is your efficiency misinterpreted as lazy ?

Nurses Stress 101

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Do people take your efficiency as you're lazy. Lol. I'm too good at this, tho and I think that is why this Job is affecting me so harshly. 3 hours into my shift, my assessments, documenting, and chart checks are done. this is night shift, so it is not as busy, but then I am left sitting around on the computer learning about procedures, or ill admit, browsing on all nurses.com, thinking about how slow life is going for me. 600 meds, for all my patients are done by 0630. Yep, all to the right patients. When a majority of the other nurses around this time are -NOW--finishing charting.

Any way, I often am seen sitting around because I am literally done with what needs to be done, and could be done. I don't do much chit chatting, whats small talk, if it's gossip? I don't do that, and would continue to never do that, just to keep some friends around. The thing is, in nursing, if you aren't bashing someone somewhere, I swear, you are an outsider. I hate talking about others, Im superly concerned about my life right now, with how stuck I feel. Anyway.

Just wondering if anyone is like this, too efficient and on the go, but people think you're just sitting around, but you've done all your work.m helping on day shift right now, and it's 1030, and believe it, yes, my shift assessments, the ton load of 0900 meds are all done, and documentation is done, im just waiting for 1400 to roll around so I can give my next round of meds, and do my notes and get home. Smh,

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
You are very efficient! Just a suggestion for your downtime: in the very few opportunities I've had with downtime-I am admittedly not as efficient as you are-- I've gone to each room just to say "Is there anything you need?" One time I did that, and I discovered a CNA doing the same thing for the exact same reason. We had a good laugh over that and we were braced for the **** to hit the fan because it seemed to be an easy day![/quote']

^^^^lol...Love it when a team comes together :) True efficiency ;)

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I"m sure the OP is having a ball with some bragging on this thread and others complaining....maybe it's time to stop responding and take away his/her fun

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Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.

When I worked nights I did bed baths for the comfort care. I would even get the confused sun downers up and sit them in a chair and wash them up and change their linen.

I won't even check my email at work. I figure if I have time to read, I have time to help on the floor. I have done vitals, passed meds, ran to lab, stocked, cleaned, and everything else in between.

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Specializes in Trauma Surgical ICU.

posting just to keep reading :(

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.
posting just to keep reading :(
Lolololol
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I think people are interpreting this in very different ways. I don't think the OP meant "I'm more efficient, so it's ok of I sit and chat on Facebook because I'm done with *my* work". of course you should help out those who are overwhelmed. But some nurses

seem to think that being constantly on the brink of a nervous break down is part of being a "good" nurse. In nursing, being caught up with your work seems to be synonymous with doing a half-a**ed job. Why?

And sometimes lines like "I'm behind because I'm very thorough." or "I'm behind because I spend more time talking with the pts" are just excuses for having poor time management skills

And I have to admit, I feel less inclined to help out a nurse who's spent too much time chatting or dawdling. And, yes, sometimes that includes chatting with patients or their families. When there's tasks that need to be done, there's tasks that need to be done.

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I think people are interpreting this in very different ways. I don't think the OP meant "I'm more efficient, so it's ok of I sit and chat on Facebook because I'm done with *my* work". of course you should help out those who are overwhelmed. But some nurses

seem to think that being constantly on the brink of a nervous break down is part of being a "good" nurse. In nursing, being caught up with your work seems to be synonymous with doing a half-a**ed job. Why?

No what rubbed me the wrong way were 2 things the OP said "Do people take your efficiency as you're lazy. Lol. I'm too good at this, tho" and "Any way, I often am seen sitting around"

I don't think that could be taken more than 1 way

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.
I think people are interpreting this in very different ways. I don't think the OP meant "I'm more efficient, so it's ok of I sit and chat on Facebook because I'm done with *my* work". of course you should help out those who are overwhelmed. But some nursesseem to think that being constantly on the brink of a nervous break down is part of being a "good" nurse. In nursing, being caught up with your work seems to be synonymous with doing a half-a**ed job. Why? And sometimes lines like "I'm behind because I'm very thorough." or "I'm behind because I spend more time talking with the pts" are just excuses for having poor time management skills And I have to admit, I feel less inclined to help out a nurse who's spent too much time chatting or dawdling. And, yes, sometimes that includes chatting with patients or their families. When there's tasks that need to be done, there's tasks that need to be done.
In her second post she did say she was watching everyone run around like chickens with their heads cut off...
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Specializes in Adult/Ped Emergency and Trauma.

