Morale

Morale is at an all-time low since I've started.  Excellent experienced nurses and great new nurses with lots of potential to grow & develop are leaving, for multiple reasons: staffing, patient load, attitudes, drama, pay, HR issues.  It's sad to see staffing get tighter and tighter with nurses leaving twice as fast as they are coming in.  It's a concerning trend that our "customers" are blind to: from our point of view, "if you only knew what we're dealing with back here", and from management's point of view "you are not allowed to discuss any staffing details with patients and families, including answering how many doctors are on duty".  My motivation to work is still the fact that I get to learn about the human body, how it can turn on you and save you in one day, and the science behind medical treatments; as well as the several projects I have going on at work - Disaster Preparedness, Pediatric Operational Committee, and relief Charge Nurse.  Yep, that's right, I haven't been here 6 months and they've asked me to take on PRN Charge Nurse shifts.  I'm scared out of my mind, even more so, given how many nurses are bailing out.  We'll see what happens a few months down the road... I sure hope this is the bottom before things start getting better & it doesn't get much worse.