Okay, I don't want to be too specific on anything, so if something seems like it doesn't make sense, or something, it's because I'm not going into detail.
So the other day a resident had blood in his stool, we sent him out twice, and he kept coming back with no blood in his stool. The first day he went out, I wasn't there. I was there the second day he came back and he still had blood in his stool. Except, there was no blood. I had a light bulb moment and realized that this persons family brings him a snack that is red, and told the charge nurse who was going to call his Dr about this bloody stool. In the end, I was right about it. It was because of the snack.
So the charge nurse handled the situation and called the Dr, charted, etc. When I read her charting it said nothing about me discovering this, in fact it stated "floor nurse was giving resident red snacks, Dr notified". I felt almost like I was being blamed. I don't care if I am praised, or get credit, but it bothers me that her charting was worded as if it was my fault this confusion happened.
Am I being too sensitive?
Edit: I mean, the charting could have been worded "floor nurse discovered residents family bringing red snack, Dr notified" or heck "charge nurse discovered red snacks, Dr notified"
I guess I'm also too sensitive because I'd be annoyed with that documentation, too. It makes it sound like the nurse gave the red snacks but then was too clueless to remember she gave the red snacks when she saw red in the stools and assumed it was blood. I wouldn't go as far as approaching the charge nurse to get it changed, but it would irk me a little.
I think you're being a bit too sensitive. Do you have other issues with the charge nurse? It is not crucial to be given credit for solving a mystery (No "I" in "TEAM," as they say).
Conversely, I recall once having trouble with a real ****-stirrer at work who would not give alprazolam to a COPDer on my orders. First she confronted me with, "I can't justify that and I will not do it." When my DON stepped in and told her she was a "warm body" and she had better do what her charge nurses says, the nurse charted, "Gave alprazolam on order of RN Shrdlu," which, while technically correct, was kind of an over-the-top swipe at me.
By the way, isn't it nice to figure something out? I'm glad that you have the satisfaction of knowing what the problem was and effectively solving it.
The bigger question is why wouldn't you do this guy a favor and do a more involved assessment before sending him out twice! How bout questioning him or his family about foods and quiacing his stools!
I don't know why they didn't. I was not working both times he was sent out, only when he returned.
I think you're being a bit too sensitive. Do you have other issues with the charge nurse? It is not crucial to be given credit for solving a mystery (No "I" in "TEAM," as they say).
Conversely, I recall once having trouble with a real ****-stirrer at work who would not give alprazolam to a COPDer on my orders. First she confronted me with, "I can't justify that and I will not do it." When my DON stepped in and told her she was a "warm body" and she had better do what her charge nurses says, the nurse charted, "Gave alprazolam on order of RN Shrdlu," which, while technically correct, was kind of an over-the-top swipe at me.
By the way, isn't it nice to figure something out? I'm glad that you have the satisfaction of knowing what the problem was and effectively solving it.
Yeah, I don't care that I didn't get credit for my find. I just don't like how the charge nurse charted about it. How she charted it made it sound as if I was the one giving the patient the red food when it was actually his family.
And yes, it was cool to solve the mystery of why he had bloody stools! :)
I guess I'm also too sensitive because I'd be annoyed with that documentation, too. It makes it sound like the nurse gave the red snacks but then was too clueless to remember she gave the red snacks when she saw red in the stools and assumed it was blood. I wouldn't go as far as approaching the charge nurse to get it changed, but it would irk me a little.
If I thought that a nurse was falsely implicating me in a pts. chart I would definitely write up an incident report make a copy of it and give it to my supervisor.
This is incorrect and illegal charting. You can write your own version and say what happened in the patient's chart, and say something like 'Refer to entry made by such & such on *date & time* etc'. I wouldn't let anybody chart an incident incorrectly about me, no way. That wording stays in that chart FOREVER. Remember it's your license and you have to protect it.
And I wouldn't care if my name wasn't mentioned. Rosters are kept and your name will be on it for that shift for that patient. Make sure you rectify this situation ASAP.
April, RN, BSN, RN
1,008 Posts
I guess I'm also too sensitive because I'd be annoyed with that documentation, too. It makes it sound like the nurse gave the red snacks but then was too clueless to remember she gave the red snacks when she saw red in the stools and assumed it was blood. I wouldn't go as far as approaching the charge nurse to get it changed, but it would irk me a little.