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by RNinICU

Last night when I got report from the RN who was leaving, he told me the doc had ordered a stat med for one of my patients. After report, I checked the chart, and found the order timed for a half hour before the start of my shift. I bit my tongue, gave the med, and when I discarded the syringe, found the sharps container overflowing. This was just too much, so I caught the other nurse just as he was leaving, and gave him an earful about the sharps container. He responded that the aides are supposed to replace the containers. This was the final straw. Not only had he not given a stat med ordered on his shift, he had put me at risk for a needle stick, then used the "It's not my job" excuse. I let him have it with both barrels. After he left, I checked on my other patient, a GI bleed who was having frequent bloody stools. She wanted to be helped off the bed pan, but I had to make her wait while I went for gloves, because the box in the room was empty.
I was venting to some of the others on my shift, and we came up with a list of co workers' annoying habits.
Not emptying an overflowing garbage can.
Leaving packaging from meds all over the counter in the med room.
Starting the GoLytely prep an hour before the end of their shift.
Leaving the bags from discontinued IV meds hanging at the bedside.
Leaving a patient in a dirty gown after he has spilled food on himself.
Not giving pain meds on time.
Leaving a patient's room a mess.
Not making sure there are adequate supplies in the room so you don't have to run for everything you need.
Not doing mouth care.
Always coming 5 or 10 minutes late and delaying report while they pour coffee and "get organized."
Giggling and whispering in report.
Not answering call bells for any patient but their own.
I'm sure I could come up with many more if I thought about it some more.

[Amy ER Nurse]

(This is ER) Going out to smoke q 1hr (in pairs or better!), not minding that there are orders on one of their patients, that EMS is 2min out with a chest pain/SOB ;not leaving at least one person at the desk to answer EMS radio, phones; or caring if the non-smokers have had even one break during the shift.

[NannaNurse]

RNinICU....Did you fill out a medication error form?? If this 'STAT' med was not given as orderd, by the nurse who took the order, then it consitiutes a medication error and notice of it should be made!
On our unit, we do leave the IV bags hanging...with the date/time (of course) and the next nurse administering the next dose removes it.....more so a reminder, etc.
We also tape report about 30-45 minutes before shift change, that way if someone comes in late.....no biggie! There is a 30 minute over-lap so if there are any 'questions'...they can get ordered, if they show up on time. If not, it is their problem.
Sorry to hear you had such a hard time. Hopefully this other nurse will have had time to 'reflect' on what you said and learn something???? If not, he will know that you are not one to take his crap and perhaps he will watch what he is doing next time.
I would, however, fill out a med error on him. A Stat med is to be given ASAP, not leaving it for the next nurse. I hope your patient didn't suffer.

[RNinICU]

I did fill out a med error report, and notified the MD, since the med was actually given almost an hour after the order was written. Our shifts overlap, too, but we give live report. Our manager thinks this is more accurate. Daylight report from 11-7 is the worst because our charge nurse wants to listen to report on everyone, so it takes forever.

[nurse-lou]

Re: What do your coworkers do to annoy you?

Originally posted by RNinICU
Always coming 5 or 10 minutes late and delaying report while they pour coffee and "get organized."
Giggling and whispering in report.
Not answering call bells for any patient but their own.

The first one above is my biggest pet peeve!!!!! Work starts at 7am or pm or whatever time your shift starts. That does NOT mean that you should be just walking in the door at that time! IT means that you should be ready to take report! I worked with an RN once that wouldn't walk in the front door till 7:05 pm, then she'd have to go thru all of her pt kardexes first and might be ready to listen to report at 7:15. We said something to her at first and when her habits didn't change, we went to the DON. The DON allegedly spoke to her but the behavior continued. By the time she listened to report and we gave her updates it was 7:45pm and my shift was allegedly over at 7:30pm. So, I always signed out at the right time to be sure that I got my 15 minutes of OT. The DON had the audacity to yell at me about excessive OT!!! I told her that if Nurse So and So would get to work on time then I wouldn't be late! The nerve!!!

I always like to get to work about 20 minutes early so I can get situated and organized, go through my Kardexes and be ready to receive report at 7pm. That's just me!

[pebbles]

kaknurse, had a similar situation with a new grad on my ward. She has since improved, but only slightly. I dealt with it by writing out report, esp on the more stable patients. As soon as I saw that she had arrived (and therefore my replacement was available), I left.

I got around getting in trouble from anyone by saying I was going to miss my bus - and her coming in late would make me get home an hour later by the time I transferred bewteen two bus routes!

Management can only do so much - if the person refuses to change, nothing we can do. There is one nurse on my ward who used to be routinely half an hour late for work when they gave a taped report. She is now on time because she took a Clinical Resource Nurse position and has to do rounds with the docs - but she is always an hour to two hours late past the end of her shift doing paperwork, etc. This nurse has 20 years experience and is a good nurse but really bad at time management!

[susanmary]

I don't focus on things my coworkers do which annoy me, because I'm quite sure that there are times I annoy them. If I have a TRUE issue with something, I will address it directly with my coworker. With this being said, what annoys me is: non-team players, staff who go to management behind coworkers' backs, and chronic lateness.

[TracyB,RN]

There are some people that just show up that irritate me. LOL

[Sleepyeyes]

Ummm...
gee, can't think of a thing. Really!!
I must work on the best unit in the country!

[OrthoNutter]

I can see why some people might just walk in the door right on the dot. That doesn't irritate me, providing that they don't expect me to wait for them to get a pen out and find a pt diagnoses list. I walk in maybe two to three minutes early at the max because it takes me all of thirty seconds to whip out a pen, grab a list and sit down.

I'm unfamiliar with this kardex stuff....just what is that? I thought it was a med dispensing machine/thing? Or maybe I'm just getting mixed up with something else.

The only thing that really gives me the willies is when there's an arrest and you can't get to the defib and trolley because there's gas bottles and wheelchairs in front of it. Then when you finally get it out, the oxy cylinder is empty or there's suction tubing missing or no defib pads. Anything else, I'll just grit my teeth and put up with it. But in an arrest, seconds count and there's no time to be finding all the stuff that's missing.