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.

Specializes in labor & delivery.

For all these reasons, and more, I left bedside nursing after only 3 years as a nurse. Dudette, I wish you an awesome vacation to recharge!

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Specializes in ICU, BURNS, TRAUMA, TRANSPORT, HH.
I understand what you are saying but the nurses are the ones that are questioned about why these tasks are not done. Some of these stat orders as we all know are critical and need to be done within a certain time frame. As nurses we care about our patients well being so we have to get after the other departments to pull their own weight and to perform their duties. As nurses we are expected to respond to emergencies and stat orders and to drop every thing else. The other departments should be held to the same standards and I don't need to be wasting my time calling them 3 and 4 times when I have very sick patients that need my attention. We can coordinate all we want but the other departments need to step to it in stat situations.

The fact that you may be questioned about it does not make you responsible or accountable for the actions or inactions of others.

Don't waste your time. Make the other disciplines responsible. Document your correct patient centered process and write incident reports when other departments do not meet their obligation to the plan of care. If your hospital is more collaborative than that, discover which committee discusses this type of issue and get involved. If there is no group addressing that, ask if there could be one.

The bottom line is that nurses have greater accountability and responsibility in the overall care of the patient than any other professional or discipline in the hospital. The patients are there specifically for acute nursing care.

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Don't waste your time. Make the other disciplines responsible. Document your correct patient centered process and write incident reports when other departments do not meet their obligation to the plan of care.

Unfortunately documentation doesn't get the job done. And sometimes, the patient really needs that work done. So it's all well and good to document and write incident reports. But that doesn't get the patient what they need. I might cover my butt legally with that when the work doesn't get done. My conscience will still bother me though when the patient dies or gets worse because I'd rather document than get on the phone and harass people until they do their jobs.

What has worked for me? Tell them fine, I'm not doing their job for them, and tell them exactly what will happen when they don't do it. For example, formula person wouldn't bring formula for my patient. I said, "Fine, well then I guess the baby won't get to eat until tomorrow. Would you like me to transfer this call into the room so YOU can tell the parents that?" Got my formula.

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Specializes in Transitional Nursing.
Unfortunately documentation doesn't get the job done. And sometimes, the patient really needs that work done. So it's all well and good to document and write incident reports. But that doesn't get the patient what they need. I might cover my butt legally with that when the work doesn't get done. My conscience will still bother me though when the patient dies or gets worse because I'd rather document than get on the phone and harass people until they do their jobs.

What has worked for me? Tell them fine, I'm not doing their job for them, and tell them exactly what will happen when they don't do it. For example, formula person wouldn't bring formula for my patient. I said, "Fine, well then I guess the baby won't get to eat until tomorrow. Would you like me to transfer this call into the room so YOU can tell the parents that?" Got my formula.

I wish I could like this ten times!!!

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

I wish I could like this ten times!!!

^THIS....

Sometimes we do what we have to do; may not be pretty, but effective. :yes:

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Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.

Totally agree. Even our hospitalists get tired of Lab, CT, MRI, U/S, asking if the tests really have to be done nooowwww (said in whiney tones). I love it when lab wants to use old blood for troponins! If I want them in sets of threes, I want them in sets of three! Just draw the blasted things!:banghead:

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Specializes in neuro/ortho med surge 4.
Totally agree. Even our hospitalists get tired of Lab, CT, MRI, U/S, asking if the tests really have to be done nooowwww (said in whiney tones). I love it when lab wants to use old blood for troponins! If I want them in sets of threes, I want them in sets of three! Just draw the blasted things!:banghead:

What I don't understand is how can they even ask this? If it was just once every so often I could rationalize it to where they had a busy day but it is all of the time. I would love to say please stop wasting your time, my time and the MDs time and just do the darn procedure.

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I'm used to "dancing" with lab, radiology, etc...but for a few months, we were having horrible problems with housekeeping. Anytime we called them to clean a room, they were furious for one reason or another.

