So I am working at a Retirement Home and its going well, I love being the Nurse on the floor, but sometimes they will pull me and say I am gonna be a screener today to screen essential visitors, or one day I will be the Wound Care Nurse, or I will be helping out the Director of Care with their duties, or one time they were so desperate I was folding laundry cause they could not find anyone for the laundry staff. One time I was also a porter, porting Residents to different rooms in the building for infection control.
I don't want to sound mean and say no, but I feel like I lose my dignity as a Nurse. I don't wanna tell people that I screen or that I porter people, I want to just do Nursing related stuff.
I do get paid for all that stuff, but to me I feel like its a waste of my clinical skills. I can't just leave and find work since we are restricted to only 1 workplace at this time, and if I leave this job, its not guaranteed I will find work elsewhere.
I am full time there, but they did say that I will be working different jobs. Not sure if its just me complaining
Also one more thing— in the best organizations I’ve worked for (I’ve never worked in a hospital)— the people at the very top will pitch in too. I’ve definitely seen the Director of Nursing or the CMO pushing a broom. In my opinion, that is what a strong leader does. If they see a problem, and they have a spare moment to handle it, they handle it. It is not “beneath me” to do any work that needs to be done. There are times when there is a dirty floor and I am busy, so I have to ask a member of cleaning staff to handle it, of course. But if I have a second, I will pitch in and do whatever.
If I spent 4+ years of hard work getting my BSN, I am NOT going to fold laundry. I am there to provide expert nursing care and to clinically take care of my patients.
If you continue to be the “yes-man” you are going to be walked all over.
Sorry not sorry.
so before I got into health care I was a sous. One day we were so understaffed that the VP of the hotel came down to the kitchen and told me he was at my disposal. He prepped, washed dishes, ran to dry storage and brought me stuff - I gained SO MUCH respect for that man that day. He had my complete loyalty until the executive chef one day tried to stab me (but that was neither here nor there).
The kitchen became one that day and even the dishie was never in the weeds because line, prep, executive, me would all band together and job description did not matter. the food leaving the kitchen was the only thing that mattered.
(then they hired a new executive and KM and it all went to hell)
So, hell yes, I will do laundry, I will do what it takes to deliver patient care. HOwever, I do not become a doormat.
If I spent 4+ years of hard work getting my BSN, I am NOT going to fold laundry. I am there to provide expert nursing care and to clinically take care of my patients.
If you continue to be the “yes-man” you are going to be walked all over.
Sorry not sorry.
We live literally wipe butt, but folding laundry is beneath us? Cmon....
Adapt and overcome. Being versatile and flexible is admired and will serve this person well in life. This is not necessarily being walked over.
My 2nd partime job is always shorted staff. Sometimes, I come to work and they floated me as an aid. I am totally fine with that as long as they pay me as nurse salary. Folding laundry, 1 time is OK, but consitstently, a big NO. ?
Specializes in Pediatrics, Pediatric Float, PICU, NICU.
On 7/11/2020 at 3:24 PM, Numenor said:
We live literally wipe butt, but folding laundry is beneath us? Cmon....
Adapt and overcome. Being versatile and flexible is admired and will serve this person well in life. This is not necessarily being walked over.
This!
Also, there is a difference between being asked to do something every now and again, such as folding laundry, and being expected to do it every day as part of your daily duties.
It's LTC/retirement home setting, and it can definitely be the norm if the pt census is low. Very different that hospital setting
TY - I was wondering if I was missing something here. Right now during C19, flexibility has to be considered as the NEW NORM.
I worked many a LTC/NH during my career. One place had an ADON who loved to just jump in and do WHATEVER, and I do mean WHATEVER, was needed. She did the 'breakfast line' in the kitchen And helped enough until the lunch crew could get in. She did laundry - the washers and the dryers and the folding with distribution. I remember her even doing groups for Activities/Recreation when needed. And sometimes the hours would spill over into other shifts.
She loved it! Didn't happen often, but often enough when other dept staffing would just tank out and those tasks still needed doing. And she did them well. Never met anyone else like her who enjoyed it like she did!
Specializes in CWOCN, critical care, home care, interventional ra.
I work in a large hospital within a larger system. I am part of the wound care team and a CWOCN. I am critical care credentialed and have been an RN for 27+ Years. In my current job My team and I are pulled to swab employees and patients, take temperatures, care for patients and staff, answer the covid hotline as well as manage traditional CWOCN responsibilities. I am happy to be versatile. Our APN is also sometimes pulled to cover alternate assignments too.
