Anyone else getting bored?

Tish88 · Jun 5, 2009

I agree - I used to get bored. I would socialize with everyone in the unit, walking down the hall and even with those cleaning the floors!

Then, I starting taking my MacBook and time went quicker. It is nice when a hospital has free wireless internet.

Valerie Salva, BSN, RN · Jun 5, 2009

If you go to a chronic unit you will be running around like crazy and really appreciate the slow pace of acutes. What I like best is to float between acutes and chronics.

nursingisok · Jun 6, 2009

yah i used to do chronics and time passed by alot quicker. but i hated all the stupid rules and BS of the chronic unit. and i didnt like seeing PCTs fighting or gossiping. I rememeber i hated the gossip of the chronic unit. sometimes i think of giong back to chronic but then I don't know. I'll see.

Lacie, BSN, RN · Jun 6, 2009

yah i used to do chronics and time passed by alot quicker. but i hated all the stupid rules and BS of the chronic unit. and i didnt like seeing PCTs fighting or gossiping. I rememeber i hated the gossip of the chronic unit. sometimes i think of giong back to chronic but then I don't know. I'll see.

I agree as way too much Drama in chronic units! I felt very stagnated in chronics particularly with my background. Wish I had stayed in CC and continued to maintain my CCRN. I dont like the tunnel vision created in chronic units nor being a slave to not only administration but the "get me coffee, fold my blanket and tuck me in" :yawn:

Tish88 · Jun 7, 2009

Thank goodness we don't do the "coffee" thing in my clinic. I have pt who go on vacations and come back and tell us about the "service" they receive.

We only have ice and our patients are responsible for getting their own ice, blankets, and pillows (if they physically can).

We have a NO eating in the unit policy - I don't even allow liquid items brought in. They can eat and drink in the waiting room, prior to coming into the clinic.

If they don't like that rule - they can find some where else to go for treatments. We are there to provide dialysis service - an my motto is "this isn't the hotel Hilton" :).

Lacie, BSN, RN · Jun 7, 2009

Lol, I was chastised by Admin for requesting we require screwtop lids on drinks brought in as during change over we are mopping up more spills then putting pts on. Also we serve cookies, crackers and apple juice on request grrrrr!!

Tish88 · Jun 7, 2009

If I see food in my unit being eaten by patients, I tell my staff to rinse the patient back and they are done! Then I give them another copy of the unit policy and I call their MD and inform them.

I am very strict about this policy. We are not there to clean up their messes from eating or getting sick while eating on treatment.

It is bad enough that I have to go into their waiting room and toss their trash they leave behind on the end tables - even when there is a trash can in the room!

workingmomRN · Jun 7, 2009

I'm so glad to find that I'm not the only one who feels the same way about chronic units. I feel so mentally drained some days because of the constant complaining from the PCTs or the patients. We are a small clinic with only 2 full-time nurses, so we always are on our own each day. Our FA heard about some cross remarks made between 2 PCTs in the break room one day, and actually had to nerve to ask us (the 2 nurses) why we don't know what goes on between the PCTs. It's not like we can monitor the break areas, too. My answer is that we are a dialysis clinic, not daycare or a preschool, & the PCTs are adults that can work things out between themselves if they have issues with each other. Is it ever possible to actually do your job well enough?

Tish88 · Jun 7, 2009

On good thing, the pct's at least had enough sense to take their differences to the break room and not in the unit. Are we not always taught to try to work things out amongst ourselves first and then if that does not work, you go to your supervisor?

Is your FA not always in the clinic? Did your FA go to the pct's personally and ask them what is going on?

I agree that the RN's are not there to babysit - we are all adults!

workingmomRN · Jun 9, 2009

Our FA hardly only comes to our clinic about 1-2 days a week. I doubt that she went and asked the pct's anything. She always hears this stuff from someone else & then asks us what is going on & then gets upset because we don't know what she's talking about. Fortunately, our pct's are able to work together on the floor regardless of whether they like each other or not. But if they do have a disagreement, I hardly know about it because they don't talk about it much to us.

Tish88 · Jun 9, 2009

Well, after reading your above response, it seems that the pct's are at least acting professional and not handling their differences on the floor and keeping it to themselves and not the whole unit.

The is how we are all taught to handle situations like that.

Take it away from the patients and out of ear shot so no one else needs to get involved.

I have had to bring techs into my office to clear the air and keep it out of my unit. By the next day, you would not even know there was even a problem! Thank goodness!!!