I hate my job and I can't get out.

So I have been an RN since March 2011. In Sept. 2011, I moved 1,600 miles to get a new grad job in a clinic ( that is all they would offer) . I got a sign on bonus and had to sign a one year contract. After about 7 months I asked if I could transfer to the hospital and my manager agreed. I interviewed for a rotating position on the surgical floor. I was excited to get the experience and finally feel like a real nurse. Well, now I'm in a nightmare. When I first started the ratios were 1:4 on days and 1:7 on nights. This hospital has problems keeping staff but I figured the ratios were not too bad and I could get some overtime. Well now 5 weeks in they changed everything. No more over time pay at all. The ratios are now 1:6 on days and 1:8 on nights. They even cut back on what we chart IV's and PCA's once a shift now instead of Q4. They didn't want nurses staying past their shift to chart. They are tightening up and now saying they are fully staffed which is a lie. They employ over 30 travel nurses right now. My orientation is up soon and I'm really worried. I don't see how I can safely take care of that many patients. The last day I worked I had 5 patients : #1 MVA with chest tube and spinal fractures, #2 fresh post op appy, # 3 was a patient with a trach , spinal fractures, and feeding tube ,# 4 and# 5 were patients detoxing off alcohol after MVA's . This week I'm supposed to take 6 patients and I feel overwhelmed.
I totally know where you're coming from. I work on a stroke/med/surg unit and our ratio is usually 1:6 as well on days, 1:7-8 on nights. I work days, and yes the pt load is very heavy. You're right, you can't give the best care when you're taking care of that many pts at once. Managers and administration will NEVER understand this because they stay behind a desk and only look at numbers/budget. More hospitals need to figure out how to better staff, the are tons of nursing students all over and they can use them, but won't because it's not within budget so they say. My facility is actually implementing us more to document on the computer now. I never get to leave my shift on time because of all the documentation. My boss just has to pay me overtime. Contrary to what she believes, I don't stay late to chart just for the money, I have a life. Yet, I don't want to miss anything and of course, patient care must ALWAYS come first. I will always make sure my pts are clean and dry and medicated before I ever care about documentation. That's just how I feel. Stay positive, somehow, someday you might feel as if you've helped someone.

Be careful what you wish for. Too bad this hospital seems intent on burning nurses out even before you get started. Any chance to go back to the clinic? Clinic nursing is real nursing as well. Just different. You might have to try to tough it out for awhile and then start looking again. If you stay for awhile you will get some great experience in dealing with stress and prioritizing--not being funny. Every job is a learniing experience for you, leading to a well-rounded nurse who can handle almost anything. Good Luck.

Your situation is the norm in nursing now. Nursing has always been a a brutal job. It grows more difficult by the day.Look at the posts here.. many nurses are verbalizing your perception of the field. The bottom line is... we are forced to work harder, have more responsibility, do more with less.. all for the bottom line of corporate profits.It will only get worse... until we unite in protest.

All the nurses on my unit are fairly new. No one has more than 2 yrs. experience except for the nurse managers. I left the clinic because I wanted to get acute care experience and I was afraid of getting stuck in one area early in my career. The clinic was nice but the pay is fairly low. The people I work with don't like the conditions but no one says anything they just slowly leave. I'm going to try to tough it out at least a year and then move on. The closest hospital from me is 100 miles.

no more over time pay at all

Well, you are still on orientation. There is a lot to be overwhelemed about. Talk to your preceptor....perhaps you can get more orientation time...if you think that would help. Talk to others on the floor about how they are handling things, so that you get as many tips and tricks to get things done well. 1:4 is a very doable ratio, but 1:6 can be kind of hectic....I would think. Ask the travelers for tips and tricks...they have likely worked in some unusual situations. Good Luck, and I would agree with you though, if you do go back to the clinic...you will kind of pigeon hole yourself. I actually found after working a long time in an ED that even if I passed my resume on for something different, the ED always called instead...

yanno i always read about situations like this. Do nurses ever "buddy up" anymore? I know I haven't worked in the clinical setting in a hot minute, but thats how we did it to stay sane. I worked days, and we didn't have tech's for baths. We had it all. Oncology/Nephrology Unit. Baths, linen changes, 2 meals, hanging chemo/blood/, charting.....and all the other stuff. It worked out, and we were outta there. Just a thought

1:8? Holy crap.

Quote from ewrnSo I have been an RN since March 2011. In Sept. 2011, I moved 1,600 miles to get a new grad job in a clinic ( that is all they would offer) . I got a sign on bonus and had to sign a one year contract. After about 7 months I asked if I could transfer to the hospital and my manager agreed. I interviewed for a rotating position on the surgical floor. I was excited to get the experience and finally feel like a real nurse. Well, now I'm in a nightmare. When I first started the ratios were 1:4 on days and 1:7 on nights. This hospital has problems keeping staff but I figured the ratios were not too bad and I could get some overtime. Well now 5 weeks in they changed everything. No more over time pay at all. The ratios are now 1:6 on days and 1:8 on nights. They even cut back on what we chart IV's and PCA's once a shift now instead of Q4. They didn't want nurses staying past their shift to chart. They are tightening up and now saying they are fully staffed which is a lie. They employ over 30 travel nurses right now. My orientation is up soon and I'm really worried. I don't see how I can safely take care of that many patients. The last day I worked I had 5 patients : #1 MVA with chest tube and spinal fractures, #2 fresh post op appy, # 3 was a patient with a trach , spinal fractures, and feeding tube ,# 4 and# 5 were patients detoxing off alcohol after MVA's . This week I'm supposed to take 6 patients and I feel overwhelmed.

What do you mean by "social medicine"? If you are tying to say "Universal Healthcare" check out the waes of Canadian nurses. |We don't work for chump change and the vast majority in my province are unionized. It's only those working in doctors offices and a few clinics that are non-union and their employers pretty much match the union rate to keep staff.

Quote from Fiona59What do you mean by "social medicine"? If you are tying to say "Universal Healthcare" check out the waes of Canadian nurses. |We don't work for chump change and the vast majority in my province are unionized. It's only those working in doctors offices and a few clinics that are non-union and their employers pretty much match the union rate to keep staff.

Quote from Fiona59What do you mean by "social medicine"? If you are tying to say "Universal Healthcare" check out the waes of Canadian nurses. |We don't work for chump change and the vast majority in my province are unionized. It's only those working in doctors offices and a few clinics that are non-union and their employers pretty much match the union rate to keep staff.