We are own worse enemies at times. Yes, our jobs have become more demanding and we have higher nurse to patient ratios with greater "charting" demands. There just seems to be a number of nurses that are lazy, they are simply "burned out", they simply do not care about their patients, their fellow nurses, or the nursing profession in general, or they lack the experience, time management skills, and the knowledge that is necessary to care for patients today. For some reason these nurses tend to gravitate towards each other and work on the same shift, whether it be 7A to 7P or 7P to 7A. In my view this has caused a tremendous amount of friction and hostility between the shifts. The nurses that are doing their best to care for their patients are constantly being bombarded by complaints from patients other members of staff, MDs, etc. In my opinion this is one of the greatest causes of stress. Many nurses are holding hospitals hostage due to the nursing shortage. Unfortunately I do not know the answer to this problem. I do know one ting, at the end of the day I can hold my head high and be proud of the way I have cared for my patients and for my work ethics.

Before I graduated from nursing school back in 1994 my Grandmother asked me to do something for her. She asked me to take care of all my patients in the same way I would want her or another family member cared for. I know there have been times when upholding such a high standard has been difficult however, I have based my nursing practice around this. Due higher patient /nurse ratios, JCAHO, and the new HIPPA regulations as a nurse we have to spend so much time charting that it seems we have less time to spend with our patients proving quality nursing care. This has caused me to spend more time after my shift is completed charting so I can continue to give quality, caring, skilled, and compassionate nursing care.

thank you VERY much for your imput. Your grandma seems to have such wise advice. I hope, as time goes on, more and more nurses can graduate and the numbers will rise in our staffing. and in the end when the shortages are fewer, it is my hope and prayer, we can rid ourselves of those nurses that arent doing their job well

Stress/ Rascal...
When I worked in big hospitals, both adult and pediatric ICU, the stress was tremendous. We had procedures going on at bedside constantly, and patients can go downhill very quickly. But knowledge is power; know your job. Study all the time, stay current with ACLS/PALS etc. Keep on top of all the different meds and drips. And assess your patient constantly. You will develop an intuition that will help you, but that takes experience. As for gossip, I don't like it either if it is malicious. Not all chatting is gossip. "Great people talk about ideas, average people talk about things, small people talk about other people." Stress relief for me after a long 12 hour or more shift is to hunker down in bed and watch tv, preferable 30 min. comedies! Laughter really does relieve stress. The biggest stressor I have at work is having too many patients, and not having a secretary. We took 3-4 in ICU (too many) and 7-8 on the floor, with no secretary. I spend most of my time directing "traffic" and ans. the phone, getting ice or coffee for visitors, stuff that is time-consuming but my hospital expects you to do with a smile on your face. Also, we are a restraint-free facility, and always have someone in D.T.'s climbing out of bed to watch, along with your other patients. I'll stop now, I'm getting depressed!

Stress/ Rascal...
When I worked in big hospitals, both adult and pediatric ICU, the stress was tremendous. We had procedures going on at bedside constantly, and patients can go downhill very quickly. But knowledge is power; know your job. Study all the time, stay current with ACLS/PALS etc. Keep on top of all the different meds and drips. And assess your patient constantly. You will develop an intuition that will help you, but that takes experience. As for gossip, I don't like it either if it is malicious. Not all chatting is gossip. "Great people talk about ideas, average people talk about things, small people talk about other people." Stress relief for me after a long 12 hour or more shift is to hunker down in bed and watch tv, preferable 30 min. comedies! Laughter really does relieve stress. The biggest stressor I have at work is having too many patients, and not having a secretary. We took 3-4 in ICU (too many) and 7-8 on the floor, with no secretary. I spend most of my time directing "traffic" and ans. the phone, getting ice or coffee for visitors, stuff that is time-consuming but my hospital expects you to do with a smile on your face. Also, we are a restraint-free facility, and always have someone in D.T.'s climbing out of bed to watch, along with your other patients. I'll stop now, I'm getting depressed!

stress
I suppose, even as a nursing student, I've seen quite a few things I'm not looking forward to as a certified LPN. The nurses that slack at their job is deffiantly annoying. Why would anyone slack at something that is so important as a life? The more I study the more aware I become that just a small number in a lab test, or a small abnormal sign in the body could mean the biggest things. It's scary! I can't imagine ever getting 'into the habit' of caring for these people. I hope that more people listen to that girl's grandma and care for people as if they were their own. I can't imagine laying in those beds with some of the nurses who are abroad. I hope when it's my turn, my nurses are the ones in these chat rooms!!!

stress
Yes, working as a nurse can be very stressful. I have worked in a nursing home for 16 years, and yes, there are those nurses that get by with the skin of their teeth. it seems they can never do no wrong. i work myself nuts trying to get everything done i am suppose to during my shift, and it seems some people can say, oh i will finish that tomorrow, i am going home right now. i was always taught in nursing school to finish your assingnments because something terrible could happen before tomorrow to that same patient, etc.
but, i just say to myself, i am going to do the best i can and worry about myself and not what others are doing or not doing.
i just wish the town i lived in paid more money for the lpns. it seems that we do just as much or more than the rns in the facility, and they make all the bucks. i guess that is how it is.

older nurse

I have worked in hospital environment and dr's office and have been under alot of stress in both areas. I use prayer alot to relive stress and saying alittle prayer when I'm stress has worked for me. I also think about my patients and as there advocate I always put them first because if we don't take the time to tend and give them quality of care they are the ones to suffer. Great topic.