I have previously posted on a co-worker in my new assignment - she left one night (she had 2 patients, so did I) and when I discovered she had gone home without saying a word to me, I called our supervisor who called her and made her come back to work -can you spell ABANDONMENT. She frequently took on the clock lunch times (one was 5 hours to SHOP), and I have a pic of her longest sleep (midnight to 6 a.m.). Long story short, I went to the unit supervisor (over my direct supervisor who NEVER wrote her up but hid her antics) who promised changes.... well, the changes were that we went from an 8 bed unit to a 4 bed unit -- the staffing problem was fixed by "floating" one RN to her unit of choice where she is to PRN... the other RN is now 4 to one.
Memorial Day (night shift) was the second night in a row I was in the unit with four (actually 6) patients without a TECH, a SECRETARY, anyone who could help me in a bind.
I started out with two patients (one the grandfather of a PA in the ER) and another young woman who became painfree, negative enzymes, negative EKG, and so she signed out AMA. I must have been drawn to the phone by the PA with "orders" at least 20 times to get his grandfather out of our unit and upstairs (I concur with the transfer - the man's problem was entirely pulmonary - he is a COPDer) then, I got two peas-in-a-pod women from our other facility (honestly, they arrived within 10 minutes of each other).... I finally got a central staff unit clerk to come down to do my admit paperworks- I REFUSE TO DO OR TO LEARN UNIT CLERK WORK.
Then the ER wanted to send a prisoner with guard. I refused because while all this other stuff was going on, the cleaning crew decided to tape down the middle of the unit, move all the furniture which made the aisle to the rooms less than 24 inches wide... the rooms themselves are only wide enough to hold a stretcher and an EKG machine - so there was no room for a guard..... suddenly this prisoner (assault/DUI) was dismissed by the police department so no guard was necessary (HONEST TO GOD, I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP)...now I have 4 rooms filled - the cleaning man wants to run the electric stripper and I say NO WAY - my patients need to sleep.. his supervisor appears to argue but I win - he manually strips the wax and rewaxes (SMELLS!!)..... now the ER charge comes over and rolls out the PA's granddad to admit through the ER to a tele floor... so I have an empty room.... the house supervisor comes to see "how things are going"... the ER Charge is sarcastic and nasty.
The fourth patient came at 0730. I applied the next day for a different position and was hired immediately.... I gave two weeks notice but the supervisor said to me, I transferred you immediately ... no notice necessary.
Am I the only person who thinks that I should not have had 4 patients by myself --- it is UNSAFE, UNSAFE, UNSAFE... now, the code cart is in a locked room - at the front of the unit... should I do the code button and then run like heck to get the code cart?
I am looking forward to my new position.... the aforementioned RN remains in the unit I just left.
