[RNview]

Hi everyone. I am writing an article for our newsletter about "Ideal work place". I was wondering what your ideal work place is like. Can you share me good stories about your unit? If there's one thing (or more) you'd like to change in your work environment, what would it be? I'd appreciate your feedbacks. Please include the state you came from.

Let me start.... I'm from Northern California. I work in Medical- Oncology unit. I love where I work and I love what I do. The best thing that makes my unit special is the "Team Work". Everyone supports each other emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. We are very diverse and everyone respects and accepts individual differences. We're like a family. In our unit alone, we have 30 medical beds, 8 tele beds. Oncology could sometimes be emotionally and mentally draining. We just learned to cheer each other up and respect each others space and feelings. If there's one thing I'd like to change in our unit, it would be our manager She could be very personal and has a tendency to take sides. She's the number one stressor in our work place. She could have been better.

Your turn...

Thank you,

[MRS. ERNURSE]

I work in a rural health care hospital, up in Lake Isabella, Ca. It is an 8 bed Emergency Room. There are just a few things that would make it better (or safer) like:

1) A fast track late night clinic for all those "I just couldn't get in to see my doctor today and didn't think you guys would be toooo busy"

2.) A drug dealer posted outside the ER to better serve those frequent flyers. Then they wouldn't have to put so much effert into their acting skills and we'd have more time to better serve the patients who really do need us!

For real though , I wish that on the night shift the hospital could have an on-call ER nurse for those nights that the 8 beds are full and so is the lobby, while the ambulance keeps rolling them in and there are just not enough gurneys or nurses to deal.

The good thing about my job is that we work as a team. We are all happy or we are all not so happy. We just all keep plugging away at the big goal: take good care of those that need it and unplug the ER, and empty it out: P.F.E. = Patient free enviroment.....

There is a myth that patients like to come to the ER. (and they are very convincing with their little ant bite that happened 2 days ago and it is 2:00am!) They'd rather not come to the ER and believe it or not, they don't want to be there any longer than I want them there " Can I have some water? Do you have a smoke? How many pain pills will the doctor send me home with? What's that clock on the wall that doesn't seem to change time? My sister is hungry, can she get a meal trey?" (referring to a visitor) Couldn't we go back to the real way of practicing medicine: Diagnose it and treat it for what it is and not for what the patient might sue you for keeping them in the ER far longer than they need to be..that's enough, I'll stop.

Thank you and good night.