Advice Please!!!

Published

Situation:

I am working nights at a small-medium size Hosp. I was hired in March as an LPN (17yrs) and told I would be working on a telemetry unit as soon as I graduated from RN school but that I would be placed on Med/Tele unit until that occurred. I graduated May 4th took NCLEX June 28th rec'd my License June 29th and it is now August 13 I am still on the med/tele unit with an average pt load of 7 but last month I had 8 pt's every weekend with usually 1-2 admits a night. I hate working like this 7 pts are difficult enough if someone goes bad and the acuity of these pt's is usually extremely high. My charge nurse came to me last night and told me I would be getting an admission, which would make me the new girl with a load of 8 (AGAIN)! While everyone else still had 7. I balked, and told her my pt's had too high of an acuity for me to take on another pt. She got angry and told me she would give the admit to someone else, which was fine by me.

Background:

I am routinely assigned the heaviest care group, while I am running from one end of the hall to the next hanging blood,piggybacks, and dealing with confused and disoriented pt's the Charge nurse and other 2 nurses are sitting at the desk chatting, laughing, or surfing the internet. when I ask for a little help they look at me like I have lost my mind and then just continue whatever method of entertainment they are engaging in as if I haven't said a word. A couple weekends back I had a pt that started desatting with her HR staying in the 170's. To make a long story short, I basically was doing 1-1 nursing for this pt starting a Cardizem drip; inserting an OG tube etc.,Meanwhile, I had a pt receiving blood down the hall. I finally managed to break free to check on the pt receiving blood and found the blood complete and the pump turned off with the blood tubing still attached to the pt's picc-line. I flushed it off removed the blood and went to the desk to ask who had done this, of course no one did. Not at anytime does anyone offer to help out and when I ask for a hand I just get blank stares.

Question:

Can I be written up for failing to accept that 8th pt? Would this be considered a hostile environment?

I also forgot to mention that the charge nurse wouldn't speak to me for the remainder of the night I guess because I refuse to continue to allow myself to be walked all over and taken advantage of. Should I just swallow getting dumped on and accept my fate as the new kid on the block or do I have a right to draw the line? Please help me!!! Things have gotten so bad that I went on 2 interviews last week and am even considering taking a pay cut to get out of this situation.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Trauma ICU, MICU/SICU.

You're hanging cardizem gtts with 7-8 patients!!??!!

That is extremely unsafe. I would RUN not walk from this place. BTW, your co-workers sound like jacka**es.

Next time you ask for help and they ignore you, quietly call the supervisor for assistance. When she asks you why you called her tell her the other nurses were too busy surfing the internet to help you.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in cardiac/critical care/ informatics.
Can I be written up for failing to accept that 8th pt? Would this be considered a hostile environment?

I also forgot to mention that the charge nurse wouldn't speak to me for the remainder of the night I guess because I refuse to continue to allow myself to be walked all over and taken advantage of. Should I just swallow getting dumped on and accept my fate as the new kid on the block or do I have a right to draw the line? Please help me!!! Things have gotten so bad that I went on 2 interviews last week and am even considering taking a pay cut to get out of this situation.

Well if they try to write you up for not taking the patient, you refused for patient safety and state that. You really can't be written up if you refuse on valid reason. which you did.

No don't allow them to dump on you, it would only get worse.

I would most definetly try to get out of there!

Can you go up the chain of command, and find out why you haven't been transferred as offered? Good Luck and (((((HUGS)))))

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Trauma ICU, MICU/SICU.
Can I be written up for failing to accept that 8th pt? Would this be considered a hostile environment?

Yes, they could write you up, but YOU could contact BON & DOH and report unsafe conditions. It is your right and obligation to refuse an unsafe pt. load.

Yes, you are working in an extremely hostile work environment.

BTW, does the charge nurse have an assignment?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Yes she usually takes 6 so she can be available to help out?! and sometimes she does help but not very often. Please don't get me wrong I don't dislike them I am just tired of being dumped on I have had enough. I also treasure my license it was very hard to come by and would much prefer to work with people who think I am on their team.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion