Angry Nurse

Nurses Relations

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Jenny P

1,164 Posts

Specializes in CV-ICU.

Youda, your last posting is exactly what I have said in other discussions on this site: if it's an impossible assignment; don't accept it! It IS your LICENSE you are risking; why put yourself at risk like that? Your Board of Nursingwas quite blunt. I have found that if you do not accept impossible assignments, you get administrations' attention, and although they may not be happy with you, you will not lose your license.You may lose your job, but if so, think about it; do you really want to work in a place that puts your license on the line every time you work? And not only your license, it's also patients' lives that are at stake. I don't think it's worth it in my book. In the situation that started this topic, I don't remember if the assignment was bad to start with or impoosible, but the emergency that caused the slowdown of the pts. glass of water was a priority, and the manager should have supported the staff better. Let the family complain to the manager; but don't take it out on the staff that had their priorities in the right place.

wiskey

3 Posts

Hurray for saying the truth. If we as nurses start acknowledging there is a shortage problem then something might get done about it. If the women wanted a glass of water and the son was there, HE could have got the water. (Maybe he is neglecting his mother)? People we are not waitresses/waiters or supermen or superwomen. Next time tell the patient you are a complete idiot because no one has shown you how to turn on the taps, and all you know how to do is: save peoples lives, hold a hand PRN, talk to frightened or grieving family members, answer the phone, hand out an endless supply of meds, put up with Dr's egos, get WATER, change IV bags, do all the paperwork etc.

fergus51

6,620 Posts

Youda or JennyP,

I am just curious, are you able to accept assignments under protest? Here if say I show up for work and another nurse calls in sick and isn't replaced I am not allowed to refuse the assignment because it would be abandonning my patients and I could lose my liscence for that. I can accept it under protest (we fill out a form saying we think the conditions are unsafe and that management is aware) and I am not legally liable for anything that happens because of the lack of staff.

MissCheevusRN

12 Posts

Welcome to the world of NURSING SHORTAGE.

It's wonderful time. I use it as the "I don't need this crap" answer.

If your nurse manager can't figure out YOUR priorities when doing pt care...tell her to blow. There's always another job on the horizon.

Every once in awhile I get "talked to"...what do you exactly want me to respond with? You didn't check the pt. ratio? you didn't come kiss their butts?

MY priorities are...

1) the live saving of a pt.

2) the doctor's orders

3) patient comfort

4) the administration's fluff

In that order period

I wouldn't have said we were short staffed, but I would have drawn down the family member for implying a glass of water was more important than chest pain...EXCUSE ME?

Where would you like me to be when your mother codes????...Fetching ice?

To the nurse manager...sorry...doing my job. I'll try not to be so honest about YOUR inability to provide me with a decent workload.

And ALWAYS ALWAYS have a foot in another door

babs_rn

346 Posts

Originally posted by ccelia:

I think it is simply not worthed to be angry over an unreasonable person. Our energy should be treasured for people who appreciate.

Nor do I agree with the nurses in this forum who feel a waitress is a lower-ranked person who can be humiliated.

I don't think the general concensus means to imply that a waitress is lower and can be humiliated. I think what everyone is pointing out is the attitude of patients and others that a nurse is nothing more than a handmaid or a "glorified waitress". We have education and are charged with making life/death decisions on the spur of the moment. That should afford us some modicum of respect on a professional level, which is, admittedly, above the level of the responsibilites a waitress has. We are there to care for our patients, not cater to every whim, as a waitress is expected to do. Our jobs are more complicated and require extensive understanding and critical thinking skills. As I'm sure others in this forum have done, I waitressed my way through college. Don't misunderstand us when we use that analogy.

crna2be

10 Posts

This is a toughie. I think the best way to handle a situation like this if it comes up again is to be forthright. In this situation, you could have said "I'm sorry, I know you were waiting for this water, but I had an emergency with another patient as I was getting it."

I have mixed feelings about telling patients/families that you are short staffed. Some people will receive this well, and others still will receive it as you ignored them. Understand also that this family member may not have been upset about the water, but concerned or angry about his sick family member. Or, hey, he could just be an impatient jerk. I'm sorry you had to pay the price for being honest. Sometimes no matter what you say, people will react in bizarre ways.

OC_An Khe

1,018 Posts

Specializes in Critical Care,Recovery, ED.
Originally posted by fergus51:

Youda or JennyP,

I am just curious, are you able to accept assignments under protest? Here if say I show up for work and another nurse calls in sick and isn't replaced I am not allowed to refuse the assignment because it would be abandonning my patients and I could lose my liscence for that. I can accept it under protest (we fill out a form saying we think the conditions are unsafe and that management is aware) and I am not legally liable for anything that happens because of the lack of staff.

Have you checked with your state board of nursing to see how much legal cover your form gives you? This will vary from state to state, it may help you in a malpractise suit but I'm doubtful it willl obsolve you of all resposibilty for what happens. You did accept the assignmment by the way.

Just curious, what happens to and how are these forms reporting shortstaffing used?

Jenny P

1,164 Posts

Specializes in CV-ICU.

Sorry for not answering this sooner, Fergus 51, but life and work has been very busy and I missed this question til now. I work CV-ICU, nights, and am occasionally charge nurse for the unit (sorry, but the $1.00/hr more for charge just isn't enough!). I have refused to take charge unless we had more nurses, and it's amazing how the supervisor can come up with creative solutions in a pinch. In my state, we are not abandoning our patients UNLESS WE ACCEPT the assignment and then walk off. And if we accept the assignment, our license is on the line. Make a mistake, no matter if you are short staffed, overwhelmed, whatever, you can lose your license, plain and simple. I don't want to lose the one thing that gives me the priviledge to do the thing I love to do (which incidentally, pays the bills!).

