[night owl]

I really don't know where to begin here. I've worked every shift ever made at my facility and being on nights for the past 5 years I've come to one conclusion... the night shift IS the shift that gets dumped on. First of all we get treated as third class citizens. By this I mean that when it comes to any inservices or classes of any kind,the education department thinks 12-8 shift doesn't count or it's not the time to go in and TEACH anything because I have to sleep! I've c/o this many, many times, but nothing gets done. Then at the end of the year management comes saying, ''Well I see you didn't get your 40 hours of CEU's in...'' and then I blow up!
We have a resident on our unit who has this suction type machine hooked up to his decube on his butt. He's had this machine for about a month now and it seems that he always has trouble with it during the night shift. "Is it working? It doesn't seem that it's working." I've told the day shifters that as long as I have no idea how this thing works, I'm not touching it. They are the only ones who know how to work it because they were the only ones who were taught how to work it, and no one else counts. Finally, last night a day nurse was scheduled to work our shift and she took the time to show me how to properly change the sponge, where to place the tubing, how to secure it and how to operate the machine and I let them know in report that I FINALLY know how to do this THANKS TO SALLY!!! They laughed and thought it was a joke. How can I do my job if I don't know HOW to do my job???
Any extra jobs to be done is given to 12-8. Two days ago we were ''ELECTED'' to obtain all of the occult blood stool specimans. Like they only cr@p on our shift! So if all of these specimens aren't collected, now they have someone to blame. There are only about 10 people and each get 3 samples. {{{phew}}} My new nick name is now "The Stoolie" need I say more...
The day people are ALWAYS coming to me asking things like, "why weren't ALL of the residents fed?" "why is so n so still in bed?" I say, "Well with 3 NAs, myself and an RN for 60 residents, they all won't be fed and they all won't be up!" They don't like it, but that's the way it goes AND then I say to them, "Aren't YOU supposed to take over when we leave???" Where is the continuity of care here??? Absolutely NO teamwork on my unit. If they weren't fed on 12-8, chances of them getting fed on days are NIL. Days wants everything nice-nice when they come in so they can (and do) sit and have coffee and Dunkin Donuts. God forbid they had to do something when they first arrive. I know this because I'm still there an hour or so after 8am (for free)
finishing up my notes etc that I didn't have a chance to do and I see what goes on and boy do they hate it..."When are you going home???" and "You're still here???" I even over heard one say, "I think she's just being nosey..."
I like the "quiet" of 12-8. No bosses, no big shots and no one trying to impress the other, but I don't like being "dumped on," blamed for and criticized for most everything we did or didn't do.
Many mornings I drove home in tears just for DOING my job and doing all of the "extras'' they dump on you. Sometimes I wonder, "Is it all worth it?" I always thank the evening shift nurse when she leaves to go home at night..."I'll see you, drive safe and hey, thanks alot." When I leave and say, "Good bye everybody, have a nice day," No one utters a word. Just goes to show you how much you're appreciated.

[Fgr8Out]

[quote]Originally posted by Fgr8Out
[b]I will stand by my statement that, until we start acting like professionals... we will continue to be treated in an unprofessional manner. And so long as nurses continue to "toss it back at them", the only response anyone should expect is more of the same."

And I will continue to reiterate this statement until such time as Nurses finally understand and begin to implement it.

It isn't THEM... believe me, it's YOU

[night owl]

Fgr8Out,
After 25 years of trying to set that example, going those extra miles and giving the benefit of the doubt, you just get tired out especially when no one picks up on it!
Management doesn't care anymore. They may sit and listen until you're cyanotic, but nothing ever gets done. The only way anything gets done IS with TEAMWORK and it seems that is something no one is willing to do anymore. It's always, "He's not my patient" or "It's not my job" And this one which really kills me, "They don't pay me to feed two meals!" Pretty sick philosophy if you ask me.
I'm not saying that the previous shift intentionally leaves work for the next shift, but when a STAT order for a urine C&S/UA is ordered on days which wasn't obtained, wasn't obtained on eves. Guess who goes that extra mile??? and we let them know about it, but nothing said, nothing done. Then it happens again, the same thing. The third time we say "no way!" Reply,"Well you should have obtained the urine." our reply, "Teamwork, you do it this time." Once you do it, they expect you to keep on doing it and as long as nothing is said, they will always expect you to do it. I don't mind picking up the slack once and a while for my coworkers, but all of the time? After awhile they take advantage of you. When you put your foot down, they get annoyed. I say TEAMWORK. You have to tuffin' your heart when you see the "let's take advantage syndrome" moving in. You're only a "victim" if you let yourself be a victim...

