. I had two people that I was suppose to orientating, plus I was helping out the agency LPN who graduated in September and thought taking a job with an agency would be a good idea for her FIRST job. So on top of trying to make sure that my two orientees didn't get thrown to the wolves, I was literally teaching this new nurse how to check G-tube placement, give PPDs, and insert foleys. Yes all of those things came up on my shift tonight. On top of also explaining to her that meds have two names when she said to me Pt. XYZ wants her dilaudid but the only thing I see for her is this stuff called hydromorphone. Things slow down for a few minutes. I send the two orientees to lunch, and continue helping the agency nurse. Because it's almost 7 pm and she is still passing 4 pm meds. At the end of the night I asked for a missed punch slip because I did not take a lunch. I didn't feel comfortable leaving any of them on the floor by themselves. She asks me why I need a missed punch form and I tell her. Her response to me is well I will sign it this time but next time you have to take a lunch. They are licensed so there is no reason why they couldn't have stayed on the floor by themselves. What?!?! What if something would have happened while I was gone, what if they had a questioned that needed answered and it couldn't wait till i came back from lunch. This supervisor is notorius for disappearing for extended periods of time and for not taking things that nurses report to her seriously. But she wants to get snippy with me over not taking a lunch! I bet if I would have taken a lunch and something would have gone wrong it would be a whole different story of why did you leave this trainees on the floor by themselves. This is not the first time this supervisor has given me crap. I dunno what her deal is. Being responsible gets you absolutely nothing and it's not fair. These people that run this building need to take a good look at themselves and realize there are more important things to get snippy over other than me not taking a lunch. They use and abuse their staff and then wonder why people don't last there more than a few months. I would have loved to have taken a lunch, but I'm willling to sacrifice what I want to make sure that these people who are my responsibility get taken care of the way they deserve. But apparently my priorities are out of order. Tomorrow they will be getting my two week notice. This was the icing on the cake tonight. I'm not putting license in jeporady any longer for this facility. I hope the people who run this building get their priorities in order. Because me not taking a lunch is by far the least of their problems.
They sound pretty ungrateful to me. Good for you, for protecting yourself.

It sounds like a bad night Just make sure you get very specific info re: orienting newbies, agency personnel, and how lunch breaks work. In the 19 years I worked, I got regular lunches at one place- and the others were hit and miss. The grass isn't ALWAYS greener- but sometimes just looking helps. Good luck

Good for you - you are so right, no job is worth putting your license on the line.... I wish you well in finding a new job

please make sure you find a new job before leaving this one. i always feel like quitting every time i have a bad night. i stopped filling-out the missed lunch slips because of the "why's" and management exactly knows why. so if i don't get to take my lunch now, i would take it at the end of my shift and just chill for 30 minutes, then it's ot pay (i have not gotten in trouble yet as management knows my floor is a hard floor). :dmake sure you bring some back up foods like canned goods or those tv dinner that would be easy to microwave and fast to eat during the "no lunch" days. i am a fast eater anyway so i eat them like in 10 minutes and drink my juice while passing meds. :dyou gotta do what you gotta do! good luck!

And remember that your manager "has" to encourage you to take a lunch for legal reasons. In case anything were to come up, she can say "oh, I always tell my nurses to take a lunch." Even when she knows it's not gonna happen...

Get another job first. Then, when you write, and I do mean "write" your notice, be certain you name all the things that you have told us. That's an insane amount of responsibility with your other responsibilities. And, until,you have gotten all your ducks in a row, page your supervisor for help and if she doesn't respond document it. Oh, and continue with the request for the no lunch as appropriate, let her rant, and document all the times, why you couldn't take a lunch, and what her response was. Go out swinging.

I'm sorry, but if..."I was literally teaching this new nurse how to check G-tube placement, give PPDs, and insert foleys. Yes all of those things came up on my shift tonight. On top of also explaining to her that meds have two names when she said to me Pt. XYZ wants her dilaudid but the only thing I see for her is this stuff called hydromorphone"How is it that this LPN did not know these things?? Thats terrifying. That, and TWO orientees??? OMG. I'd be having a serious talk with someone for sure.

Quote from njmomstudentI'm sorry, but if..."I was literally teaching this new nurse how to check G-tube placement, give PPDs, and insert foleys. Yes all of those things came up on my shift tonight. On top of also explaining to her that meds have two names when she said to me Pt. XYZ wants her dilaudid but the only thing I see for her is this stuff called hydromorphone"[FONT="Book Antiqua"]How is it that this LPN did not know these things?? Thats terrifying. That, and TWO orientees??? OMG. I'd be having a serious talk with someone for sure.

That was a first class rant!! Good going. Now go back in there and slay those dragons "for just one more day."One day at a time. . .

I don't give a hoot what my supervisor says when I tell her I didn't get a lunch. Preach all you want, I'm gettin paid! I would keep a log though just in case you get a review (I've been in my job for 1.5yrs and have yet to get a review or 'you're doing great') and they try to say your milkin it. You can just bust out your little log and show them each day why.

NM rant deleted. But you know roughly what I would have said anyhow.

DO NOT QUIT YOUR JOB. DO NOT QUIT YOUR JOB. DO NOT WRITE A RANT LIKE THIS AS YOUR EXPLANATION FOR LEAVING IF YOU DO QUIT ANYWAY. DO NOT QUIT YOUR JOB.Sorry for all caps. I just want you to calm down and not quit your job.I know you're frustrated but don't throw away your income. Doing that will leave you without income and will not change anything and your next job, if you even can find one, could be a whole lot worse. You made the same mistake I made once with an agency nurse. As the staff nurse, I figured I should help her by telling her what times the trays would come, whose meds to crush, etc. She was not grateful and even complained to the boss - after she made a couple of long, long calls to handle personal business on her cell phone - while passing meds. Do not feel responsible to teach agency nurses stuff if you are going to get in trouble for missing lunch. She can call the Supervisor or her agency Supervisor or ask the other nurses - they might very well know how to check tube placement.Just let the Sup know that you are leaving the floor for 30 minutes for your lunch and make sure the other nurses know you're going and they need to call the Sup if they need anything while you're gone. Period. Do not be Super Woman, do not be everyone's mom. Just look out for yourself. It's just not possible to be everywhere at once. You are not responsible for agency nurses, although the fact that she was an LPN makes it a little more worrisome. But she can still contact a Sup, who I assume is an RN. As a former agency nurse, it's hard for me to say to put yourself and your own survival over helping the agency staff, but this is real life.DO NOT QUIT YOUR JOB, AT LEAST, NOT IN A HUFF.