Way back in the day, back when dinosaurs roamed and the earth's crust was still cooling, I was a GN. And back when I was a GN a couple of things were understood. Number one, we were professionals and not customer service reps. And number two, some days every little thing was not going to get done, especially if we were having a busy day or we were short staffed.
I really miss those days.
Now, customer service is paramount over patient care, and management never gets tired of thinking of little, stupid things for us to do. I'm convinced that is because hospitals are so top-heavy in management and they have to think of things to do to keep their jobs, otherwise they'd get bored playing computer solitaire all day. But that's another rant.
Anyway, the latest thing is those @#$%#@ hourly roundoff sheets. Please don't misunderstand me. I check on my patients at least hourly. But forcing me to stop at the door, put my glasses on, root around for my pen, write on a vertically hung piece of paper, shake the pen a couple of times, finish signing the paper, put my pen back, take my glasses off, multiplied x5 patients x12 hours, adds nothing to my patients care and greatly to my general fatigue and aggravation level.
To make it more insulting, these papers do not go into the patient chart. They are thrown away. So I am instructed by a bunch of dingalings to fatigue and aggravate myself for something that will just be thrown away. I don't think so.
GPS chip me. I don't care. Hang a badge reader at each door so I can prove I rounded. That's okay too. But I will only stop what I'm doing to write something down on a piece of paper that will only be thrown away if every manager will agree to stop what he or she is doing every hour to do something equally meaningless. Stand on their heads, sing the Old Macdonald song, whatever. But they have to do it every hour they work.
Anyone agree with me? Or is the consensus is, shut up and sign 'em, there's more important things to worry about?
