i’m currently a nurse at cardiovascular unit in st. luke’s medical center. since college in trinity, i became familiar with the hospital’s environment and i planned to work there. now that i’m an employee of this world-class hospital, only one thing lingers into my mind.
this was one big mistake.
i never imagined how difficult being a registered nurse, lest, being a staff nurse in st. luke’s. i thought all the rants of my batchmates that had already resigned or still contemplating on resigning were one big overstatement, until i experience it myself. our unit is always understaffed (it’s quite normal for a nurse to be absent in every shift) and we always work overtime. yes, we get a little for the exceeding hours but i guess what’s good with all those overtime pay if you can’t spend it because you’re always working on 12-16 hours shifts.
this is where i realize that migration to us isn’t the main cause of understaffing in st. luke’s. it is the gruesome work schedule and the demand of godlike doctors. i guess i can’t blame those nurses who had already given up. it was their licence on the line and working for inhuman hours would only push them in committing mistakes and negligence in medication and treatment of patients, lest killing one unintentionally.
yes, it’s only my first month in cvu-3, but i’m already thinking of quitting. most of you know me as one stubborn jerk, but i guess even stubborn jerks like me can’t work like robots for endless hours.
may god have mercy on me.
hi trix… read your entry. it brought back memories of frustrations, the feelings of hopelessness, the thoughts of endless night duties and in addition to that the PM-night shift… all i can say is that everyone of us feels that way especially when we are just starting out but when you get used to the routine, that feeling will fade away only to come back some time when you feel that everything you do is so routine. you just have to take one day at a time. expect the worst but look forward to the fulfillment you’ll feel knowing you survive St. Luke’s Medical Center. Believe me, you’re not alone…
thanks for the encouraging words. i do really need it.
i never been so tired, so scared and so frustrated in my whole damn forsaken life. good thing kind and gorgeous nurses like you eases the pain by lending a helping hand to newbies like me.
o ayan ma’am. fresh from pm duty ito. naunahan mo lang akong umuwi. iba ka talaga ma’am. astig!