@HitsAndMrs
It was a medical ward. I hated the...
- lack of support from management. I was newly qualified and didn't get any of the training that I had been told I would receive when I had my interview. I also didn't have a preceptor as they were "too short staffed". The staff turn over was awful (easy to see why), and a lot of my shifts I was working with agency staff. Bit like the blind leading the blind. I raised it with the professional development team and they made all the right noises, but nothing actually changed.
- the majority of my colleagues were bitter and burnt out, openly said that they hated nursing and patients, but felt stuck there I think. Most of them were bitchy and a few were just downright bullies. A couple of them were absolutely lovely. But due to the shift patterns and workload it was quite hard to feel any sense of team.
- patient to nurse ratio was too high, we had at least 10 patients per nurse which isn't realistic for providing good care, or even basic safe care.
- the box ticking paperwork, and managers checking it was all ticked.
- shift patterns. Switching between day and night shifts several times each month absolutely killed me.
- and lastly, the store cupboard was always a mess, so it took ages to find anything. The whole ward was a mess and dirty, and it was embarrassing.
I lasted 6 months and learnt so much, but my God I wouldn't want to do it again. I have worked in a few different nursing jobs since, including two other medical wards (not by choice, but due to winter pressures and covid), which were much much better. Better management, shift patterns and nurse to patient ratios made a massive difference. Probably because the staff aren't burnt out into bitter little crisps.
Good luck in your first job, hopefully you love it! If not, there are other jobs!