Would I be out of line if....?

[ohbet]

Ive told our ward clerk not to interupt me when passing meds unless it is an emergency,but she continues to interupt me and write orders on the med sheet Im using while passing meds,so I have to stop passing my meds and wait till she is done writing the order. Since she wont stop this practice would I be out of line by going to supervisor about it?

Also we have been told to limet OT as much as possible. In order to accomplish this would I be out of line to suggest to management,that if units that arent busy,like the ward clerks who sit doodling at there desks would go to another unit where the ward clerck is running like a chicken with here head cut off to help heror wo a unit where nurses ,including head nurses,arent busy and are idle,one time the HN was decorating the nurses station with wall paper, and go to another unit that is jamming and offer to help them,thus allowing everone to go home on time

[karbyr]

these sound like good ideas to me, and have seen them used in different agencies...........just be careful of tone of suggestion :)

[sjoe]

This is simply called "cooperation," "teamwork" and "working together." Its absence in a facility is a clear indication of inadequate management AND leadership skills, so you might wish to present your suggestions with that in mind.

[plumrn, BSN, RN]

I think those are wonderful ideas, but I 2nd karbyr's thoughts...careful with the tone of suggestion. Some people do tend to take these types of suggestions as a jab at their own performance. Perhaps the best time to bring up these ideas are in a unit meeting, or during a slow time- they won't take it so personally, and are more likely to see your point.

[altomga, ADN, BSN, MSN, DNP, RN, APRN]

I agree with the other posters. Sounds like a lack of Teamwork on the behalf of other unit co-workers. Suggest it at a staff meeting..but yes be careful of the tone you use. Our secretary usually doesn't "take" our medex if we are using it. The secretary on my floor plays the integral role of "ANSWERING THE PHONE" If she does leave someone is always at the desk to do that or help visitors, etc...One time all she did was step away to use the bathroom (around the time lab calls with panic values..I work nightshift)..anyway, what did it take..a few minutes?? The restroom is only 10feet away...anyway, the lab reported the "lack of personnel" to answer the phone to my manager!! There are times at night that the secretary may "just be sitting there" if all the 24hr chart checks are done, charts stuffed, admissions completed, etc...but you never know when the phone might ring, or some visitor tries to bust up in the unit at 2 a.m.

Good Luck!!

[nakitamoon]

,,, I agree 100%,,, excellent ideas,,,, just be careful of the way you present them,,,, Teamwork is needed,,, maybe this can all be incorporated in your presentation,,,, Good luck to you!,,, Wish you worked with me!,,,,, Nik~

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

Your ward clerks write the new orders for meds on your med sheets? Wow. We don't do that because our ward clerks are essentially secretaries and not medical people and therefore don't have enough expertise to know for sure if the med is written correctly, etc. Pharmacy sends out our med sheets pre-printed (which the nurses check) and then if there are any changes or additions, the nurses add them to the med sheets and the ward clerks writes them on the RANDS. Before we note the orders, we have to check that the ward clerk wrote everything correctly on the RAND and that the labs ordered were sent correctly, the xrays were sent correctly, P.T. was contacted, etc. The ward clerks never see our med books until the end of the day when we give her the med sheets and she copies them for pharmacy and puts the originals in the chart. If there are STAT orders, she just brings us the physician's order.

I continue to be surprised by how different nursing is . . .