Everything is our responsibility. Rant.

Nurses Relations

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Why do I have to call lab to remind them of timed blood draws being drawn, well, on time?

Why do I have to call dietary to make sure the ordered supplements are on the tray?

Why do I have to call pharmacy to refill the Pyxis?

Why do I have to call supply to tell them that they smooshed two types of IVF together in the supply Pyxis and they need to sort it out?

A STAT imaging call to radiology is our job, but why do I have to follow up 30 minutes later?

Even if I'm busy, I have to check orders every 30 minutes because STAT orders are put in without a courtesy call to the nurse!

I wish, as an orientation exercise, every department of the healthcare team was required to shadow a nurse for a day. I think many eyes would be opened.

Nurse's work is very necessary and vital but not generally very valued by employers or sometimes by other providers. As I see it, and in my experience, employers and (sometimes) other providers (note I said "sometimes other providers") who can bill independently for their services, have a vested interest in trying to secure their positions as close to the top of the totem pole as possible, making sure nurses who provide direct patient care as employees stay in their place; overworked, harassed, with poor working conditions and little job security. There is an oversupply of nurses. It is cheaper for employers to have nurses do part of other disciplines jobs, and why not hold nurses accountable at the same time? More opportunities to discipline or fire. The majority of nurses are women; women are generally easier to intimidate, manipulate and bully than men. It comes down to money, control, and power.

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Specializes in neuro/ortho med surge 4.

Your post is exactly why I am desperately trying to get out of hospital nursing. The stress is not worth it and having to chase other departments around to do their jobs is so aggravating. I don't even have time to do my job but I have to make sure everyone else is doing theirs. I dread every day I have to go to work because of the BS. Last evening I had a lady who said her cane was damaged sometime during her transport to CT and back to her room. She was going to be d/ced that evening but could not go home without a cane. Guess who had to deal with that? We could have just given her a cane from the hospital but of course we did not have any. So, I had to get the case manager and the nursing supervisor involved. This only took up about an hour all together of my shift. Then my other patient had rapid a-fib and the MD wanted a stat diltiazem drip hung. Of course the MD did not put in the order or the IV push of diltiazem that I knew nothing about. The md ordered this at around 5 pm and by the time all of the confusion was cleared up it did not get hung until 18:45. Then to make matters worse I could not scan the diltiazem correctly because of the pharmacy not putting on the label correctly. Guess who had to deal with that? I put two calls out to pharmacy reporting the med would not scan. I was told to try it again and then to override it. Of course they did nothing about it. I had a really crappy shift once again due to things that were out of my control for the most part and yet they were my responsibility. I would never suggest to anyone to become a nurse because of this BS. These types of things happen all of the time. Sorry just had to vent.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.

Sistasoul, do not apologize for sharing your story, m'dear. We can alllll relate. :)

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What bugs me is when the kitchen calls to say we'll have to come pick up the meal tray carts ourselves because they're short staffed today.

Never mind that we're short a CNA. Never mind that this leaves one CNA and one LPN on a floor with 49 patients on the 3-11 shift while the aide makes two trips across two buildings to pick up two carts of trays.

It's the double standard that kills me. It's not like we can say "Nobody's getting a bath today, cause we're short."

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And I've called maintenance to ask them to change a ceiling light bulb in the resident's room and I swear to God he replied "The bulbs and the ladder are in the supply closet."

I should have replied "Sure. And as long as we're doing each other's job you can straight cath the guy in 247."

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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.

My friend is sitting over on the couch saying, "Baby, put the iPad down and calm down! You're off today, you're not at work! It's ok!" I guess I was really laying it on thick as I read these posts. PTSD!

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As would nurse's eyes be opened if they had to shadow in other departments/specialties as well...

Yeah, but probably not opened the way you think....

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.
And I've called maintenance to ask them to change a ceiling light bulb in the resident's room and I swear to God he replied "The bulbs and the ladder are in the supply closet."

I should have replied "Sure. And as long as we're doing each other's job you can straight cath the guy in 247."

Another one that made me laugh out loud!

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It's as if nurses are the only ones with accountability. If labs weren't drawn, the doctors don't call lab. They call us. Call respiratory for a stat treatment and they'll "try to get someone up there" because its shift change. Never mind the fact that its shift change for us too. CNAs are on lunch break when it's time for lunch accuchecks. Never mind the fact that this is their second break of the day and none of the nurses have had any. Then the secretary has to step away and gets the charge nurse to cover the call light and phone. And then the charge nurses has to go count narcs with the pharmacy tech, leaving me to answer the call light and phone. Then the call light rings, both CNAs are at lunch and I'm the only nurse in sight. So who goes to patient?

Needless to say, I can relate.

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And if WE complain, we aren't team players. But how dare we ask anyone to be a "team player" and actually do THEIR OWN JOB.

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Specializes in Pain, critical care, administration, med.

As nurses we are everyone's keeper. Not fair but reality. In our facility the one thing that irritates me the most is that the lab enjoys taking pictures of lab specimens and writing up nursing for no initials on the lab label. Really!!!!! If you have enough time for this then why don't you come and do the lab draws! Oops I forgot that's a nursing responsibility too!

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Specializes in ICU, BURNS, TRAUMA, TRANSPORT, HH.

I haven't read all the posts.

The nurse is trained to provide professional oversight for the patient relative to medical orders, nutrition, labs, tests, therapies, etc. If the ordered treatments, meds, tests, etc are not completed it is the responsibility of the RN, who is managing that care during the shift and coordinating it with the other professional staff across the spectrum.

We are the only discipline trained for exactly this responsibility.

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