"I didn't go to school to do X" the new mentality in nursing?

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Rehab, critical care.

Does anybody else find the "I didn't go to school to do X" mentality annoying? Annoying, not the correct word. Hmm...frustrating is more like it. Let me clarify: the "I didn't go to school to do X", X being, I guess, bathing patients or waitressing (i.e. bringing patients sodas, etc). Isn't the whole idea behind nursing to care for both the body and soul (spirit, mind, whatever your religious/cultural beliefs are)? My goal here isn't to be all Florence Nightingale-ish, but just to inquire as to when this attitude began and why.

I believe it's possible to prevent your patient from becoming septic and having a keen eye in recognizing subtle changes AND get your patient or patient's family member a warm blanket or maybe the 10th warm blanket during your shift. If it brings them comfort, why not do it? Nobody is above bringing comfort to a patient Nurses are both skilled, intelligent AND caring. I certainly wouldn't want someone with a "I'm too good for X" mentality to care for myself or my family member. And, yes, I understand that it's not always possible to do the little things for patients; there are certainly shifts from (shall we say purgatory? Yes, that's a kinder word lol) where it's just not possible, and I understand that we're pulled in a million different directions. But, it's everybody's job to help patients, not the CNA vs. nurse mentality.

Which brings me to one of my biggest pet peeves (nurses not helping CNA's). One of my friends who is a CNA at another hospital told me that a nurse refused to help her, saying, "That is not my job. I don't touch patients." WHAT?? Wow is all I can say. Most people in the public thank nurses and appreciate all that we do, but two things that are keeping us from being viewed as a profession would be: the above statement by the few nurses who say/do such things, and gossiping/texting at nurse stations. Hospitals really shouldn't have to have policies forbidding facebook and texting; it should be a given that we don't do such things at work when we should be working. (I understand that there are family emergencies, etc, but still, those can be handled in staff rooms away from patients).

In closing, I just want to thank all of the nurses, CNA's/PCT's on here that work so hard every single day for their patients! There may be days where we may feel like all we did was run, run all shift, and think "am I making a difference?" Yes, most certainly. What would have happened if you had not noticed X, for instance? Would your patient not be worse for the weather? Or how about the :) you got from Mrs Jones in Room 202 for doing X? There seems to be a prevalent "I'm just a nurse" mentality, as well, and that inferiority complex really needs to stop.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

I'm not a nurse, and I tend to want to be helpful in anyway I can- but I think I'd draw the line with a tenth warm blanket for a family member. The family member isn't sick and you're not there to take care of them. It isn't a spa! If a family member wants a blanket or soda or snack, they are perfectly capable of getting up and getting it themselves. JMO

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Specializes in ICU + Infection Prevention.

I think the "I didn't go to school to do X" mentality is as equally dumb as the "I'll do whatever extra non-nursing task management decides to dump on nursing" mentality. Both attitudes can interfere with nursing care and teamwork. At all junctures a good team player and leader (they are teaching me nurses are supposed to be leaders) should be willing to assist with all things. That's different than getting pigeonholed into, for example, cleaning patient bathrooms as a regular assigned q shift duty.

The real question at hand is one of efficient use of resources.

Is it realistic to go into nursing and expect to not do hands on patient care like cleaning and assessing a patient or helping CNAs when not busy? NO

Is it a smart use of resources to pay a college educated professional $25 or $35 an hour to do unskilled tasks that housekeeping or UAP can safely do? NO

The wrongheaded reaction is to think that the latter example is what me must do to make sure there is enough work for us. It is really just abuse by management. What it ultimately leads to is management going "why are we paying you so much if so much of your workload is unskilled?" The danger is swinging the other way and fostering poor teamwork and hands-off mismanagement by having a "too good to get my hands dirty" attitude.

A balance must be struck!

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Onc, LTAC.

I completely agree with the poster... BUT I also COMPLETELY understand why people sometimes say "I didn't go to school to do X". Such as totally killing myself during my work day because the CNA's need their 2 hrs of internet time. I will always help washing up pts, but when I'm totally taken advantage of - washing up EVERY patient with the CNA, including those I could wash up by myself, it gets very frustrating.

