Published
OH MY GOSH!!!!
I JUST GOT HOME A LITTLE WHILE AGO, WHEN I LOGGED IN TO FIND OUT THAT THE POST I POSTED ON SATURDAY HAS BECOME QUITE ENGAGING!!!!
I HAVE JUST GOT DONE WITH A 20 HOUR SHIFT!!!
I AM QUITE TIRED, BUT I HAVE TO REPLY!!!!
I WORKED A 20 HOUR SHIFT, ALL OF WHICH IS OVERTIME DUE TO CALL OFFS AND POOR STAFFING!!!
DURING THE PAST 20 HOURS I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FOLLOWING THINGS AS A RN:
--ASSESSING PATIENTS
--EDUCATING PATIENTS AND FAMILIES
--CRITICAL THINKING
--DELEGATING TASKS to unlcensed
--ADMINISTERING MEDICATIONS-IV, IM, PO, VIA TUBE, ETC
--STARTING IV'S
--MONITORING LAB VALUES AND REPORTING THEM TO MD'S
--ANSWERING QUESTIONS WITH FAMILY MEMBERS, ON THE PHONE OR IN THE HOSPITAL
--ASSESSING
--TALKING TO OTHER ANCILARY DEPT: LIKE SPEECH, OCCUP, PHYSICAL THERAPIES, NUCLEAR MED, ECHO, MRI, LAB, PHARMACY, X RAY, ETC
--GATHERING SPECIMENS, BLOOD, URINE, STOOL, SPUTUM, WOUND DRAINAGE, ETC.
--CHECKING THE CHART FOR NEW ORDERS, AND ENTERING THEM INTO THE COMPUTER. CHECKING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE UNIT CLERKS ORDERS ARE ACCURATE AND CORREST, AND FIXXING THEM IF THEY ARE NOT
--REPORTING TO DOCTORS, ANSWERING DOCTORS, ETC
--EKG's
--BLOOD DRAWS
--SUPERVISING UNLICENSED
--"HELPING" A INTERN
--ASSESSING
--ASSISTING WITH A BLUE CODE (CPR, AIRWAY, MEDS, ETC)
--DETERMING WHAT TYPE OF HEART RHYTHM MY PATIENTS HAVE AND MAKE THE RIGHT CALL TO FIX THE ARRYTHMIA
--DOCUMENTING WITHIN LEGAL TIMES ON IV SITES, RESTRAINTS, VENT SETTINGS AND PATIENT STATUS, I&O, MEDICATIONS GIVEN, SCHEDULED AND PRN, ETC
--DRESSING CHANGES WITH MEDICATIONS
--TRACH CARE ON VENT PATIENTS
--SUCTIONING TRACH Q 2 HOUR/ PRN
--ASSESSING
--PERICARE Q SHIFT/ CATH CARE Q SHIFT/PRN ORAL CARE PRN/ QSHIFT, ETC
--ASSIST WITH BATHS, (YES I GET MY HANDS DIRTY!! THAT IS NOT BENEATH ANY US!!!)
--CHECKING PLACEMENT OF DUO TUBES, NG TUBES, PEG TUBES, ETC
--ANSWERING CALL LIGHTS
--OBTAINING BLOOD SPEC. FROM CENTRAL LINES
--ASSESSING IV SITES Q 2 HOUR
--EDUCATING STAFF
--FIXING STAFFING PROBLEMSAFTER A CALL OFF (SOMETIMES IMPACTING ON THE LENGTH OF WORK)
--COMMUNICATING WITH THE NURSE SUPERVISOR
--COMPLETING PAPERWORK RELATED TO ANNUAL REVIEW (PATIENT CARE CONFERENCES, REEASRCH AN JOURANL ARTICLE AND EDUCATE THE STAFF, ETC)
--BEING A PRECEPTOR FOR NEW NURSES TO OUR FLOOR
--IS THERE A NEED TO GO ON AND ON AND ON??????????
I NEVER INTENDED MY POST TO CREATE SUCH RAGE .
