OMG I can rely! well sort of


When I started working as a nurse after my graduation I found a fantastic job in a regional hospital. It was heaven, I worked on neurology/psychiatry, hard, esp dealing with alcoholics/drug addicts etc, but so much fun! I worked in the team from heaven!! We were so strong and had so much fun in and out the hospital!
HOWEVER, I had the head nurse from HELL !!

She always needed a black sheep. She pestered them to the point where they resigned. I never understood in those 2 months, untill 2 of them resigned and I was the next one!

She picked on me for everything! Everything that went wrong was my fault, even if I wasn't there. They days I worked (and I worked fulltime so... I worked a lot of days!) she yelled, screamed at me for EVERYTHING, even if it was dead obvious I had NOTHING and I say NOTHING to do with it!
Others forgot medication, I was the blame. Others didn't write their files, it was my fault. 2 collegues gave the wrong medication to a patient once, they called the dr and told him and asked what to do and what to observe, the next day they admitted it to the HELL head nurse and she started yelling at me for 15 minutes, how it was my fault, I always forget things, I am stupid etc etc and I wasn't even there that day!

One day I had an admission from intensive care, the man had a brain infarction and had only hours to live, I was on nightshift. We had a lot of rooms empty and the dr told me to put him in a single room so he could die in peace surrounded by his family. So said so done, but whooooooo my head nurse yelled my head off, she said that if a patient can't respond to the question which room he wants, he should be placed in a room of 4. FGS the man was dying!

Her anger was that she wanted to make me cry, but I never did in front of her. I always turned my back and went away. Told her my point of view and opinion, but never argued.

I worked there for 1 year, so had her pestering me for 10+ months. I went on holiday and 3 days before I returned I got a phonecall from the headnurse from orthopedics, saying that I was transerred to her ward. I cried! Could you believe it? I hated it! I hated the f****** head nurse but I got so much help from my collegues, so much support and we were A TEAM!! I loved the work!!! And SHE didn't even tell me in the face!

Anyways, that transfer was the best thing that happened to me ! I missed my collegues, I had sleepless nights but I knew it was the best thing that could happen. The headnurse from hell ignored me for 6 months. Then I got to do the day clinic because the nurse who worked on dai clinic got murderred by her ex husband. I got to do all new things and techniques, and one day she came to me asking me to help her with a technique!!
Now I am stubborn, but I tought what the hell, I'll show you how much I am worht! And since then we are on the same foot. I can tell her anything, ask things, vice versa.

I worked on ortho for 6 years, I then switched again, now working on the ER, ambulance and MICA. I changed because I was sick and tired of doing the same things, the LOADS of paperwork and we had NO TIME for the patients, I complained that we needed more personnel, less paperwork, more time with the patients. But they did nothing, so I left for the ER. They begged me on their bare knees to stay but I refused! Even considering I was assistant head-nurse and could take the headnurses post a few months later (adn I was studying nursing management!). But i refused to drown myself in paperwork...

I love where i am at now! Love the ER, love ambulance, love the MICA! Its stressing but you can do so much for people!

Anyways, don't let this get to you! I stranded in a depression, didn't notice it myself but I was way in deep....
Now I am the happiest woman !!

Hugs and take care!!

LeEnTjE