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Onc, LTAC.

SummitAP- YES! That is what my husband ALWAYS talks about. He understands the patient care aspect and that it's always a part of my job, but he is totally blown away with the extra workload of housekeeping/dietary/CNA tasks. He says "that's like asking my boss to scrub the toilets!" :p

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Specializes in Home Health.

I actually used that line at work the other day. It was in response to my boss when she got onto me for walking past a 3 inch long dead cockroach and not picking it up. I'm sorry, I can digitally remove an impaction. I can hold your emesis basin while you puke up your toenails. I can put a foley in someone who smells like their nether region has never seen soap. However, cockroaches....nope. Can't do it. :D

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I actually used that line at work the other day. It was in response to my boss when she got onto me for walking past a 3 inch long dead cockroach and not picking it up. I'm sorry I can digitally remove an impaction. I can hold your emesis basin while you puke up your toenails. I can put a foley in someone who smells like their nether region has never seen soap. However, cockroaches....nope. Can't do it. :D[/quote']

You've got to be kidding.....:eek: She's too good to pick it up herself.........:lol2:

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Specializes in Home Health.
You've got to be kidding.....:eek: She's too good to pick it up herself.........:lol2:

she did end up picking it up herself. LOL I KNEW I wasn't doing it.

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Specializes in LTC Rehab Med/Surg.

I have been thinking about exactly what the OP posted. With all the budget cuts, the nurses have been expected to do "extras". I answer call lights, and respond to whatever the request is. Bedpan, BR, ice water, extra blankets........ I have no problem with any of that. I'll even get a warm blanket for family. No problem.

Then I observed what every body else was doing.

The ward clerk only did ward clerk stuff.

The supervisor only did supervisory stuff.

The phlebotomist only drew blood.

Dietary only delivered food.

Cna did Cna stuff.

The nurses drew blood, delivered food, supervised their staff, answered phones, took off orders. They answered call lights, cleaned up pts, walked others to the BR. I'm all for "one for all and all for one" but somehow it doesn't seem to work that way. Is it just me or is it only the nurses who seem to do other jobs?

I know there are things only nurses can do. I don't expect dietary to pass my pills. But where I work nurses are being stretched way too thin.

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Specializes in ICU.

"I didn't go to school to do X"

We've had that kind of thing going on here for a while; it's the 'too posh to wash' syndrome.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

You know what I didn't go to school for? Data processing. I'll happily do anything that involves a patient but all of this stuff that takes me away from caring for my patients is what drives me nuts.

On another note, I do find it annoying though when I get taken advantage of by PCA's because I'm always willing to help.

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Specializes in Rehab, critical care.

Mjmoon, I was just kidding/exaggerating a little with the 10th warm blanket, but I can see how humor would be lost in text. Yes, definitely limits need to be set at times w/certain patients. SummitAP, you make a very good point, one that I have considered before (i.e. why pay nurses OT instead of doing small things to retain the ones you have/decrease turn-over, etc). But, unfortunately, not every person in corporate/management is effective in efficiency, managing budget, employee satisfaction, etc. Some simple common sense could be applied at the corporate level, maybe have a few people who have actually worked in healthcare in the upper level of administration lol. Anybody here feel like getting their MBA, getting into administration, and learning all kinds of pointless buzz words? Like syngery and inventing those acronyms for success in business...T.H.A.N.K.S, etc lol.

However, in the non-ideal world of current, modern healthcare, I am merely suggesting that we all work together to maximize the resources we do have during our shift (which in some hospitals/facilities is far from ideal). How do we accomplish this? Through teamwork! And a willingness of all staff to help each other so that the patient receives the best care possible....not rocket science, but like "imintrouble" noticed, it all too often seems to fall on the nurses. Shouldn't be that way, but it's that way because nurses are in the "front" line, having the primary care/responsibility for that patient whereas the other disciplines are in and out of the room in a matter of minutes.

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