Stop Holding Me Up!

[NrsheartTS]

My Shift Starts At 7am And The 11-7 Nurses Is Still On My Cart Sometimes Until 8 Am. Well Insulin Is Due At 7:30 Am And I Cant Give It To My Residents When I Havent Even Got Report Or The Keys To The Cart. This Is Frustrating Because The Don Has Complained About Insulin Not Being Given On Time. Well How Am Im Suppposed To Give It When The Other Nurse Is Still On The Cart Doing 6:30 Accuchecks At 8am?! This Is Frustrating And Im Tired Of Being Held Up Every Time I Work Behind This Specific Nurse Does Anybody Else Have This Problem?

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

First, allow me to make a comment (I am not trying to be sarcastic). When you type each new word with a capital letter, it is very confusing to read.

I would begin by speaking to this nurse and maybe telling her that you would like to help complete the AccuChecks and maybe administer the coverage if necessary. If this doesn't help, then, speak to the charge nurse. It is inconsiderate, and why should you be blamed for something that another nurse is doing? They may blame the both of you if the work is not completed on time.

[caliotter3]

My problem was being relieved late by the same nurse consistently. She was always late with the same excuse. Nobody would do anything about it. You need to talk to this person first. Ask her to please start 15 minutes earlier or devise some way where you can follow behind her with your work and she can give you report as both of you go with the cart. Perhaps you could have an empty binder and remove the block of pages that she has already finished with, and you can then start. But really, this is enabling her to continue to be late. There is no reason for night shift to take so long just to do the accuchecks. On night shift, we had to do the accuchecks and give the insulins. We managed it. She could too if she moved along faster. Maybe she wastes time. You can try to make some suggestions to her, but emphasize that you can't be waiting all the time and if she can not get up to speed, then you will speak to the manager. Then do it.

[NrsheartTS]

First, allow me to make a comment (I am not trying to be sarcastic). When you type each new word with a capital letter, it is very confusing to read.

I would begin by speaking to this nurse and maybe telling her that you would like to help complete the AccuChecks and maybe administer the coverage if necessary. If this doesn't help, then, speak to the charge nurse. It is inconsiderate, and why should you be blamed for something that another nurse is doing? They may blame the both of you if the work is not completed on time.

A few other nurses have taken this issue to the DON and suggested that if the nurse is still on the cart at 8 AM then she should either give the 730 insulins or let us share the cart like you have suggested. I have acutally gotten attitude from the nurse because she doesnt want anybody near her cart until SHE is done with it. The DON stated that we need to use TEAMWORK but that is hard to do when someone is refusing your help. I just dont want anything bad to happen because of the late insulins. So i will bring up the issue again. Thanks

[paulla29]

We have the same problem at our facility. Management is currently trying to change med times, and 3rd shift nursing duties so they have more time in the AM to get their med passes done.

I would not let anyone else "share" my cart either. My name is on the narcotic shift log as being responsible for everything there while I have the keys. If, god forbid, a narc came up missing, guess who's backside they'd be after?

[caliotter3]

She's the one with the time management problem, making the oncoming shift late, and she is showing an attitude when it is suggested that the cart be shared? My, my. She is lucky if no one has not criticized her performance and her attitude in writing already. She should be thankful that supervisors have been willing to work around her slowness. (I'm slow myself so I can relate to the problem). You have every right to bring up the subject again and to speak about the attitude problem.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

First, allow me to make a comment (I am not trying to be sarcastic). When you type each new word with a capital letter, it is very confusing to read.

While it may be very annoying to read posts that have the first letter of every single word capitalized, it is not always the fault of the person who made the post. Some computer word processing systems automatically capitalize the first letter of every new word (for whatever reason).

To the OP: I feel your pain. My shifts start at 6am, and the night nurse is often still occupying the med cart until 7am when morning fingersticks are due at 6:30am.

[LPN4U]

I too understand your frustration. My question is if the 11-7 shift has 630 insulin checks why do you have 730 checks. All the facilities I've worked in have insulin checks on 0630, 1130, 1630 and 2000. Not understanding why this people have to be stuck twice in the morning.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I too understand your frustration. My question is if the 11-7 shift has 630 insulin checks why do you have 730 checks. All the facilities I've worked in have insulin checks on 0630, 1130, 1630 and 2000. Not understanding why this people have to be stuck twice in the morning.

People don't get stuck twice in the morning.

At many facilities, the 11-7am shift obtains the 0630 fingersticks while the 7-3pm shift administers the 0630 insulin dosage at 0730, immediately before breakfast. If breakfast is not being served until 0730 or 0745, residents could have dangerous hypoglycemic episodes if they receive their morning insulin at 0630 (a full hour before receiving their meal).

[NC Girl BSN]

Tiny LPN. I have occasional worked 7-3 and this has happened. What I do is grab the Treatment book. Sign as much that is legal at the time ie. pressure relief mattress, mats on floor etc and flag all treatments that need to be done. I then write down all the people who need vital signs and pulses taken for the first med pass. Then I go do them. Once that is done she is usually ready. Then when I get ready to pass meds, I don't have to stop and take Mrs. X B/P and Pulse before I give her Topol or Synthyoid. It does save time and I find that I'm no later than usual. Hope this helps.

[NrsheartTS]

I too understand your frustration. My question is if the 11-7 shift has 630 insulin checks why do you have 730 checks. All the facilities I've worked in have insulin checks on 0630, 1130, 1630 and 2000. Not understanding why this people have to be stuck twice in the morning.

Sorry for the misunderstanding what i meant was that there are 6:30 accuchecks that the 11-7 nurse takes, then 7-3 has to give 7:30 insulin

[NrsheartTS]

Tiny LPN. I have occasional worked 7-3 and this has happened. What I do is grab the Treatment book. Sign as much that is legal at the time ie. pressure relief mattress, mats on floor etc and flag all treatments that need to be done. I then write down all the people who need vital signs and pulses taken for the first med pass. Then I go do them. Once that is done she is usually ready. Then when I get ready to pass meds, I don't have to stop and take Mrs. X B/P and Pulse before I give her Topol or Synthyoid. It does save time and I find that I'm no later than usual. Hope this helps.

I have tried that and it does help out alot, i work on a unit where alot of my patients have to be at physical therapy at 8 AM and I would like to make sure they have thier meds before they go. Thats why im making a big fuss about it