To think im being unfairly treated at work? (Nursing)

[BlackAppleCore]

Been in current role (ward nurse) for a few weeks doing one or two shifts a week. This is a totally different role to what I'm used to as I've only ever worked as a community nurse before. The staff on the ward are aware of this. The reason I was supposedly sent to this ward is that they apparently have great teacher trainers and I'd learn lots with lots of support.

I soon learnt that the ward is horrendous. It's massively understaffed, very complex and nobody wants to work there so they struggle to recruit or maintain staff. I now believe this to be the real reason I was sent there.

Anyway I can't do IV medication so the idea was they would train me in this and various other ward related nursing. Since starting however I have been to feel stupid and incompetent from other nurses and auxiliaries. I am constantly given patients on IV treatment and get arsey responses whenever I ask another staff member to help me with this meaning my patients are enduring big delays (hours) in getting their treatment. I've had comments such as "you can't even do IVs? Thought you were qualified?!" Etc.

Yesterday was horrendous. This one male nurse has taken a dislike to me and seemed to be going out of his way to make things difficult. Yesterday I was literally drowning in work, constant phone calls for me, poorly patients, doctors giving me jobs and missing medication. This male nurse was constantly asking why I'd not done this and not done that, huffing and puffing, barking instructions at me and sent me down to ground floor of hospital (from 7th) three times in a row for something I'd been told already was simply not available.

Back on the ward whenever I had an IV to do he barked at me to mix it up so he could administer it but I don't have a fucking clue what I'm doing and it's dangerous. With one particular med he barked at me to mix (for example) 50mls of dextrose with 2g insulinS in phosphate etc etc and I didn't know what he was on about but became too scared to ask him meaning I was stood in the treatment room looking like a moron seriously considering just walking out and giving up my pin. He came back in, asked if I'd be done it and then huffed and puffed saying he'd do it himself and I could "write on the label". Half the time I'm asked to mix stuff up and then nobody checks what I've done, just scribble their signature and then go and administer it. I'm terrified I'm going to kill someone. Yesterday I had two hours left of my shift and I was asked to catheterise someone, do an ECG, had loads of IV treatment left to do, observations on 10 patients, a full drugs round and THEN this bloke threw a load of paperwork at me and told me I needed to do an admission. This takes an hour at least.

I'm drowning and there is no support. Just sighing, dangerous attitudes and off hand comments constantly not to mention the sideways glancing and expectations to "mix up drugs" when I have no idea what I'm doing.

AIBU to go to the manager and tell her this isn't working? I don't want to go back.

yanbu that sounds entirely demoralising, unfair and bloody dangerous

Definitely go to the manager. That is shocking and so so dangerous.

Im not a nurse but yes go to the manager and tell her everything. That is shocking.

can't you go back to the community?

Tbh I'm a bit confused. When I was training we obviously couldn't do IVs but we certainly could mix them up. There should be a book in the clinic room with instructions for the administration of all IV drugs, why can't you just follow the instructions? I'm not being arsey by the way, I'm just not picturing how you couldn't mix your infusions. I would definitely expect a qualified nurse to prepare her own IVs, yes. Even if she couldn't hook them up. The other nurses simply don't have time to do theirs and do yours too.

Don't let this carry on, don't tolerate it for another single shift. Ring today for an appointment with the ward manager, tell her exactly what you've told us and make it clear you cannot and will not work like this. You were honest with them about your capabilities and if they can't train you then you need to go elsewhere. TBH you need to be supernumerary for a few weeks on a ward like that, and they need to be booking you on your IV training etc..

The trouble is most wards are in a desperate state because of lack of staff.

Yes, speak to the manager, urgently. If this isn't addressed quickly, you need to take it further before someone is hurt or worse.

That might sound difficult and scary, but I guarantee that giving evidence when (not if, by the sounds of it) something goes wrong will be a hundred times worse.

Please speak to your manager. Worryingly, this is not uncommon on hospital wards, I work in a hospital and have witnessed similar situations several times.

Don't let it continue, for your peace of mind. Don't risk your registration for anything

Unless you are IV trained you shouldn't be mixing/making up or administering IV meds. You are risking your registration. Write down everything that has happened and contact your manager. Are you a member of a union?

Where I work you can't administer but you can certainly make up. When I was a student we literally would make up the bags, lines and all and hand it to the nurse at the bedside in a kidney dish with all the empty components. So all they had to do was check the vials and sign off.

Hi OP,

how long have you been out of the ward setting for?

I feel for you. It's not nice being in an acute clinical setting when you've been out for so long. We're you not supernumery for x amount of time before given your own workload?

As for sending you off to different floors, can you not delegate this to HCAs. It's inappropriate of him to ask you to leave your patients.

