Dangerous nurses

Ellean55 · May 24, 2009

My colleagues say I worry too much - but to me its far better to worry than to be careless. I am very particular when it comes to patient care. At times I have left the **** an 30 minutes after everyone else. This is just because I want to make sure that I have done everything I should have. I dont know it seems the examples people have given - it appears that these colleagues they describe are willfully dangerous and incompetent. If I had to work with a colleage who I felt was underperforming I would suggest several things:-

* Clinical supervision

* Further training - (in drug administraiton/ brush up on Anatomy & physiology.

* Time management etc.

Sometimes these things can help.

Where practitioners are seriously and dangerously and willfully incompetent - its time to call the nursing board - forget about whether they are friends with the manager or their sons or daughter go to Harvard etc - PATIENT SAFETY is too important.

lamazeteacher · May 24, 2009

Ellean55:

I'd like YOU to be my nurse!

You're upward bound, for sure. Your head is on straight!

As far as staying 30 min. over, to edit your work is concerned, watch out for the less than average managers who rely on time in and out to evaluate performance. Years ago staying late to finish was an attribute. These days it may not be.....

aloevera · May 24, 2009

I understand that in our line of work we must be more careful than in other fields......

BUT....nursing is like any other business, you will find diligent people who care about their work, and take pride in what they do AND you will find those that are just there to do as least as possible and collect a paycheck....

I have seen this in my husband's business and in nursing.....so sad but true...

I can say 1/2 the nurses at my hospital fall in to this category....

Ellean55 · May 24, 2009

I am particular about my work because it took me three long, hard years to get my registration. I dont intend to lose it for anyone.

carolina4 · May 24, 2009

My very last clinical during my preceptorship in the STICU I watched a nurse top all of the unsafe actions I've seen before. She piggybacked FENTANYL instead of the ABX over 15 min. which meant that the patient received 2500 mcg in 15 minutes. Clever. Good thing she was intubated.

chenoaspirit, ASN, RN · May 24, 2009

Once had a student nurse unplug a vent to plug in an IV pump and not realize it. Pt died. Massive lawsuit ensued.
To this day I still wonder how someone would even consider unplugging anything in an ICU! I'm glad I don't work in that particular hospital anymore.

:eek: omg. Was she allowed to continue in nursing school? Imagine how she felt!

blueshoe · May 24, 2009

blueshoe..........I feel for you and your relative....Would she possibly consider moving into the Administrative aspect of nursing? Or a supervisory position?
These would benefit her greatly by her being able to keep her paycheck (with a possible boost) , using her knowledge and experience and getting away from direct patient care.....Is this something that you could talk to her about?
You seem very concerned and I wish you well.........

I will see her this evening and will certainly ask/suggest that as a possibility, perhaps even temporarily until things are more stable otherwise. The patient interaction has always been an important part of the job, but we could find other ways to do something similar (ie: volunteer work) that would be fulfilling and yet not risky to patient or employment.

This forum has been such a blessing in working through possible options. Many thanks!

RN1982 · May 24, 2009

I find that story about the student unplugging the vent a bit unbelieveable. That patient must have been very unstable to die instantaneously when the vent was unplugged. Don't most vents have battery back ups in case of a power outage? I just find that story hard to believe. Sorry.

chenoaspirit, ASN, RN · May 24, 2009

I agree that DKA is dangerous, but I would rather have an ACUTE hyperglycemia rather than hypoglycemia. The brain can not function without glucose and if it isnt caught early enough, they can die. I think thats what "lovehospital" was referring to. I would question giving short-acting insulin on a patient whose BS was 60. Now I may give it after I question it if I find out how brittle the patient is, but I would definitely question it. Its rare to give insulin for a bs that low. Its the questioning/investigating that is important. I would never blindly do what a doc order says or what a pharmacist says. I rely on my critical thinking as well.

RN1982 · May 24, 2009

I took care of a brittle diabetic when I had just graduated from nursing school. My eyes about popped out of my head when I read her sliding scale. 2 units of Aspart for a blood glucose of 60-99.

lamazeteacher · May 24, 2009

I understand that in our line of work we must be more careful than in other fields......
BUT....nursing is like any other business, you will find diligent people who care about their work, and take pride in what they do AND you will find those that are just there to do as least as possible and collect a paycheck....
I have seen this in my husband's business and in nursing.....so sad but true...
I can say 1/2 the nurses at my hospital fall in to this category....

Whatever happened to nursing, the PROFESSION? I suspect it's been dumped into the bottom line ($$$) thinking of business. :cry:

lamazeteacher · May 24, 2009

I took care of a brittle diabetic when I had just graduated from nursing school. My eyes about popped out of my head when I read her sliding scale. 2 units of Aspart for a blood glucose of 60-99.

Not being familiar with Aspart (only aspartane), does that mean that doctors are "dangerous" too? What a shock!

(to be taken as a sardonic comment)