ME: Hi, will you please come clean room 207B? A new admission will be arriving from ER in about one hour.

HOUSEKEEPING: How come you don't call John to do it?

ME: OK, what number should I dial to reach John?

HOUSEKEEPING: John went home one hour ago, at 07:00.

ME: Oh! That won't work, then. We need the room cleaned tonight. Will you be able to do it?

HOUSEKEEPING: I'm busy. I don't have time to do everything. The other shift doesn't do anything. I know that patient went home at 06:45. How come you didn't call John to do it?

ME: I apologize. I'm not always able to call immediately. Sometimes I have to take care of something for a patient before I can get to the phone. I also didn't start work until 07:00 this evening. The patient was already gone when I got here, and I guess John was probably on his way out the door, too.

HOUSEKEEPING: Well, I'm too busy. John is supposed to do it.

ME: OK. May I please have your name so I can let the director know who I spoke with?

HOUSEKEEPING: click

Housekeeping changes shifts twice in the 12 hours that I work, so I was going through this constantly. I finally spoke with their manager and told him I didn't have time to mediate housekeeping shift wars. Luckily, he was reasonable, easy to work with, and the problems seem to have ceased...for now!

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Role stress was a huge factor in my decision to leave the bedside. It does seem like the bedside nurse is All Things To All People.

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Speaking of housekeeping, does anyone know why they can't just put on a pair of gloves and clean up the darn poop/blood/vomit on the floor??

Its so stupid that the aide has to clean every trace of bodily fluid before housekeeping will even think of cleaning the room. I know for a fact that the handling of potential biohazards is part of their basic training. So what's the big deal? Cleaning rooms and stuff is kind of, like, the whole point of the or job, no?

It seems to me that if one accepted the job as a custodian in a hospital, it should have occurred to him/her that maybe, just maybe, they might have to one day come into contact with a little bit of poo or blood...

I've had had a housekeeper go to great lengths to find me so I could wipe down a quarter-sized drop of dried blood we missed on the bed rails so she could "finish cleaning the room." Really??

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Specializes in LTC, med/surg, hospice.
Speaking of housekeeping, does anyone know why they can't just put on a pair of gloves and clean up the darn poop/blood/vomit on the floor??

Its so stupid that the aide has to clean every trace of bodily fluid before housekeeping will even think of cleaning the room. I know for a fact that the handling of potential biohazards is part of their basic training. So what's the big deal? Cleaning rooms and stuff is kind of, like, the whole point of the or job, no?

It seems to me that if one accepted the job as a custodian in a hospital, it should have occurred to him/her that maybe, just maybe, they might have to one day come into contact with a little bit of poo or blood...

I've had had a housekeeper go to great lengths to find me so I could wipe down a quarter-sized drop of dried blood we missed on the bed rails so she could "finish cleaning the room." Really??

It was some sort of policy where I worked though I never read it. Nursing would clean up the bulk of whatever it was and housekeeping basically just sanitized the floor or wall.

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Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.
Speaking of housekeeping, does anyone know why they can't just put on a pair of gloves and clean up the darn poop/blood/vomit on the floor??

Its so stupid that the aide has to clean every trace of bodily fluid before housekeeping will even think of cleaning the room. I know for a fact that the handling of potential biohazards is part of their basic training. So what's the big deal? Cleaning rooms and stuff is kind of, like, the whole point of the or job, no?

It seems to me that if one accepted the job as a custodian in a hospital, it should have occurred to him/her that maybe, just maybe, they might have to one day come into contact with a little bit of poo or blood...

I've had had a housekeeper go to great lengths to find me so I could wipe down a quarter-sized drop of dried blood we missed on the bed rails so she could "finish cleaning the room." Really??

I just had this discussion the other night at work. I completely agree with you. They use the same precautions we do. Gloves. Granted I would never leave a lake of pee or blood on the floor. I will clean the majority and then housekeeping can take it from there.

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