[Brita01]

Originally posted by Fgr8Out

And why do Nurses always make the assumption that the shift prior INTENTIONALLY leaves work for the next shift? Shouldn't a Unit be a TEAM? And shouldn't we, as "Professionals", have the GRACE to understand that, when a job wasn't completed the shift before it was more than likely due to too many tasks needing attention all at the same time, rather than some conspiratorial effort on the part of the previous shift Nurses to "dump" on the next shift?

Brita, no, I didn't forget you and your dilemna. It's horribly frustrating when teamwork isn't the norm, and shifts pit themselves against one another. BTDT, and of course, whenever you move to a new facility or unit, you may very likely encounter the same scenario all over again. All you can do is be the example... even the exception sometimes, and ignore the invalid complaints and comments that come your way. Look at how your own shift is run and see if there aren't things that can be changed to make the night shift routine flow a bit more easily. Talk with your Supervisor or Manger and ask for input. And please, please, give your coworkers the benefit of the doubt. Their day may have been just as chaotic as your night.

Peace

I agree with what you're saying about teamwork and giving co-workers the benefit of the doubt. I always do until I see a pattern emerging. When the same nurses and the same unit secretary are leaving the same things undone, that's a pattern. I'm the nurse that tries to fix everything that wasn't done even though it takes time away from my patients, which I hate. And when those same nurses come in the next morning complaining about this or that wasn't done on the night shift, I just want to start grabbing necks and shaking. I wish everyone could "do unto others..."

[Brita01]

Night Owl, I just saw your post and I couldn't have said it better.

[night owl]

Where are the 39% of you who say we twiddle our thumbs and drink coffee, or work once and awhile and why do you feel this way??? My and other inquiring minds would like to know.

[Fgr8Out]

Originally posted by Brita01





I agree with what you're saying about teamwork and giving co-workers the benefit of the doubt. I always do until I see a pattern emerging. When the same nurses and the same unit secretary are leaving the same things undone, that's a pattern. I'm the nurse that tries to fix everything that wasn't done even though it takes time away from my patients, which I hate. And when those same nurses come in the next morning complaining about this or that wasn't done on the night shift, I just want to start grabbing necks and shaking. I wish everyone could "do unto others..."

Yep, I do know what you and Night Owl mean... And I certainly don't want to come across as goody two shoes.... as a matter of fact, I've envisioned my fingers around certain necks as well. :X

Just do what you do best... provide quality caring for your patients. And if management isn't assisting you with your respective issues... I'd consider moving on. There is supposedly some sort of nursing shortage and I can't imagine an employer wanting to lose good Nurses such as yourselves.

Peace

[Fgr8Out]

Originally posted by night owl
Where are the 39% of you who say we twiddle our thumbs and drink coffee, or work once and awhile and why do you feel this way??? My and other inquiring minds would like to know.

Here, here!! This poll should show 100% of voters agreeing that ALL nurses work hard!!!!

[night owl]

I couldn't agree with you more!

[Brownms46]

I also have worked every single known to man! I have found that EACH shift has it's own demands and stressors! On nites pts do NOT sleep as a rule! You have Sundowners Syndrome alive and well in many! For the last two nites I have had a pt who calls on the light Q 30-60 secs or more!!! He is confused at nite...and alert during the day! He's on tele...why I can't tell you...as he has been in SR & in the 70's with no ectopy since he has been there. NO IVF...no acute distress...just flunked a dysphagia gram...and had a dobbhoff until he pulled it out and they re-evaluted and placed him on pureed diet. So why is he on a tele unit...NO CLUE! I also had 2 fresh post cath pts...one going for PTCA/stent in the AM. An admission of a R/O CP at the same time I had just found a pt in resp distress after receiving ATIVAN 2m IVP at 2250! Unable to narcan as he had Hepatic and Renal diesease...and MD felt it would do no good to give. Why he was given the Ativan I have NO clue...but thank GOd he refused the Ambien 10mg she was going to give him also! Trying to keep his O2 on to keep sats out of the low 80's...keep him in bed..pulls out foley and starts spurting blood from penis...do stat H&H...get ABG's...Neb tx ....give IVP Bumex...draw AM labs from 6 pts.....finish admitting my new pt...running in and out of the freq callers room...incont of BM.....NEVER sat down the whole nite...no potty break...no water...NOTHING..but running all nite!!!

On nite many times we have no CNA...and have to do FSBS q6 or the AC FSBS...daily wts...chart checks...MARs...draw all am labs...and any CE ordered...or PTT. We have family members who stay with the pts overnite...and call every few mins for this or that...BR assist for the pt...THEY the visitor needs a blanket...the pt is having this problem or that....and if we don't come ASAP they're on the light again! or at the nurses station demanding help NOW! We have had up to 9 pts each with the CN also taking pts. A lot of the times the am or pm shift has been too busy to change IV sites or hang new tubing per protocal and guess who this falls to??? I KNOW ALL nurse work hard no matter what shift they work, and the least of these is NOT nites!!!