Different Ways to Reach the same Result, Refusing to Accept Inappropriate Assignments, and Being Exposed to Harm!
When travel nursing, the Department/Unit will not (and understandably so) teach you how to do a job that they think you should already know! I was given training on the charting system and the flow of the unit, but I am expected to be able to do the job same as everyone else. Except, there are a lot of things in medicine/procedures that have no universal guidelines on how to do the job. Which leaves each hospital with different ways of achieving the same end result!
When you join a team that has been together for years, it can be very difficult to be that person who walks into the mix and 7 weeks later, walks out. Your temporary coworkers know that your time with them is limited and the “being nice” is short lived. This units has their own ways of doing things. My ability to reach the same end result but not doing it “their way” has already started to cause issues for me. Despite trying to conform, some tasks I just need to do my way and this has resulted in multiple scolding sessions at inappropriate times.
This week also saw me refusing, for the second time, to care for a specific patient population that I am not trained to care for. The pediatric population requires special training and certifications in my specific department. I do not have these certifications and refuse to risk these patients lives and my license just so the other staff can have a break. This certification was not required or asked of me prior to accepting this position. Every Friday, we have a mix of pediatric and adult patients and for the last two weeks, I have had to request a different assignment.
On top of all of these other things, the worst was yet to come… This Hospital left me unnecessarily at risk for harm simply because they refused to provide me with training for a procedure that is performed differently than what I am accustomed to and that requires more from the circulating nurse.
My previous training and experience for this one particular procedure was “hands off” and for good reason! There are a lot of sharps involved and a unusually high risk for “dirty sharps exposure”. In the past, all sharps had safety guards and the doctors would grab them for use and dispose of them themselves. I was SHOCKED to learn that I would be in charge of handing sharps with NO SAFETY GUARDS to the doctors and then retrieving them once dirty from wherever the Doctor laid it down!!! Not only do the sharps lack the necessary safety devices to prevent harm but the unit has NO safety measures in place to protect the nurses from exposure or because they failed to give me any training, I am unaware of these measures. I have been a nurse for 9+ years and have NEVER been put at risk or exposed until last week!!!! My complete disgust and utter frustration for this Facility, Doctor, and Department is unmeasurable and indescribable! Mainly because I literally said to them “I have never been this hands on during a case like this. Can the Doctor not grab what he needs himself”, and was told ” no, just stand there and hand him what he needs and then make sure to clean up afterwards”. NO TRAINING, NO DEMONSTRATION!
Now, I wait for patient lab results to come back and try to convince myself that I can do 4 more weeks on this unit after a possibly life changing event.
No job worth your safety and well being NO MATTER WHAT!