I've had a night where my staff was not experienced enough to cover the severity of illnesses on the unit (1 other nurse besides me with more than 1 year as an RN, and a pt. on CRRT, 1 being pavulenized, and several with IABPs and multi-drip, vent-dependant problems). The supervisor allowed some more experienced evening nurses to stay and work a double for the next night off-- something admin. isn't allowing to do much anymore. I told her that if we didn't get the staff for these patients, they would die on my shift because of lack of experienced staff.

I've also had a night where some tele RN's came down and worked extra, I didn't give them a "real" patient assignment, but put them each in a 4 bed suite to help out and assist with rhythm and other problems for the very green night crew that night.

I've also had to point out that the patients used to die before they got this sick even 2 years ago (used this one this past weekend), and there is no way we can care for them with less nurses. I've even done a walking type of rounds with the supervisor and told her what was wrong with each patient and what experience that particular nurse has-- that really opened up THAT supervisors' eyes and I've had no problem with her since.

At the bedside, when things have gotten out of hand (say, 1 patient already doing poorly and the other one suddenly crumps), I definitely let my co-workers and charge nurse know that I'm overwhelmed and can't do it. I ask for help; and usually we work out some type of solution which gets us through the rest of the shift. The charge may take over doing labs and meds, someone else may pick up the more stable pt. for an hour while someone else watches that nurses' sleeping pt., whatever works. And you can be darn sure that we document "unsafe staffing" and "concern for practice" forms for our local bargaining unit.

The thing is that we all need to remember that we nurses are a team, and we are working to get the patient well. If my co-worker is running his/her butt off, I pitch in where and when I can and lend a hand. I expect the same in return from them, and am trying to teach the "newbies" on the unit the same idea. I feel if we all work together on the problems we have at work, it does improve the staff moral and the patients' outcomes. And there is less anger, frustration, and backbiting when we function as a team.

Teshiee

712 Posts

I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE HYPOCRISY! IF PATIENTS KNEW THEY WERE GOING TO A HOSPITAL WITH POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS STAFFING SHORTAGES AND THEY DECIDED TO TAKE THEIR BUSINESS ELSEWHERE DON'T YOU THINK THAT COULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON ADMINISTRATION GETTING OFF THEIR ASS AND MAKING PATIENT CARE SAFER W/LESS LAW SUITS. WHY FAKE THE FUNK! IF THE PATIENT DOESN'T SEE ANY DEFICITS BECAUSE WE ARE SUGAR COATING REALITY THEN THE POWERS THAT BE WILL ONLY KEEP THE SITUATION HOW IT IS! I SAY TELL IT LIKE IT IS. OBVIOUSLY YOUR MANAGER CAN'T DO A DAMN THING BUT COMPLAIN TO THE ADMINISTRATORS. THAT IS WHY PATIENTS SHOULD FEEL OUT THOSE SURVEYS WE HAVE TO GIVE THEM AND TELL THEM IF YOU SEE PROBLEMS SUCH AS SHORT STAFF LET IT BE KNOWN. I AM SICK OF US BEING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BULL**** BUT WE ARE EXPECTED TO BE THE SCAPE GOAT. NOT! HANDLE THE BUSINESS AT HAND.

Chuckie

168 Posts

We

betts

667 Posts

NURSE'S RESPONSE

What Do We See?

What do we see, you ask, what do we see?

Yes, we are thinking when looking at thee!

We may seem to be hard when we hurry and fuss,

but there's many of you, and too few of us.

We would like far more time to sit by you and talk,

to bath you and feed you and help you to walk.

To hear of your lives and the things you have done;

your childhood, your husband, your daughter, your son.

But time is against us, there's too much to do -

patients too many, and nurses too few.

We grieve when we see you so sad and alone,

with nobody near you, no friends of your own.

We feel all your pain, and know of your fear,

that nobody cares now your end is so near.

But nurses are people with feelings as well,

and when we're together you'll often hear tell;

of the dearest old Gran in the very end bed,

and the lovely old Dad, and the things that he said.

We speak with compassion and love, and feel sad,

when we think of your lives and the joy that you've had.

When the time has arrived for you to depart,

you leave us behind with an ache in our heart.

When you sleep the long sleep, no more worry or care,

there are others that need us, and we must be there.

So please understand if we hurry and fuss -

There are many of you, and too few of us.

A Nurse

montroyal

89 Posts

What ever happened to being pt. advocates. This will probably sound silly, but lets forget about our( the nurses) view and think of it from the patients view. The hospitals want to think of the patients as customers. they are purchasing a service from the hospital. If you are running short staffed, then the hospital is not providing the service for which the patient is paying them. As pt advocates, are we not responsible for informing the patient that the hospital is charging them for services they are not providing? If the hospitals policy is to never let the patients know about this charging for services which they know they cannot provide, isn't this theft? Everyone is short staffed today, but why the coverup? What other customer service field would this behavior be acceptable in? To all of you that say, this isn't the patients problem, its the hospitals, what are you thinking of. Thats a thought process driven by business and the almighty buck, not by caring about the patient. When was the last time any of us saw a hospital cut a patients bill for services not rendered due to short staffing?

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