If this happened to me, I'm sure I would feel like someone took my baby away from me. You have expressed your concerns to the nurse making the changes and the supervisor. That is not negative, it's communication. However, their reaction to your comments is negative! I can understand why your stress level is growing! Have you considered transferring to another department? As much as you love the one you've been in since it's conception, perhaps it's time to get a fresh view and a fresh start.

nursebaker

Thanks for your feedback. I have actually considered changing departments many times. I guess I am tired of fighting.

I feel I am a strong nurse and I have worked in several other areas over the years. I am getting to the age that to me it is just not worth the stress.

I would still like to hear from others on this matter. I can take constructive advice. I need advice at this time.

negative attitude
I think your feelings are warranted, but it appears you may be outnumbered. Is it the changes that bother you or the people making them. If the changes are helpful (especially to the majority) you may have to learn the new way which is sometimes tough, but doable. If most others are making a go of it, you may appear to be a complainer even if you are just voicing your concern or suggestions. Making changes when new people come on board kind of levels the playing field. You all feel knew at what you are doing. You could be a lot more helpful to the newbies though if your system could remain stable until you get them on board and build a relationship first. Then all suggestions could be run by the team prior to making changes without permission. I would voice it again in your most positive and helpful way and see where you are. If you feel your job may be at risk but like your facililty, I'd change departments. We've just hired a few new nurses and I do like hearing suggestions from them. However we don't really want them just changing things without the input of those it will impact.
Good luck.

I was hoping there would be alot more feedback on this topic. I know we all have experienced it, or I thought we had. Maybe we are all so tired of the subject it is easy to ignore it. Please don't ignore it now because I need your outlook.

I really need feedback, because I am really at my wits end. I am truly dreading going back into work. I can't remember feeling this way before. I need help from mature nurses who have handled many situations in the past.

This was my main reason for joining this forum because I need advice from many areas and many different experiences.

Thanks.

Can I just say that I feel your pain?! I also work in the emergency department of Level II Trauma Center. ED nurses usually work there because they love change, but then again we hate change! I have our cupbords memorized because if you need supplies quick, or you have to explain to someone else where it is, you can't waste time searching because some one "felt like rearranging" on a whim without thinking of all aspects. Change can be good, in it's own respect. Too much change esp. @ once, however, can be detrimental to moral, teamwork, and the click of having an awesome shift with what we call "an A team".

We have been through several major changes in the last 2 years without any time between to bounce back before the next one hit. Increased volumes, but the construction project for a larger department put "on hold" while the hospital down the street is almost done with theirs, change in entire registration process, change in director to someone without ED experience (only for 6 months when again we changed directors), new computerized charting without an internal IS system big enough to support it (slow!), No vacancies to 11 RN openings in one year, no more charge nurses now team leaders and a nurse manager, needs and sick calls on every shift when every day used to be "the A team", etc., etc.

It all takes a huge toll on us, and that will manifest itself. I, too, have become the kind of nurse I used to dread . Used to be 10 min. early every shift, now consistently 2 min. late; snapped at nursing student not intentionally, but still; immediately pissed off when I walk through the door most times; increased stress because many travelers in our department (thinking of doing that myself :wink: ) and the docs don't trust them (we just had a bad one ) so they turn to you to make the dept. run smooth, put out the fires, and babysit while you still have a full load of pt.'s; I could go on and on...

Maybe the suggestions are putting them on the defensive, sometimes we have to choose our words wisely. The nurses that say, "well, that's just never going to work!" are labeled negative while the ones that say, "Ok, that is one way, but we have to consider this need or what if such and such happens, then is that still going to work?" are labeled as having "valuable input". And, my director and manager are big on, "if you bring forth a problem, you should present it with a solution".

Not sure if I helped you at all, but really wanted you to know you're not alone!!! :wink:

"I could be off a couple of days and come back and not be able to locate anything. This was very bad since I could have a patient go bad very fast and I would have to look for supplies and forms."

This is a patient safety concern. An emergency room is just what the name implies a place where emergencies happen. There needs to be consistency with the location of supplies, equipment, and medication. During a code you do not have time to go on a "hunting trip" looking for necessary items. Regardless of whom changed things around, this has the potential of causing insurmountable harm to your patients and this problem needs to and should be addressed by your manager and DON.

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"She did not discuss this with the team in our meetings. When I would say anything to her then she would say I was being negative and not able to face new changes. We also had a new director so she pretty much listened to her and let her do as she wishes."

If talking to your unit manager does not work I would follow your hospital policy and use your chain of command.
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"I am beginning to hate going into work and I have noticed that my stress level is beginning to show in health problems and some absentees from work."

Life is too short and precious to allow another person to impact negatively on your health. Are there other areas in your hospital that you are interested in working? Are there other hospitals in your area that you would be interested in working for? If there are, to begin with think about taking a PRN position and working 1 or 2 days a pay period. If you find the PRN job to be more enjoyable and rewarding consider going full time and resigning from the other hospital. Just remember to leave ion good terms. Things could change at your present job for the better in the future.

Thanks to everyone who took a minute to give me their outlook on my situation. It helps to hear from people from other areas of the country. I think we all may have felt this way at one time. There's been so many people who have veiwed this site but very few have given their input. I look at this and think that maybe most nurses have gotten to the point that they may see another nurse in pain but do not have time to stop and offer a hand or even say something as simple as "I hope you have a great day today."

I am sad to say at this time I really don't care too much what happens in our department. Things won't change and the same people will continue to press their ways. I go to work and I do my job, which I do very well. I put my patients first and care for them, but I don't have that pride for my department that I had for over 5 years. Now it is just do your job and go home. I worked so hard over the years to make that department good, now it is out of my hands and I feel cheated. I guess that is my problem. I have been discarded and I my thoughts and feelings no longer matter, because we have a few new players who are still in training and new to cardiac area but already feel they know everything. My favorite saying is "The person who does not know that they don't know something is the most dangerous person to have to work with."

We have new Clinical Manager now. You can discuss you concerns with her and the reply is "it will be ok." It does not matter if it is broken equipment, short staff, Overload of patients, whatever. It will be ok. Maybe to them sitting in their office it is ok, but to those of us on our feet for 12 hours and so tired we can hardly walk out the door at night it is not "OK".

Oh, well thanks again for letting me vent. And again I am sorry I have not heard from very many people on this topic, because I know there are thousands of you out there that have had to handle similar situations. Sometime you may be able to say just the right words to help a fellow nurse to help them face their next day at work and give a brighter outlook to their life.

I know at this time that I will be ok, but I hate seeing what is happening to what was once a great place to work.

Thanks