[barefootlady]

Been to about a hundred staff meetings on this subject. It needs to be addressed as a patient care/needs issue and not about which nurse is or is not doing her job. Now, if a certain nurse is not doing her job then address that with the CN or NM, but beware, we all have days where the crap hits the fan and we need assistance. A really good charge nurse can be a big help when this type of mentality takes over on a unit. CN needs to lead by example, do what she can, let the nurse know what was done, and keep doing it for awhile until others get the drift. It usually works but some people are slower than others. When I charge, I make it clear, if help is needed then ask for it, if you know someone is having a tough day then help when and where you can. Patients do not care who does what if it is done when needed, professionally, skillfully, and kindly.

[PepperAnneCNA]

I'm all about helping other people, but one incident that happened lately has made me leery of doing so for awhile:

Another aide was at lunch and one of her patients called to go to the restroom. No big deal, right? I go in to help him (he's already halfway out of bed by the time I walk down the hall to get in there), very minimal assistance to help him to the restroom. He coded and died right there on the bathroom floor not five minutes later.

I was stuck having to answer all kinds of questions about what I was doing in there when it wasn't even my patient. Not to mention all the guilt I was feeling! Apparently he was bed rest only for this exact reason, but there was nobody around to tell me that, and nothing about his appearance or attitude indicated to me that I was doing the wrong thing by helping him to the restroom.

Now I like to insist on a small report when an aide goes to lunch, and boy do they get ****** at my delaying them

[Diana,RN]

Originally Posted by sheluke

Ok, chalk this one up to also idealistic a bit....but have you tried the direct approach?
As in, you are up to your elbows in something with a patient, nurse B pulls herself from the internet to come find you and let you know your other patient needs assist to bathroom-have you simply said "I am going to be another 10 minutes to finish this, would greatly appreciate if you could help Mrs Jones".

Some people will never think to offer, but respond to direct approach-esp if truly not that busy. Then after she wipes the surprised look off her face and does it, make sure once you are both finished to say thanks for having my back! Preferably in front of others, with a little luck and good conscience, it may be contagious!

Tried and true, the direct way is the best way to go!

[Diana,RN]

Originally Posted by PepperAnneCNA

I'm all about helping other people, but one incident that happened lately has made me leery of doing so for awhile:

Another aide was at lunch and one of her patients called to go to the restroom. No big deal, right? I go in to help him (he's already halfway out of bed by the time I walk down the hall to get in there), very minimal assistance to help him to the restroom. He coded and died right there on the bathroom floor not five minutes later.

I was stuck having to answer all kinds of questions about what I was doing in there when it wasn't even my patient. Not to mention all the guilt I was feeling! Apparently he was bed rest only for this exact reason, but there was nobody around to tell me that, and nothing about his appearance or attitude indicated to me that I was doing the wrong thing by helping him to the restroom.

Now I like to insist on a small report when an aide goes to lunch, and boy do they get ****** at my delaying them

I am so sorry this happened to you... I hope the NA on lunchbreak had to answer some questions regarding the lack of "pt handoff". Please don't put this on yourself, freaky things like this happen! Live and learn. Hugs to you!

Diana

[lovelylpn]

Yeah, like others have written, I would have politely asked the nurse to help the patient because I could not stop what I was already doing. I also try to lead by example by answering other nurses call lights and assisting their patients. Luckily, where I work, we work as a team and do not hesitate to help each other out. This is in the ICU, though, but I can honestly say, I have not experienced this same level of teamwork when I worked in med-surg, ever. I'm in no way knocking med-surg, but the units I worked on were all very busy and you hit the floor running from the time you walk in the door to the time you clock out, so this attitude was more out of being too busy than being lazy.

[harleygirl1704]

Aren't you are commiting the age old sin of "eating the young"! Do you not remember what it is like to be a GN/newbie?!

