Did I miss the memo???? (rant)

[Cmariehart]

sorry everyone this is a rant.. i just got out of work. i work 3-11 @ an ltc.

on our unit we have 3 orderlies, me and 2 new nurses. me and 2 of my orderlies (i've worked with these 2 since i started and they are awsome) are there every night until 11:30 at the least working and trying to get stuff done. everyone else leaves promptly @ 11!! it's really getting on my nerves!!!

our unit is set up so we have 2 med nurses. each one gets a hall that has 20 residents. i take the harder hall because she refuses to take it, because the one night she did take it she screwed things up very badly. so i get the harder side.

so anyways.. tonight we had a pcn that does all the paper charting, treatments and tube feedings. all i had to do was my med pass and computer charting!!!!! i finished my med pass a little after 9pm and one of my orderlies asked me if i could give a resident a shower because she doesn't want men giving her a shower. me being my usual self said sure, i grabbed all the stuff and mrs. x and gave her a shower. after i'm done with her shower i get her a snack, help her into bed and then clean the shower room. not a big deal to me, it was fun!!!!

when i get back out to the nurses station the other med nurses screams at me "why are you giving showers that's an aides job you're a *bleep* nurse" :angryfire

i will do anything to help out the orderlies/aides i work with. whether it be helping with a 2 person lift, mechanical lift, taking someone to the bathroom, taking a person off a bed pan if i'm in the room, or even getting the residents into bed.

and then today was secretary's day. well i stopped at the store and got our unit secretary some fun stupid stuff: a survival bath kit, a stress ball, and glittery pen with feathers and sparkly things on it. just fun stuff and i signed the card saying to a fabulous unit secretary from your fabulous 3-11 shift! she got a kick out of it and so did everyone else, and yet the other med nurse was madder than heck.

and then to make matters worse: one of my residents turned 99 today, and she was all bummed out because she has no family. so i got her a birthday crown that said "birthday queen", and beaded necklace that had a shot glass on it saying "1 more birthday shot" and she thought it was hysterical, she loved it and she perked right up, her poa came in and he thought is was funny too.. and then for our other residents i brought in beaded necklaces and flower necklaces and it perked everyone up... the residents loved it, the men were telling people they went to hawii and got "leid" everyone has seemed so depressed and down lately on our unit and i had to do something, even if outsiders think it's stupid i know it means something to our residents... things just seemed better after all this, i don't know why but they were..!!! but of course the other med nurse was mad.. "you're a nurse you don't need to do this crap"

i take offense to this big time...

i'm here for my residents!!!! if they need something i will do my best to get it for them.... i already give them their pills and take care of them, so why not give them something to smile about and have fun with????

so did i miss a memo somewhere out there that said you can't have fun or make people happy and smile... or am i going about my job all wrong???

[santhony44, MSN, RN, NP]

OMG, you are the LTC resident's dream!!!! A pox on that sourpuss you work with, she needs to get out of nursing. What right does she have to get mad about something that you do, unless it's really because you're making her look bad because she didn't think of it herself? Tell her to get over herself and keep on doing what you're doing, 'cause I think you're terrific!

:yeahthat:

Bingo!! You make her look bad. Maybe not because she didn't think of it, but because she doesn't want to do any more than she absolutely has to!

As others have said, your co-workers, management, and especially residents are lucky to have you. :flowersfo

Personally, I'd try to do things like the flower necklaces and such on a regular basis; ticking her off would be an added bonus!

It probably already bugs the heck out of her that you do the med hall she refuses to do and made a mess of when she did it; you do it cheerfully and well. Then you shower a resident, do that cheerfully and well, then take the extra time and effort to bring a little happiness into other people's lives. Somewhere deep down inside, she knows you are the kind of nurse, and kind of person, she should be and is not. Everything you do, other than falling flat on your face, is going to make her mad. Just keep being yourself; much better to be you than her!!

[Cattitude]

CMarie you are truly one of the best :loveya: :icon_hug:

Don't worry about Miss Crabby, she's jealous because SHE wants to be a sweety like you! I also spend my own $ on pt's that have no family sometimes. I don't care if we're "not supposed to".

