Do your RN's work as techs?

SoonerRN2009 · Feb 18, 2012

Just wondering do your RN's take a pod of patients and work as a tech?
Does your Manager ever take a pod of patients?

Take pod of PTs yes but I work in ICU on the floor no that would be a "disgrace" to them and actually the hospital I work at you can't work below your level of education so you can have 20 pts on a floor 6 nurses doing total care instead of making it easier and if they are short a tech having 5 nurses and a nurses work as a tech. Though when I was in school the hospital I worked at would allow nurses to act as tech if needed, which I believe is only right and it provides for care the its deserve. and as far as manager taking a pod of pts are you crazy lol once they become manager they are never to be seen in scrubs again! or at least thats what they think they will let their unit go under before they help on the floor or I should say most managers I have seen thats how they are.

MJB2010 · Feb 18, 2012

RNS always have a pod of patients where I worked. The manager does not take one. In addition to the nurses pod, the RN also puts on and takes off all catheters, does all pre and post assessments, and pushes all heparins. This is in addition to all other nursing responsibilities. If one patient goes bad, being the only RN on the floor, it means all the other patients are left waiting and the whole schedule goes down the drain. In these instances I usually try to get the manager to help, but often if if she does come out, she is not a whole lot of help. Then I get to listen to her complain about it all day. She actually moved her office away from the treatment floor so she could get more paperwork done without the patients interuppting. Some of them would say hi to her on the way in and out and apparently she does not want to see them or interact with them ever.

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Feb 18, 2012

In her defense there is a lot of paperwork and increasing daily!

I feel sorry for the RN's I cannot imagine how hard they must work, how many patients do they have to do?

MJB2010 · Feb 18, 2012

The RN has 2-4 patients of their own in their pod. The clinic has 12 patients total and one iso which is rarely used.

Trauma Columnist · Feb 18, 2012

So with 12 pts, there are three techs and an RN? Or two techs and an RN?

How dangerous for the RN to have her own set of pts.

I work in multiple HDUs as an APN and recently the trend in my biggest unit (32 chairs) is one RN and 8 techs.

One RN is very very busy!!!

DixieRedHead, ASN, RN · Feb 18, 2012

In my short and unillustrious and much hated 9 months in dialysis, the RNs did every thing the techs did plus push meds and paper work. I didn't mind the tech work. I just hated that job with a purple passion.

bella44 · Feb 18, 2012

As an LPN, I always respected & admired any RN who would answer a call light to assist c bedpans during a hectic shift.

Guttercat, ASN, RN · Feb 19, 2012

So with 12 pts, there are three techs and an RN? Or two techs and an RN?
How dangerous for the RN to have her own set of pts.
I work in multiple HDUs as an APN and recently the trend in my biggest unit (32 chairs) is one RN and 8 techs.

One RN is very very busy!!!

I am apalled.

Patients are not burgers to be flipped.

Or they are, if one's business is meeting shareholder expectations, and wooing/buying/lobbying/entertaining... elected officials.

Much discussion on this with one of our nephrologists today...I'll bite my tongue here...for now.

NDXUFan · Feb 19, 2012

Even I know, that most managers could care less about those poor souls on dialysis. I know of one manager at DaVita that cares alot about the patients, most do not. They are probably counting their stock options in the office.

ICAN! · Feb 21, 2012

I have to work as a tech for now and dont feel comfortable about it at all. I am a new employee and new to dialysis. I was hired in Oct. as an RN on days and now I'm a PCT working nights. Very disheartened and hoping it will not last.

Reneec · Feb 21, 2012

Just wondering do your RN's take a pod of patients and work as a tech?
Does your Manager ever take a pod of patients?[/quote I am required to take a pod when a tech is off. Our techs work hard, are very competent and receive no appreciation for what they do. I certainly do not mind taking a pod so they can have a well deserved day off. However, I do not feel it is safe for the only RN to take a pod and perform all nursing duties. I have found patients unresponsive and everyone was too busy to notice. Patients have left the unit without post assessment because they don't want to wait for me to finish the task I'm involved with. The patients in my pod receive minimal care. Patients have had to suffer the embarrasment of being incontinent because staff was not available quick enough to assist them to the bathroom. I am sure if anything bad happens , it will be my fault.
Maybe someday those responsible for this level of staffing will find themselves sitting in a dialysis chair with soiled pants.