Another silly "what should I do" thread...

[Anna Flaxis]

Here's the situation. Pt. BIBA for N/V/D onset that a.m.

In my initial note, I made a note that pt. requested bedpan on arrival, and described the contents; the amount, color, consistency.

An hour and a half later, pt. requested bedpan again, so I put it under her. Zone mate comes back from long lunch, starts to walk off without offering to cover *me*, I stop her and say "Hey, I'd like to go on break too...".

I report off to my zone mate, and it slips my mind that the patient is on the bedpan. Bad form, I know.

I return from my break, zone mate barely glances in my direction as she ducks into a patient room. I check my charts to find "1425 Pt. removed from bedpan" noted. Oh crap, I think, I totally forgot about that. I feel bad.

But then, I start to get angry. How passive aggressive of her to just chart "Pt. removed from bedpan" without mentioning the quantity, consistency, and color of the contents. What is the purpose of such a note? Plus, since I hadn't charted "1400 Pt. placed on bedpan" (which I wouldn't do anyway), one could argue that it looks like this is the same bedpan from my initial note two hours earlier!

Yes, I should have talked with her at the time. However, as with most days in the ED, we were getting our butts kicked, and I figured the LOM who couldn't breathe was probably a little more important.

I'd hate for anyone to think I'd leave a patient on a bedpan for two hours, and also, using the patient's chart to communicate in a passive aggressive way is inappropriate, and I think she needs to be called on that.

Now, I'm wondering....should I talk to her about it next time I see her, or let it go and be the wiser for it?

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

Our charts are reviewed on a regular basis. Hopefully, anyone with a lick of common sense would realize that. However, there is a saying about common sense not being so common...

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Esme, I would not leave for break if a patient were on the bedpan unless the covering nurse offered to deal with it. I just plain FORGOT. It happens. I just wish that if she were mad at me about it, she would have just said something instead of making me look bad on the chart.

:hug:I know it happens......and I know from your posts you wouldn't do it intentionally. I don't know your co-worker but are they the type to be passive aggressive? Have you always had this kind of relationship? or was she/he so busy that charting bedpan removed was the best she/he could do.......Either way, in the bigger picture.....I'd just move on, in the name of keeping the peace.

Working in the ED is a tough thing. It 's like when you fight with your sibling one minute and the next because someone dissed them your ready to go for the jugular. No one can fight with my sister but ME!!!! She/He may have been P.O.'d when they documented.....but they're over it the next day.......Unless this is an ongoing issue with you 2.

I'm only saying acknowledging, to them, that you realize now that you left the patient on the pan just prior to leaving. That you acknowledge their help an thank them for removing the patient from the pan. Ask if they remember what was in it and you can always make a late entry on the record about placing the patient on the pan and the contents removed if it's bothering you.

For your sake and for the working relationship acknowledge the little scenario so your so worker doesn't think your did it on purpose....let it go and move on. We have ALL had those days. I know I have had those "Oh Crap!" moments that I forgot something and I have been very thankful someone intervened.*wine

[Orange Tree]

If I were going to say anything, it would have been on that day and gone something like this:

Hey! I saw your "patient removed from bedpan at 14:25" note, and I've been wondering ...why did you wait so long?

In other words, I'd sort of apologize for not telling her about the bedpan and sort of call her out for being passive-aggressive at the same time.

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

You know, you guys are right, it really is a small thing. Sometimes these things can take on a life of their own due to the high intensity and stress of the job. I'm going to let it go. If anything, I owe her an apology for forgetting about the bedpan, and the benefit of the doubt that she didn't mean anything by the note.

It does help to write things out and get feedback, and reading my own post helps me to see how small of a thing it really is. Thanks, all!

[Bortaz, MSN, RN]

No real harm here, and minimal foul.

We don't know that it was minimal foul because the nurse didn't document the contents. :)

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

^^LOL!!!

[WonderRN]

I know I am a little late to the party, but I just wanted to add....

Perhaps she charted "pt taken off the bedpan" to indicate she was in the room and provided care to that pt during that hour? I often chart things like that because there is nothing else eventful to chart and it shows that I have done my hourly rounding duty....haven't been ignoring my patient, etc. And I have done my part to feed/water/toilet them.

And i don't chart the color and contents of stool unless it is unchanged from my initial assessment. And perhaps she didn't chart it because it wasn't anything too striking (like c diff, melena, bright red blood etc).

AND if someone ran off to lunch without telling me the patient was on the bedpan, I seriously wouldn't scoff. That is small potatoes to me. If they made it a habit to do stuff like that, then, well maybe. Things that get me mad .... handing off a patient that has a ready bed upstairs and they don't have an IV (actually has happened), giving me a CHF patient who cannot toilet his/herself who we are diuresing and you failed to put in the foley that was ordered 2 hours ago (that has happened)..... {NOTE: these people did not get away with these things} you know, that kind of stuff.

Don't worry to much about things like that. you will burn out WAY fast.