Part of being a student nurse is building your foundation with one patient at a time.... and even that can be quite overwhelming. And one patient is within your "scope of practice" according to your instructor and your program... with the looming threat of being kicked out of your program if you do overstep those boundries. The next layer of your foundation is becoming a GN and it becomes even more overwhelming - hence the reason for the "lighter assignments" and orientation/preceptor period. No one is perfect and everyone has their own pace. It is up to us to show the real meaning of teamwork by imparting our experience, wisdom, and a helping hand so that they in turn, can find their "groove" and can learn to return the helping hand.

We don't always welcome the students with open arms so I can understand the "fear". "Laziness", there is laziness everywhere.. not just in some student nurses but it can also be seen in some seasoned veterans. "Ignorance"... ignorance is everywhere in the world but that is where again, we come into play. Life is about learning from those around us. So are you doing your part to help battle ignorance by sharing a minute? A helpful hint? A helping hand??

You are a fountain of knowledge... I know that I always have a cup and an open mind ready because its people like you that can fill my cup and my mind. I feel learning something new everyday- big or small.... makes me a better person, a better nurse, and a better team-player!!

Originally Posted by Fiona59

There is one new GN on my unit who is notorious for this. Part of it is because she just cannot manage her workload. She even has lighter assignments than the rest of the "experienced staff" but it never crosses her mind to give us a hand.

Our last two groups of students have really been bad at this. They attend report, they know what is going on in the rooms. They only look after their one patient, not even the other patient in the room they are in.

I don't know if it's fear, ignorance or just plain laziness anymore.

[Cardiac-RN]

Originally Posted by Fiona59

Our last two groups of students have really been bad at this. They attend report, they know what is going on in the rooms. They only look after their one patient, not even the other patient in the room they are in.
I don't know if it's fear, ignorance or just plain laziness anymore.

It is not the student nurses' jobs to help us with our patient care- they are there to assess and care for their assigned patient as directed by their instructor. If they want to take the initiative to assist someone in the next bed, it it likely stepping outside of their comfort zone, but if they do then great. If not, we certainly should not expect it of them. We are not their instructors to decide who they should care for, what they should do. After all, even if all of the student nurses were not there, there would still be staff assigned to that patient- it is the staff's job.

But again, if they want to help, great.

[Fiona59]

Student nurses on my unit are told as part of their clinical experience on units in my hospital that they are required to answer call bells and assist both staff nurses and NAs. We've had them refuse to assist with two person turns "because it's not my patient"

Every country educates their nurses differently, so I can only speak from my experiences in my facility.

[harleygirl1704]

Well that's not right and unfair to staff. And if its become such a problem, someone needs to talk to their instructor/school.

We're told to talk to our CN and they take it up with the instructor if there are problems. There is also a hospital liason that runs quality control between student clinicals and the units and their staff.
Maybe you chould suggest something like that to your unit director??

When I have dealt with students, one of the first things I tell them is to take the statement "not my patient" out of their dialogue box. Then I proceed to give them the scenario of their patient crashing, needing the crash cart and meds and not being able to leave the patient's side and how would they feel if the coworker they asked for help responded "Sorry, they're not my patient". I've had alot a positive feedback from students AND instructors... even co-workers..... on the use of that tactic.

Originally Posted by Fiona59

Student nurses on my unit are told as part of their clinical experience on units in my hospital that they are required to answer call bells and assist both staff nurses and NAs. We've had them refuse to assist with two person turns "because it's not my patient"

Every country educates their nurses differently, so I can only speak from my experiences in my facility.

[JessieRN]

Originally Posted by Fiona59

Student nurses on my unit are told as part of their clinical experience on units in my hospital that they are required to answer call bells and assist both staff nurses and NAs. We've had them refuse to assist with two person turns "because it's not my patient"

Every country educates their nurses differently, so I can only speak from my experiences in my facility.

It was the same when I was in school. We were not to sit at the nurses station "taking up space". We were not professionals, and we had much to learn, and our instructor felt the best way to learn was to do. We were encouraged to ask for assist if we were uncomfortable with a task, but we were required to help the nurses when they needed help. A classmate was failed becuase she told a CNA it was not her patient that needed help to bathroom. Students also need to understand if they are willing to help the nurses, there is much the nurses can teach them.