How inconsiderate

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I have to vent. I work on a telemetry unit (grated its not all monitored pt.) in a hospital that is not financially endowed. All the staff is leaving. Currently there are only 2 full time staff nurses remaining on my floor. To make up for the lack of staff the hospital hires agency nurses. Its really hard when the floors are 10% staff and 90% agency. I am always in charge, mind you I have I am a new grad. When the hospital books agency they fall to get nurses that are able to read the cardiac monitor. So, I have all monitored patients and I am resonsible for reading the monitors for those nurses who are unable to read. So overall today I was resonsible for reading 15 monitors. To top the day off we had a code blue, one of the family members from another patient (not the roommate) had the gul to walk into the room and ask for a CHAIR while I was doing chest compressions. How can people be so inconsiderate. Luckly I remained cool and told the person that "It was not my proity, Right now".

RN2007

117 Posts

Wow, what a great job you are doing, and just think - you are still kind of new there... They should be giving you a raise for sure with all t he hats that you are having to wear. I sincerely hope you get some hope soon.

gwenith, BSN, RN

3,755 Posts

Specializes in ICU.

Time for you to take your concerns to management - there is no way one person can effectively cover 15 monitors. It becomes "therapeutic monitoring" - there to make the (medical) STAFF feel better.

As for the person asking for a chair in the middle of a code - Oh boy ! You did great!!!! What I would have said would not have been so polite.

jemb

693 Posts

First, sometimes there is a very fine line between inconsiderate and just plain dumb!

Second, you are endangering your newly acquired license by continuing to be part of this situation. Put your foot down and tell management that you cannot continue to work in unsafe conditions. You probably need to get another job if nothing changes. Believe me, management who cares so little care that they staff by warm bodies who lack the necessary skills to work on the unit will not share responsibility if something goes wrong. They will jump at the chance to put the blame on you.

If you can't cya, you need to move it elsewhere!

Sorry you're having such a bad time as a new grad. It's not an easy role even in good conditions.

Flynurse

250 Posts

S'cuse me! I'm busy here!

Way to go! I would have lost it!

Definitely go to administration. No one is gonna stick up for you, but you alone!

Jay-Jay, RN

633 Posts

Cheerio, it cannot be legal or ethical for you to be monitoring that many patients. It definitely is NOT safe! I agree, you are endangering yourself, your license, AND your patients. You need to go to management, STAT!! I have heard of nurses refusing to start their shift until they knew the unit was safely staffed. Or, if they were forced to accept an unsafe assignment, they presented a form to the head nurse, and asked her to sign it prior to them starting their shift. As said above, a good way to cya (cover your a**)! I have actually seen a copy of such a form posted somewhere (okay, it was back in the Million Nurse March days, 3 or 4 years ago, so I doubt very much if I'd still be able to find it for you.)

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN

2 Articles; 3,563 Posts

Originally posted by jemb

First, sometimes there is a very fine line between inconsiderate and just plain dumb!

Second, you are endangering your newly acquired license by continuing to be part of this situation. Put your foot down and tell management that you cannot continue to work in unsafe conditions. You probably need to get another job if nothing changes. Believe me, management who cares so little care that they staff by warm bodies who lack the necessary skills to work on the unit will not share responsibility if something goes wrong. They will jump at the chance to put the blame on you.

If you can't cya, you need to move it elsewhere!

Sorry you're having such a bad time as a new grad. It's not an easy role even in good conditions.

I agree 100% with the above post. Excellent advice.

Tweety, BSN, RN

34,248 Posts

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

Welcome to nursing 2003. I am THE ONLY staff nurse on my unit on night shift. Fortunately most of the nurses who come here are travelers and contracts who have monitoring experience. I do have to be the telemetry tech from 11-7 and that's fun. I'm not sure I could do it as a new grad. No wonder so many people are quitting and going agency. sigh....kudos to you for haning in there.

Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.

AAhhhhh these are the things that test our reserve, mold our character, strengthen our resolve, enhance our abilities, create dignity and ruin our golf game.

mattsmom81

4,516 Posts

The way I see it, you can risk staying and help rebuild, or you can find a safer place to practice. Only you can decide.

I have refused to take charge unless I had what I needed to do so safely. They won't like to hear it but it makes a point.

Something you might ask for that will really help YOU is a monitor tech...many facilities cross train their secretaries or CNA's to read monitors. Who is watching monitors while you are out on the floor with a code or helping out the staff? This is a huge lawsuit for the facility...just waiting to happen. They are taking a real chance here, IMO, and yes if something goes wrong they can take a nurse down with them too if they choose.

A tele unit in my area had no desk charge or techs at the desk and the nurses were supposed to be sharing tele responsibility. Well, someone ignored a flat line, thinking the monitor was off. The flat line was was asystole. Alarms were off cuz the nurses couldn't keep up with them. Now this place hired monitor techs after this incident, and settled the lawsuit, I heard. And the primary nurse was fired over the incident.

Someone has to watch monitors at all times AND be responsible for knowing what they're seeing. Anything else is a good case for facility negligence, IMO.

Best wishes...look out for your license. If your little voice tells you this is unsafe, it probably is. ;)

PJRNC2

47 Posts

Try and get the Doctors on your side. Maybe they can admit somewhere else for a while- or threaten to. Your present position is toooo SCARRY re liability-let alone your mental and emotional health. Hope things resolve soon (VERY SOON!).

jnette, ASN, EMT-I

4,388 Posts

Specializes in Hemodialysis, Home Health.

Wow.

You've been given plenty of sound advice above, but I just wanted to say KUDOS TO YOU !

Now get the help you need or get out ! ;)

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