Trouble at my new job, personnel issue

[BriannaDee]

I am going to lose my mind! I have just started working and new to the field, I’m a respiratory therapist- my workplace doesn’t have any respiratory therapists, most come from a local college for Polysomnography so I’m looked at differently- they don’t train well at all, and I’m still slow with hook ups- again still new, about a month in and I’m doing them in 40-45nin- I’m being compared to those who secretly tell me they don’t measure, but I have to and be as fast as those seasoned techs who don’t measure-hook ups I need to just keep doing, but the tech got annoyed with me and said that my patient was chatty- yea so? Most people want to know information, and I do not stop my work, and if I’m measuring I tend to say so and they wait before talking again or asking another qurstion- I know I’m supposed to speed up, I’m not dumb... the tech told me I need to get down to 30min and to tell patients that I have two other hook ups to do after them and that they will understand that you can’t talk- that is by far the most asinine thing I’ve ever heard!! Patient education is important! I’m not about to make people feel uncomfortable because we are short staffed and have 3 patients to do- I have zero complaints from any patients on the post surveys, and I think I have good bedside manner- literally being told to not talk to my patients is ridiculous!!! I’m also not in the click, I’m different for being respiratory and to get my boss to get off the phone with her friends and come SHOW ME how to do something is pulling teeth- I also got told I should know how to do some simple computer stuff and that my trainer is very good and why don’t I know this- I right away put her in her place and said- no,she doesn’t have time and wants to get those documents done quick so she hasn’t had me practice at all- the girl later apologized and said she is stressed about equipment problem she’s having and that’s why she was short with me- i am told that I will eventually get it with scoring, but no one is willing to explain to me things about it because they’re too busy- saying yes or no isn’t good enough sometimes and asking for an explanation isn’t being given- yet they get annoyed with me- then train me!!! Stop chatting and ignoring me and guide me just a little bit with the scoring! Same with the equipment!! The girl won’t get up if I need help and if she does she won’t show me what to do, she quick does it and is annoyed—
I really do love this career, I enjoy my patients more than my co workers, but I feel like they are going to fire me or something, nothing has been said but they clearly gossip when I leave the room- they’re desperate for employees and can’t find anyone
Is it possible to stick it out until I get my clinical hours for pathway 2 and take the rpsgt and say BYE! And pay my dues for quitting before 2 years? If I get my hours I’ll gladly quit and pay whatever part of salary I need to return from the work contract, I’ll consider it tuition for starting my career in sleep! Can you quit and then will get approved for pathway 2??

[sleepadmin]

You've covered a miriad of topics but I'll weigh in with my two cents:

- Having a new tech handle three patients, it asking a lot. I'm not necessarily criticizing the use of 3:1 ratio, but rather trying to give you some perspective.

- Your hook ups will get faster with practice. You should practice talking to your patients while you do hook ups. This is an ideal time to cover the basics of OSA and CPAP therpay. You may wish to memorize scripts as if you are in a movie. Over time you will find you are repeating yourself anyway, so you might as well treat it professionally and chose your dialog carefully and commit it to memory.

- Try to have as much of your hook up staged and ready to go. For instance, you can plug some wires into the headbox ahead of time. Every lab is different, but if you are creative, you can figure out where to stage setup items to shave time off your hook up.

- Respiratory therapist have many advantages in the sleep lab. Perhaps you could share your knowledge with your fellow tech to earn their respect. For instance, most newer techs are unfamiliar with topics such as oxygen disassociation curve and how it can be used to treat apnea. My only caution, is to make sure you follow the sleep lab protocols, not respiratory protocols.

[9831]

I do not know if your are doing this but I got faster without using the tape measure. Another tech show n me the "HALF TECHNIQUE". Using your fingers and eyeball the half between Inion and Nasion and get CZ, CZ to the middle of the ear and get C3. C3 TO FZ GET F3 and do the same for the right side of the head. CZ to Inion to get OZ then eyeball o1 and o2 ON EACH SIDE OF THE OZ. GIRL, I'm the only male in my sleep department in Mississippi, when I leave I will write a book about the problems I had with my department, SO JUST HANG IN THERE ITS THE PATIENTS YOUR ARE THERE FOR. If you go the NBRC(THE NATIONAL BOARD FOR RESPIRATORY CARE AND GO FOR THE "SDS" THIS IS FOR RESPIRATORY THERAPIST


GOOD LUCK!!!!!