With medications, ask the ward pharmacist if there is an IV administration guide on the ward. On my ward it's on the wall to you know exactly what mixes with what.

When doing your medication round and are not familiar with a med, look it up on medicines.com or on a bnf so that you feel comfortable giving it. I'm only a year out in the clinic setting in a very acute unit and I won't give a med unless I know what it's for. It's our pins on the line here and patient safety is a priority. I wouldn't worry about being slow etc whilst you find your feet. You have to be safe and feel competent.

As for vital signs etc...are your HCAs trained in this?

When I start my day, the first thing I do when on the floor is take everyone vital signs and have a quick chat about pain...how they are feeling etc. This assessment aids in prioritising care and allowing you to know that what a appropriate and what a not in a med round. You'll find your own routine soon enough - it does get easier I promise once you find your feet.

Can you talk to your male colleague, explain that you need a bit of support whilst finding your feet.

First and foremost though, you need to protect yourself and your patients but not doing anything you are uncomfortable with. Whether you ask for direction from colleagues or look up stuff yourself you have to feel safe. Having a pin just isnt enpugh. Fuck what anyone else says!!!

I think the thing is the op has been in community. If she is saying she is not confident in mixing up drugs, (maybe because she has not done it for a number of years or ever) then this is an urgent issue. Not only is she risking her registration as she rightly points out she is risking patient lives. Sounds like you need urgent training op. Don't be demoralised you are being sensible wanting to work within your ability. Don't take rubbish from others about are you even a nurse as it sounds like you have taken a different training path. Def approach your manager or theirs if necessary. Might be you need to be sent to a different ward until this is all sorted out and to be honest from the atmosphere you describe I would be questioning whether I wanted to work in that environment in any event.

I hate this attitude that everyone can do everything. My son has a port fitted and whilst in a&e a supposedly trained nurse had about 7 attempts to access it, blood everywhere, hysterical 2 year old and we have been left with a port that is now permanently bruised (6 months on) and a fearful child. Until that point his chemo nurses accessed first time every time with no tears. She should have called someone else because she was unconfident but no doubt the sort of attitude you are describing prevented that.

You are being bullied and the ward you are on has a toxic culture that is putting patients at risk.
You should definitely request a meeting with your manager but I'd recommend having a representative with you, either from your union or HR if you don't have a union.
I have sympathy with the other staff as they are clearly under intolerable pressure, but there needs to be intervention for everybody's sake.
I bet there are thousands of wards like this. So sad.

I don't think it's the other staffs fault, they are in the same boat as you with a heavy work load and having to carry an unqualified staff member in you. I don't mean that harshly, it's simply the truth that you aren't capable yet.

Yes go to the managers and say you are struggling, and you feel you urgently need training/to be supernumerary on the ward for a period of time. Stress that you feel the ward staffing levels are dangerous and you'd like it to be logged.

You need to whistle blow

improvement.nhs.uk/resources/freedom-to-speak-up-whistleblowing-policy-for-the-nhs/

From the sounds of it, it's become a patient safety issue. Patients need to be getting their IVs on time, end of. Hours later? That's quite shocking, tbh.

I'm a hospital clinical educator and I'm telling you you need to see the ward sister and tell her what you e said here.

What you describe is not safe. If you kill someone, the way things are going at the minute being struck off is the least of your worries. Coroners push for manslaughter charges these days.

You need to be supported to complete your IV pack, either by a member of the clin ed team to come and work alongside you or that they give you some supernumary shifts to find your feet more.

Tell the ward sister, and follow your conversation up with an email so it can't be denied down the line.

Bloody hell op. Yes, you have to raise this, not least as patient safety is at stake.

The managers are crap, they obviously didn't care about your training. If there's blame then it's not with the staff on the floor but with the higher us, put it on their door that they are leaving patients care in danger.

The last thing the ward needs is staff to be on sick because they are getting grief about working in a shitsorm, galvanise the situation to make improvements for the whole ward.

And the other nurses are being very stupid giving someone an IV when they haven't been present to see it be mixed up. They would be in just as much trouble if there's a medication error.

TheNMC code of conduct advise that if you are not confident/competent in doing something then you shouldnt do it , you risk your registratiion, i was an RMN for yrs so did very little clinical stuff, i remeber doiing a an injection training course about 15 yrs post qualifying i have done literally thousands of Depot injections, but it was recognised that some registrered nurses for whatever reason have never given them, so there were training course to ensure competency ,you need to speak to your manager ASAP I would probably get advice off the NMC too .

You've got to stop doing things you aren't qualified for IMMEDIATELY.

"I can't do that. I'm not trained." Repeat, every time.

The nmc code of conduct basically says you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.

They are like vultures when shit hits the fan.

yeah i agree with that KungFu seriously what exactly do their fees pay for anyway you really need advice OP.