Do nurses take more crap because of their percieved role in health care?

warrior woman · Apr 25, 2004

By this I mean we are always percieved to be the self sacrificing gentle voice of reason, who never needs time to themselves or breaks and never gets mad at anything. And is not SUPPOSED to get upset even when things are totally outrageous. I'm speaking about a situation about a year ago, when I worked LTC, I would bust my hump passing meds on my hall, some days on 2 halls if we were short, and when I woud finally by some miracle get a break, lo and behold a resident would walk into the break room, get refreshment from the machines and ask when I would be back out there. Now please pardon me, but I resent the living hell out of this approach. My break time and lunch time is MY time to be alone with my thoughts, or eating, or conversing with a co worker. To let residents dictate how long my breaks are is aboslutely ridiculous and insulting to me personally. Just needed to vent about this, and ask if any of you have had similar experiences, and couldn't say anything because of the Nancy Nurse tag the powers that be throw on us without asking us first. That's why I love Home Health Care. I'm never going back to facility nursing again!!! Peace and love to all, WW.

Jailhouse RN · Apr 25, 2004

Why are residents allowed in the employee break area?

Jailhouse RN · Apr 25, 2004

Why are residents allowed in the employee break area?

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Apr 25, 2004

Because it's their "home", and facility staff are their "guests". :rolleyes:

Another reason why I no longer work in LTC. :stone

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Apr 25, 2004

Because it's their "home", and facility staff are their "guests". :rolleyes:

Another reason why I no longer work in LTC. :stone

Stitchie · Apr 25, 2004

No, this is not OK for residents to barge into your break time. If someone is covering for you they are responsible for the patient during that short amount of time. And if the resident is up and walking around, your work is done (momentarily anyway) unless he's turning blue and came in to tell you so, then nothing short of a fire should interrupt your time. you don't get paid for it, so I don't think anybody has the right to tell you to come off your break or interrupt a non-work related stretch of your time.

I think that nurses have this image of self-sacrifing creatures because the thought process surrounding nursing and the history of nursing. For some reason, nurses are portrayed as gentle, passive and waiting for the Medical Deity directives on how to live, how to care for the patient, waiting for orders.

Nurses today have a much different role in patient care. The population we mainly come into contact with: 70 to 100 year-olds, who are hooked on the version of nurses from black and white movies. Pillow fluffers, not even close to what nurses do. If they'd get real about how we talk and interact with docs on a daily basis -- equal in approach and collaborative in the nature of work (yeah right) then maybe people who get their daily 5 or 6 hours of TV would have a different vision as to what nurses do day in and day out.

I had an 88 year old patient come to the ED one evening, 'Duchess' type of patient. The family was asking for pillows and blankets even before I had the IV in her or got blood for the usual cardiac workup, or paged EKG for her. Of course, her son is a lawyer, her grandson is a resident at a different facility and the only one who they paid any attention to was the physician.

Stitchie · Apr 25, 2004

No, this is not OK for residents to barge into your break time. If someone is covering for you they are responsible for the patient during that short amount of time. And if the resident is up and walking around, your work is done (momentarily anyway) unless he's turning blue and came in to tell you so, then nothing short of a fire should interrupt your time. you don't get paid for it, so I don't think anybody has the right to tell you to come off your break or interrupt a non-work related stretch of your time.

I think that nurses have this image of self-sacrifing creatures because the thought process surrounding nursing and the history of nursing. For some reason, nurses are portrayed as gentle, passive and waiting for the Medical Deity directives on how to live, how to care for the patient, waiting for orders.

Nurses today have a much different role in patient care. The population we mainly come into contact with: 70 to 100 year-olds, who are hooked on the version of nurses from black and white movies. Pillow fluffers, not even close to what nurses do. If they'd get real about how we talk and interact with docs on a daily basis -- equal in approach and collaborative in the nature of work (yeah right) then maybe people who get their daily 5 or 6 hours of TV would have a different vision as to what nurses do day in and day out.

I had an 88 year old patient come to the ED one evening, 'Duchess' type of patient. The family was asking for pillows and blankets even before I had the IV in her or got blood for the usual cardiac workup, or paged EKG for her. Of course, her son is a lawyer, her grandson is a resident at a different facility and the only one who they paid any attention to was the physician.

warrior woman · Apr 25, 2004

So true Marla. Just don't understand the thinking behind it.

warrior woman · Apr 25, 2004

So true Marla. Just don't understand the thinking behind it.

warrior woman · Apr 25, 2004

No, this is not OK for residents to barge into your break time. If someone is covering for you they are responsible for the patient during that short amount of time. And if the resident is up and walking around, your work is done (momentarily anyway) unless he's turning blue and came in to tell you so, then nothing short of a fire should interrupt your time. you don't get paid for it, so I don't think anybody has the right to tell you to come off your break or interrupt a non-work related stretch of your time.
I think that nurses have this image of self-sacrifing creatures because the thought process surrounding nursing and the history of nursing. For some reason, nurses are portrayed as gentle, passive and waiting for the Medical Deity directives on how to live, how to care for the patient, waiting for orders.
Nurses today have a much different role in patient care. The population we mainly come into contact with: 70 to 100 year-olds, who are hooked on the version of nurses from black and white movies. Pillow fluffers, not even close to what nurses do. If they'd get real about how we talk and interact with docs on a daily basis -- equal in approach and collaborative in the nature of work (yeah right) then maybe people who get their daily 5 or 6 hours of TV would have a different vision as to what nurses do day in and day out.
I had an 88 year old patient come to the ED one evening, 'Duchess' type of patient. The family was asking for pillows and blankets even before I had the IV in her or got blood for the usual cardiac workup, or paged EKG for her. Of course, her son is a lawyer, her grandson is a resident at a different facility and the only one who they paid any attention to was the physician.

Thanx Stichie!!! Any one else feeling used and abused, feel free to vent away!!! This is YOUR time!!

warrior woman · Apr 25, 2004

No, this is not OK for residents to barge into your break time. If someone is covering for you they are responsible for the patient during that short amount of time. And if the resident is up and walking around, your work is done (momentarily anyway) unless he's turning blue and came in to tell you so, then nothing short of a fire should interrupt your time. you don't get paid for it, so I don't think anybody has the right to tell you to come off your break or interrupt a non-work related stretch of your time.
I think that nurses have this image of self-sacrifing creatures because the thought process surrounding nursing and the history of nursing. For some reason, nurses are portrayed as gentle, passive and waiting for the Medical Deity directives on how to live, how to care for the patient, waiting for orders.
Nurses today have a much different role in patient care. The population we mainly come into contact with: 70 to 100 year-olds, who are hooked on the version of nurses from black and white movies. Pillow fluffers, not even close to what nurses do. If they'd get real about how we talk and interact with docs on a daily basis -- equal in approach and collaborative in the nature of work (yeah right) then maybe people who get their daily 5 or 6 hours of TV would have a different vision as to what nurses do day in and day out.
I had an 88 year old patient come to the ED one evening, 'Duchess' type of patient. The family was asking for pillows and blankets even before I had the IV in her or got blood for the usual cardiac workup, or paged EKG for her. Of course, her son is a lawyer, her grandson is a resident at a different facility and the only one who they paid any attention to was the physician.

Thanx Stichie!!! Any one else feeling used and abused, feel free to vent away!!! This is YOUR time!!