I really don't care if they thought I was lazy when I worked that floor in the small hospital where I backed up ER. Many times I would come back to the floor and they'd tell me things my patients requested that they didn't do- yet they were terrified of ER. The Policy was actually to "rotate" who went to ER, but the DON assigned out floor patients, so,...

She didn't trust the other two nurses with high acuity(I got em') and charged, backed up ER, had my own load of acute cares (equal load to their's or heavier), was night supervisor over entire facility, had to make a 24 hr assessment entry on all LPN patients(including all 40 bed LTC), (plus, do admission and IV's on every other LPN admit/Half her IV Meds), EMS rides with critical patients to Larger Facility (48 miles away), and relieve ER nurse for 1 hour lunch nightly.

So, that night really ticked me off my patients were neglected (and I had family members breathing down my neck), I just stated, "Well then, this isn't working out me doing all ER back-up, and my patients being without a Nurse- we are going to rotate out ER just like the other shift- this is unacceptable to my patient's and me. They were terrified- I never had that problem again!

All the quiet nights they sat at the desk while I was running like crazy in ER, I never minded watching them run awhile from the desk at my quiet times. Taught them some team work- and it kept them out of ER(they knew when they were hired the ER deal). So, if you have a nurse with poor time management skills "gossiping" at desk early while your getting it done, and calls you lazy later because your done at desk and not assisting her; if you did get up and help- I would call that enabling poor behavior and bad judgment if you didn't call him/her on it. Some people only learn the hard way. Team work is a totally different thing entirely. I'm not one for facilitating "social time."

Always willing to help, but with discretion:)

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Specializes in geriatrics.

When I first started my job, I noticed that a certain co-worker always had time. To a point, she is more efficient, simply because she's experienced. However, after a few months, we realized that this person passes on half of her work for the next shift. Not saying you are like this, OP, but if you always have extra time, something is not right with this picture. Aside from helping co-workers, you could ask the Charge for an extra project now and then. That shows initiative. Given how busy the floors are, there are always tasks that need to be done.

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It is hard to watch my coworkers chat and laugh their mornings away like we used to be able to. I would love to join the fun, drink my coffee and eat breakfast, and be a listening ear too. As much as our patients need us to give them great care, we need this time to bond too.

But I can feel the clock ticking and I have been at this long enough to spend every minute of the morning preparing for the storm of a day that is just beginning. Over the past year our workload has doubled and less nurses are doing more. Thats just how it is. No amount of complaining is going to change anything anytime soon. So I just had to figure out ways to condense my work and do more in less time so my patient care and documentation remains priority.

Right around ten a.m. my coworkers start scrambling and the stress level goes up all day because they can never catch up. I always help where I can but with all the documentation, tasks and actual patient care, I have more than enough to keep me busy at a steady pace. I started doing all my charting standing up or in the patients room because if I go to the nurses station and sit down to do it, I get asked for help and then I get behind on charting that I am ultimately responsible for at the end of the day. I have to mentally remind myself not to get sucked into the drama of it all. Every evening I think, - wonder if tomorrow morning everyone will prepare better so it is an easier day on us all.

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No what rubbed me the wrong way were 2 things the OP said "Do people take your efficiency as you're lazy. Lol. I'm too good at this, tho" and "Any way, I often am seen sitting around"I don't think that could be taken more than 1 way
Ok, good point. I wasn't paying attention to that part of the post. It was the title "is your efficiency misinterpreted as lazy?" that caught my eye.
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