Pros
Co-workers especially other RNs and the techs, the docs were hit or miss, the nurses had their small favorites. Most expect way too much. The PAs are lazy and never help.
Cons
Short staffing, imagine taking care of 12 patients almost every shift? Management tells you “This is what you signed up for” They don’t pay ER nurses more like most hospitals and the responsibilities are overwhelming. The patients are great, it’s a wonderful community, however managing that many is so dangerous and I feared for patients lives all the time. Morning huddles are like being lectured for all the missed charting but how can you chart when you have so many patients to care for. Trying to get all the labs and the fact that the docs and PAs make everyone with a stubbed toe a sepsis protocol and some even stroke protocol is out of hand. Some think certain docs do it for extra money in their pocket but I don’t know if that’s true. I enjoyed my co workers they were like family but the stress and the PTSD from balancing so many patients drive all the good nurses out of there. The pay is also so low that they can’t get anyone to work their either. It’s a shame. I would have loved to stay there but I can’t work like that and no one listens to the RNs suggestions for improvement. They also never give you time off for personal or holiday , you’ll accumulate it and then lose it all when you resign. They also guilt you into working extra shifts, they don’t even ask you if you want overtime they just add a fourth shift, on your few days off you get called begging to come in. The RNs would get sick and some called out but I came to work sick all the time because I didn’t want my coworkers to suffer. They never float holding nurses, you have to take care of the admits and most patients get admitted. There are a few ER docs who admit everyone and their job is over after they spend a minute with the patient and put in the orders. There is one good doc who helps with blood work, there are no PAs that help at all, they spend five minutes hunting the nurse down for the smallest request , I have never seen any of them pitch in at all. They have the easiest jobs there, they sit at nurses station laughing and joking while they complain about how slow the nurses are. It’s toxic. There is one extremely overworked transporter who is a hell of a great guy and I hope he moves on and finds a place that values him. I tried transporting my own patients to not add to his work. The work is not at all equally divided. There are also violent patients and they expect one tech to watch them all. The restraint policy is the worst. They blame the RN for the violent patients, “ why didn’t you deescalate properly” I was hit, spit on, thrown up on, etc. Giving meds to calm the abusive behavior just created more unwanted work and it means you’ll stay at work way past your shift ends ( unpaid) charting. They also have a “flex” nurse who can’t help anyone without the charge nurses approval, the entire place is so poorly managed. I hope the new director and manager make some good changes. Those nurses are some of the most hardest working people I know and I also hope they will be rewarded financially and thanked by administration. The docs should thank them as well instead of complaining about how long it takes for them to get things done. Dr. Shetty and Dr. Thayil are the exceptions who treat the RNs and techs with some dignity and say thank you as well. They also ask how you are doing. Sadly they don’t work every day. The night docs are also awesome.
