CNA Frustrated with Being the Blame

[Kirsten Creator]

I am a CNA inside of a small hospital. Couple of days ago I took vitals. I missed a crucial part with not reporting low 02 to the nurse because I couldn't find her and ultimately forgot. I did chart ontime, but I forgot. I understand that was bad. I am always good with reporting what is questionable. The nurse came to me a couple of hours later upset that I didn't report. I explained I forgot. My question is why don't the nurses check the vitals on the computers? I know for the most part I am documenting every two hours. So how often are nurses checking and documenting. Don't come to me and put the blame on me when I feel it's a simple lookup right after vitals are taking just because of common mistakes like this. Me forgetting. So I just need some input. I know from now on I will be bringing all vitals to nurses before putting them in the computer whether they catch an attitude or not. I have to chase nurses down all the time because they hide or just give you a nasty attitude because you're bothering them when reporting abnormal VS. 

[darnold38, BSN, RN]

JKL33 said:

 The issue here is using additional means of communication in order to be able to properly prioritize critical issues.

 

I will say this in your defense: I hope your unit can figure out another way for CNAs to be able to report things that need to be reported besides having to physically locate an RN. Do you have other means of communication? It's a terrible inconvenience and waste of your valuable time to have to physically locate someone multiple times per shift just to report something;

I dare say many MANY hospitals/facilities have their nurses and even CNAs "attached" to phones or pagers so physically finding them isn't necessary, just dial the phone. But on the off chance that they left their phone somewhere, the suggestion of escalating to supervisor or charge was perfect. 

[londonflo]

Kirsten Creator said:

if I  can't find the nurse or charge nurse for an abnormal vital or to remind myself if a situation occurs again where she is M.I.A.

With respect to all RNs working their tail off, we are never MIA. We are always involved in patient care. Did you check all the rooms she might have been in?

 

Kirsten Creator said:

Since this incident I have used the sticky note for a nurse once and went back to her and confirmed that she saw It and asked if it was OK to chart it..

Are you afraid  of your ability to measure a Pulse Ox? Your solution shows that you don't think you have a valid assessment of Pulse Ox until you tell your RN. The old phrase (if you don't chart it the assessment wasn't recognized). Think of your patient having poor oxygenation  that wasn't recognized until you tell the RN to check your numbers. What is the point of you doing vitals.?

[T.J. Smith]

I know ithe hospitals around me and I've been at has an automatic stat protocol in the computer for vital signs. When you entered the patient's vitals with an O2 level that low it would have triggered the stat protocol and then a stat team would have came rushing in. I understand what everyone is saying but nurses forget important things to. I'm sure the patients nurse has forgotten some important things also. The nurse should not have came at you like that but I do understand her being upset. Also it isn't your fault you couldn't find her but she could have had to run a blood collection to the lab, run to another floor/dept. for supplies, etc.. Also, I would say you both should share the blame  as well as the hospital for not having a stat protocol in place. IIt shouldn't have taken her two hours to see the vitals in the computer. I know hospital nurses usually only have 5 patients normally and six at certain times 6 patients. If everything was normal at that time it shouldn't have taken 2 hours to see that patient. The hospitals here the nurses usually are the first to see the patient as they are required to go to every patiens room at change of shift for report on that patient. The patient could have said something to the nurse Unless under certain circumstances the patient could not communicate. Yes, you could have told another nurse, charge nurse, or nurse manager, etc. or have written a note and left it on the nurse's computer. I also know that a person with an O2 stat in the 80's or below 90 is having a very difficult time to breathe which could turn nto a Myocardial Infarction, pneumothorax, and other complications. So next time something is wrong just think of yourself  in that situation and how you  would want  the situation handled or if it was one of your parents, grandparents, sibling,, children, etc.  So always consider that in your every day work life of a medical profession and/or jobs dealing with people. We are humans we make mistakes and forget everyday that is what humans do. We are not perfect.

 

[Kirsten Creator]

T.J. Smith said:

I know ithe hospitals around me and I've been at has an automatic stat protocol in the computer for vital signs. When you entered the patient's vitals with an O2 level that low it would have triggered the stat protocol and then a stat team would have came rushing in. I understand what everyone is saying but nurses forget important things to. I'm sure the patients nurse has forgotten some important things also. The nurse should not have came at you like that but I do understand her being upset. Also it isn't your fault you couldn't find her but she could have had to run a blood collection to the lab, run to another floor/dept. for supplies, etc.. Also, I would say you both should share the blame  as well as the hospital for not having a stat protocol in place. IIt shouldn't have taken her two hours to see the vitals in the computer. I know hospital nurses usually only have 5 patients normally and six at certain times 6 patients. If everything was normal at that time it shouldn't have taken 2 hours to see that patient. The hospitals here the nurses usually are the first to see the patient as they are required to go to every patiens room at change of shift for report on that patient. The patient could have said something to the nurse Unless under certain circumstances the patient could not communicate. Yes, you could have told another nurse, charge nurse, or nurse manager, etc. or have written a note and left it on the nurse's computer. I also know that a person with an O2 stat in the 80's or below 90 is having a very difficult time to breathe which could turn nto a Myocardial Infarction, pneumothorax, and other complications. So next time something is wrong just think of yourself  in that situation and how you  would want  the situation handled or if it was one of your parents, grandparents, sibling,, children, etc.  So always consider that in your every day work life of a medical profession and/or jobs dealing with people. We are humans we make mistakes and forget everyday that is what humans do. We are not perfect.

 

I completely agree with absolutely everything you mentioned ? 

[Kirsten Creator]

londonflo said:

With respect to all RNs working their tail off, we are never MIA. We are always involved in patient care. Did you check all the rooms she might have been in?

 

Are you afraid  of your ability to measure a Pulse Ox? Your solution shows that you don't think you have a valid assessment of Pulse Ox until you tell your RN. The old phrase (if you don't chart it the assessment wasn't recognized). Think of your patient having poor oxygenation  that wasn't recognized until you tell the RN to check your numbers. What is the point of you doing vitals.?

You're still here I see. I saw your name and didn't read a thing. So. My question is are you done? Because I don't care what you have to say. Stop trying to be heard. 

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Closed for staff review