We will soon be losing our nurses station where our desktops are located and will have to start using computers in the room to do bedside charting. I'm having very mixed emotions about this. We do not have COWs as the computers in the rooms are wall mounted and our back is toward the patient.
Is bedside charting becoming the norm? To me, it's very helpful to my feet and my sanity to be able to get off my feet for just minutes during the day to be able to sit and chart. Charting at the bedside when visitors are present, when patients are trying to sleep, causing us to stand even more just doesn't make good sense. Most the nurses on our floor are VERY unhappy about this change. There may be several nurses looking for another job. In fact, I've heard some nurses say "it's time to get out of here!"
I truly wish that it was a requirement for management to work in our shoes at least a week out of a year to see what we endure on a daily basis. Instead, they sit on their bottoms all day in meetings making new rules without consulting those of us that poor out the blood sweat and tears while performing our job every day!!
