Drama, Drama

I enjoy my new job.  I really do.  But I've found that there is indeed drama wherever you work.  I HATE being told that I'm going to do one thing, and then someone changes their mind last minute (literally) and tell you to do something else.  Example One: I was told that during orientation, I would NEVER be nursing by myself.  I asked if I would even pass medications by myself, and my boss said I wouldn't.  That she "would never allow that."  Well, the next day, I come in and they want me to pass medications.  And it's only me and the charge nurse.  No one orienting me.  I couldn't believe it!  I was fine passing medications, but that's not the point.  It's the fact that she told me one thing and then scheduled me to do the totally opposite thing.  Example Two: I came into work expecting to orient with the charge nurse.  They were short staffed (this happens a lot apparently, especially in psych, but I'll get into that later) and they decided that I would be a good person to sit out in the hall and check on the patients every 15 minutes for 8 hours.  Now, I really honestly don't mind doing this - but the point is that I was IN ORIENTATION AS CHARGE NURSE - NOT PSYCH TECH!  Example Three: I was told that I would orient as charge nurse JUST on the unit with only 8 patients.  I walk into work, and the evening staff tell me I'm supposed to go to the unit with 15 patients to charge.  I WOULDN'T HAVE MINDED IF SHE HAD PUT ME ON THE SCHEDULE FOR THE BUSIER UNIT - but she just changes her mind namby pamby!  Rarrrrr!!!!!  Whew.

I've found that you just need to get in, do you work the best you can, help other people, and then leave.  Leave your work at home.

There are definite pluses to this job.  I LOVE having an in-house pharmacy.  I LOVE having an in-house lab.  And I LOVE that when you page the doctors, they actually call you back!  The actual work is EEEASSSSY.  Seriously.  I can't believe how much I used to run around at the-place-that-shall-not-be-named, and felt like I was accomplishing nothing.  And I LOVEEEEE the patients!  They're hilarious!  And annoying.  But mostly entertaining.  Now please don't take this as psych nurses (or any nurses for that matter) laughing at their patients.  It's just a way to relieve stress from the job.  We deal with very stressful patients, who don't care about their lives, who make the dumbest decisions, and come back month after month doing the same thing.  So we need to find some way to laugh.

I really do love my job.  I like seeing psychotic/depressed people become well-functioning, or as well-functioning as is possible.