Sometimes you do what your heart says is right.

[chirstine]

Well done you - that is holistic care! Boo sucks to nurses that say "that's not a nurse's job" - I work in geriatric Assessment , Treatment and Rehab, which in some ways is like a LTC facility - and we do all the showering, cleaning up, medications, lifting and everything else you can imagine. You are showing respect, care and thoughfulness for your residents and your staff, including your secretary, because you are a big enough person to recognise that they are part of your whole health-care delivery team. I hope you don't let the other nurses tarnish the good feeling you should have after the kind of work you do and the consideration you are showing others.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

what they are really saying is " we don't want you to raise expectation around here and make me feel guilty for being insensitive and selfish". You are there for yourself and your residents, not your co-workers. Smile then do as you want.

[RNperdiem, RN]

That nurse should be admiring you going beyond simply physical care.

I once took care of a profoundly retarded man from a LTC facility who came to my ICU. The LTC staff would visit him, bring him his favorite CD's so we could play them for him.

The patient would look so happy to see these ladies. They would have hallway parades at the LTC. This man was well taken of, spotlessly clean, had never had a bedsore in his bedridden life, and I salute the people who took care of him.

[dorselm]

Your post is a real tear jerker. I am a nursing student now and seeing this comforts me and lets me know that there are compassionate nurses out there. I work as an aide in an LTC facility and I have yet to see a nurse go out of his or her way the way you did or the way any of you other compassionate nurses who have replied to this post. Working at an LTC faciitilty is hard both as an aide and as a nurse. Especially when you see the patients with no family or who get a monthly or bi-monthly visit here and there.

Now for the sourpuss med nurse, did you ever think that she/he is jealous of your compassionate spirit? Did you ever think that you have a light that shines bright and the fact that the med nurse doesn't have it makes them feel jealous and resentful so they have to say hateful things to try to get to you. I hope that when the med nurse is saying those things you are standing up for yourself because you are a blessing to that facility.

Thanks for sharing your story. I can't wait to finish school!

[TRAMA1RN]

You are on the right track! The trend of all healthcare facilities is customer service, she will surely lose her job down the road if her attitude doesn't take an immediate turn upward. Look in the news, even with the nursing shortage nurses are being fired left and right for not putting customers first, that's right they have become customers not patients.

[NurseyTonyaLPN]

She is just upset because she sees a kindness and compassion in you that she doesn't have and she is jealous and she probably thinks you're making her look bad because she doesn't go the extra mile (or even step). Sometimes the little things mean the most to your residents/patients, like I remember going down to the hospital cafeteria and buying a cheese sandwich and some hot tea for a little British lady who did not like our "heavy" American food. She was so happy! Keep doing what you're doing, it makes you and the residents happy, who cares what she thinks of it? Who knows, maybe one day you'll rub off on her and she'll try something like that and actually feel good about herself.

[meownsmile, BSN, RN]

You keep doing what your doing. As for the "other" med nurse. No more manipulation so she can get off the difficult hall anymore. Let her fall on her face.

[fultzymom]

I have been at my facility for 5 years. I wish that we had more nurses like you! Sounds like someone else is just an unhappy person. Or maybe she just doesn't like it that you go out of your way to help make peoples day better. She sounds like someone who is just there to do her job et that is it. Keep up the great work!! Sounds like you make the place a lot better!!

[JohnBearPA]

Damn! I want to work with you! I say fire the cranky nurse, and I'll be right over to put my application in!

[Roy Fokker, BSN, RN]

I once had some of my colleagues poke fun and jeer at me when I spent 10 minutes singing a lullaby to one patients - tiny little lady with recent CVA, Right side paralysis, aphasia, dementia.

I was in there holding her hand and talking to her softly. She may have dementia but dang! She was so "with it" at times.

I shrugged off the comments from my colleagues. One of them sometimes comes up to me and says "patient xyz is being a PITA. Won't you sing her a lullaby and put her to rest?"

Anything to help put my dependent patients at ease and distract them from their illnesses and injuries - I'm game for it.

cheers,