Advice

I am a new nurse, and on a whole the techs are great on my floor. That being said there is one tech that is driving me crazy. He smokes, and disappears frequently to go outside. When I need to give meds his vitals are not available and he is no where to be found. When I need to give insulin his DFS are not done. I have to hunt him down, and beg him to do his job so I can do mine, and it throws me off all night.

I have gone from very friendly to getting increasingly more stern with him. It will not be very long before I have to outright tell him "Hey this is what I need you to do in order for me to do my job correctly. If you can't do it then I will have to explain to the charge how my meds, and insulin are late because your vitals, and DFS's were late. "

Are you working as a nurse on the same floor where you worked as a tech? If so, they may still think of you in that "tech" role. If they won't listen to your legitimate complaints, then you honestly may have to move up the chain of command. We have a tech on our floor who was getting lazier and lazier, and finally as a group all the nurses on our shift went to the floor manager and complained. It's finally gotten a LITTLE bit better.

Make a written list of what you need done. Yes, it will take you an extra minute or two. Make a copy for yourself. Give one to the tech so there is no misunderstanding of what needs to be done. Tell the tech that you fully expect these tasks to be done when they are supposed to be done. If they are not done, ask the the tech to sign his copy, and give it to your manager.

If the tech won't sign, give your copy to the manager. Write a short note that this was what you expected, and only "X" was done. After a few shifts, thngs will hopefully change.

Take time with your preceptor to role play how to handle the situation. Practice how to handle the techs. Your preceptor should be willing to help you with this.

yeah--sounds like you need to be bringing the manager into this.....stat......that is their job...and if you get no where maybe think about trying another unit where you havn't worked as a tech. Good luck. And if it makes you feel better I didn't work as a tech and when I worked medical at the hospital I got an attitude often from the techs. Yes nurses are capable of doing the tasks techs do--the problem is the techs can't do the nurses job! That's what I found they don't get. I got so sick of hearing "what because you are a nurse you can't change linens or toilet someone!?" ummmm.....yes we can but who is passsing my meds or suctioning my fresh trach every freakin 30 min while I'm doing the techs job?! lol So don't feel bad I think the issue is universal.

This is something that I fear being a brand new nurse. I just got my liense last friday and I have an interview tom at a hospital 30 mins from my house. I worked as a CNA for a yr ann then moved up to CMA in a nursing home for the last two yrs. I found during clinicals that this was a problem with the techs, and I am not looking forward to having to deal with this in my career. I myself never questioned the nurse when I was asked to do something and never hesitated to help the nurse do something if it was allowed. I noticed thought that it was either the tech's that were young or the ones that have been doing it longer then I've been alive. LOL I hope that this get s better for you and I look forward to absorbing as much information that is possible through experienced nurses!! good luck to ya!!!

I did not work on this unit or at this hospital as a tech. The techs here are just used to not having any repurcussions for not doing any work. I found 2 of them last weekend on the night shift in an empty patient room , one laying on the bed the other in a chair watching tv and texting. I had been looking for them most of the night. The charge nurse said "yeah those tow are always a problem" but why doesnt anyone DO anything?

They dont listen to me OR the experienced nurses, but they listen to me even less. They give such an attitude. Not doing any work seems the norm for them here. There are a couple of great techs, the rest might as well not even be there. You spend more time looking for them, then arguing with them to do anything. Most of then nurses just gave up. Seems ridiculous to me.

Simple answer is this: if you work in a hospital that has a patient safety reporting system (usually via computer), WRITE THEM UP. You can do this either anonymously or you can sign your name, but either way it will go straight to the Risk Management department. They will then contact your nurse manager and he/she will have no choice but to address the issue. The beauty of this action is two-fold; you will start a measurable and definable documentation of their errant behavior, which will hopefully get them OUT the door, and you will also be holding your NM accountable for writing them up. You should not have to be constantly brow-beating these techs to do their job. You have enough to do. Your NM, on the other hand, SHOULD be disciplining the techs.

Sleeping on the job is instant grounds for firing. The next time you see the tech sleeping, page the house supervisor and tell them that you have a tech that is sleeping on the job. THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR and should not be tolerated.