Cali ER nurse

[smusher83]

I work in California in the ER at a CAH. There is only one RN in the ER and one RN for acute. My manager is requiring that I clock out for lunch and the acute nurse (who sometimes has no ER training or experience) is to cover the ER and Acute units. I have protested that this isn't safe but I continue to get in trouble. Do I have a leg to stand on here?

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

I work in California in the ER at a CAH. There is only one RN in the ER and one RN for acute. My manager is requiring that I clock out for lunch and the acute nurse (who sometimes has no ER training or experience) is to cover the ER and Acute units. I have protested that this isn't safe but I continue to get in trouble. Do I have a leg to stand on here?

What does the acute RN say about the situation? She's probably even more worried about it than you are. I've never worked in place that small, but there must be some sort of policy or protocol that covers your situation.

If your ER patients have orders, then the acute RN would be following the orders. The difficulty I see is if a new patient wanders in -- the acute RN may not be able to triage them appropriately. Do you take your break close enough to the ER that you could step in if needed? In know, I know -- you deserve your break. But after 40 years in nursing, I probably have enough fingers to count the uninterrupted lunch breaks I've had!

Hopefully someone with more ER experience than me (and I have none) will step in with a better answer.