It is not beneath me, it is all part of being a team. Sure, there are some assignments that don’t work my brain the same way as others. I have learned to embrace the versatility and flexibility that makes me a good team member. Bottom line, it does not change my paycheck, is not morally uncomfortable, and does not violate my state board of nursing responsibilities, and my employer is willing to pay me to do it.
I’d be quiet and do it gracefully unless and until I chose to find another job.
I work in a large hospital within a larger system. I am part of the wound care team and a CWOCN. I am critical care credentialed and have been an RN for 27+ Years. In my current job My team and I are pulled to swab employees and patients, take temperatures, care for patients and staff, answer the covid hotline as well as manage traditional CWOCN responsibilities. I am happy to be versatile. Our APN is also sometimes pulled to cover alternate assignments too.
It is not beneath me, it is all part of being a team. Sure, there are some assignments that don’t work my brain the same way as others. I have learned to embrace the versatility and flexibility that makes me a good team member. Bottom line, it does not change my paycheck, is not morally uncomfortable, and does not violate my state board of nursing responsibilities, and my employer is willing to pay me to do it.
I’d be quiet and do it gracefully unless and until I chose to find another job.
Yeah you are right. Guess Nursing isn't always about Medicine..
Specializes in Critical CarE, WOCN, DELEGATION, CASE MANAGEMENT,.
I have been a nurse for almost 40 years. Some of the responses here are rude. I have worked in almost every venue. Hospital, Nursing Home, Assisted Living. Some of the things you have been asked to do are definitely nursing functions. Wound care for one. You have to understand that as someone who is close to the top of the hierarchy you are capable and should be, of performing all the roles of the less trained people. I won't say it's the most monetarily prudent thing for an organization to do but if you're scheduled to come in and management has assessed the needs of the organization and has directed you to fill that need for the day then you must do it. We had a strike one time and administrators were handling bedpans sooo...
What I'm saying is this. In many states you are an employee at will. This could possibly be a test to see how much of a team player you are. Believe me when I tell that when the lesser trained people see you don't think you are beneath doing what they do you will gain their respect. And your manager will know she can count on you in a bind. Don't botch this lesson. More people are watching than you know!
So I am working at a Retirement Home and its going well, I love being the Nurse on the floor, but sometimes they will pull me and say I am gonna be a screener today to screen essential visitors, or one day I will be the Wound Care Nurse, or I will be helping out the Director of Care with their duties, or one time they were so desperate I was folding laundry cause they could not find anyone for the laundry staff. One time I was also a porter, porting Residents to different rooms in the building for infection control.
I don't want to sound mean and say no, but I feel like I lose my dignity as a Nurse. I don't wanna tell people that I screen or that I porter people, I want to just do Nursing related stuff.
I do get paid for all that stuff, but to me I feel like its a waste of my clinical skills. I can't just leave and find work since we are restricted to only 1 workplace at this time, and if I leave this job, its not guaranteed I will find work elsewhere.
I am full time there, but they did say that I will be working different jobs. Not sure if its just me complaining
So......I work in an ER where the census is so low since covid that a lot of fulltime staff are now having to basically take part time hours and use their own PTO or take a pay cut. I can’t do that - needless to say, I just accepted a pre-op/PACU job with more guaranteed hours. I can’t wait to transfer because it is terrible to feel a lack of job security. In all honesty - just be grateful that you are getting paid doing SOMETHING. It may not be the wisest use of resources but it’s terrible to feel like your job is in jeopardy.
Most job descriptions have the phrase “other assigned duties “. There is nothing wrong with the jobs they have asked you to do. I would enjoy the change of pace.
CommunityRNBSN, BSN, RN
928 Posts
Also one more thing— in the best organizations I’ve worked for (I’ve never worked in a hospital)— the people at the very top will pitch in too. I’ve definitely seen the Director of Nursing or the CMO pushing a broom. In my opinion, that is what a strong leader does. If they see a problem, and they have a spare moment to handle it, they handle it. It is not “beneath me” to do any work that needs to be done. There are times when there is a dirty floor and I am busy, so I have to ask a member of cleaning staff to handle it, of course. But if I have a second, I will pitch in and do whatever.