BUT AFTER I STARTED TO READ ABOUT HOW NA's believe that they are "nurses" since the term nurse is used in their job title, I WAS EVEN MORE MAD THAN WHEN I HEARD THE NEWS STORY THAT STARTED THIS HOT TOPIC!!!!!
HOW DARE YOU CALL YOURSELF A NURSE~!!!!!
CAN YOU STATE THAT YOU HAVE DONE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING THAT I HAVE JUST GOT DONE STATING FOR THE MOST PART!!!!
HAVE YOU RECEIVED ANY NURSING EDUCATION? THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THE FIELD OF NURSING GETS NO RESPECT AND WHY WE ARE AT WIT ENDS TO GET MORE NURSES AND KEEP THEM IN NURSING!!!!!
I UNDERSTAND THAT SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE CARRIED OUT BY UNLICENSED BUT, YOU KNOW WHAT, I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR YOU DOING THESE TASKS!!!
IT IS MY LICENSE AND UNTIL YOU HAVE ONE, YOU WILL NEVER KNOW THE ENTIRE RESPONSIBLITY THAT WE AS NURSES HAVE!!! WE WILL BE THE ONES THAT GO TO COURT AND GET SUED!! YOU WILL ONLY LOOSE A JOB AND MOVE ON TO THE NEXT IF THAT HAPPENS AT ALL!!! WE WILL LOSE OUR CAREEER, THAT WE WORKED SO HARD FOR!!!
I ALSO THINK THAT THOSE OF YOU ARE REFERRING YOURSELF AS NURSES, MAY SUGGEST THAT YOU THINK THAT YOU ARE BENEATH CALLING YOURSELF A NURSES ASSISTANT OR A NURSES AIDE!!!
IT IS YOUR JOB TITLE!! ARE YOU NOT PROUD TO BE ASSISTING THE NURSE AS WELL AS THE DOCTOR!!!
I TREAT EVERYONE I WORK WITH THE MOST RESPECT. THIS INCLUDES ALL NURSES AND ALL UNLICENSED.
I WOULD RECCOMEND THAT IF YOU HAVE ANY HURT FEELINGS OVER THIS, THEN GO TO SCHOOL AND BECOME A NURSE IF YOU WANT TO BE CALLED A NURSE!!!
IF NOT GET OVER IT AS THE SONG SAYS!!!
ALSO, IT WAS NOT INTENDEd in my first posting TO SAY THAT NURSES WOULD NOT MOLEST OR RAPE A PATIENT!!! We are all human!!!
I WANT TO CLARIFY THAT I COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT THE MEDIA DID IT AGAIN!!!! A NURSE???? A NURSE IS NOT A PERSONAL CARE AIDE!!!
IF YOU DO NOT GET IT NOW, PLEASE GET a "CLUE"
AND BEFORE ANY UNLICENSED WORKERS GET ANY RESPECT, NURSES WILL NEED TO GET SOME FIRST!!!
I DO NOT PRESENT MY SELF AS A 'GLORIFIED' (BECAUSE I HAVE A "LICENSE") "ASS WIPER" AS SOME OF YOU HAVE CALLED YOURSELF!!!
HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT THAT YOU DO NOT EVEN RESPECT THE JOB THAT YOU DO ON A DAILY BASIS????
MAYBE YOU COULD START GAINING MORE RESPECT WHEN YOU STOP CALLING YOURSELF------------
AN "ASS-WIPER"
PLEASE REPLY IF YOU DISAGREE!!!
I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU AND DEBATE THE ISSUE~~~!!!!
FOR ALL NURSES OUT THERE, I WOULD URGE YOU TO TAKE ACTION WHEN ANY ONE TAKES OUR CAREER FOR ADVANTAGE!!
WE NEED TO SHOW THE PUBLIC WHAT WE REALLY DO IN OUR CAREER!!! THIS WILL EVENTUALLY HELP THE NURSING SHORTAGE!!!!
:)
[ May 21, 2001: Message edited by: StaceRacer1 ]