DON on cart

Nigelene · Sep 28, 2019

On 8/20/2018 at 4:06 PM, Neats said:
I occasionally work the floor (maybe 3-4 times annually) as the DON just to keep abreast of anything new, and to keep me current with my skills when I was doing this type of work. I once went into a troubled facility as the LNHA they had no ideal I was a nurse too. Usually the 3-4 times I do work the floor are when the nurses really could not find anyone for their floating holiday I allowed for nurses day. Most times the nurses find coverage.
I find it interesting that a DON will quit over working the floor. To me it is important to know what is going on in the facility and what better way.
As a LNHA I have asked a DON to work the floor 3 times that I can recall and they were all weather related. None had any issues with it.

Nigelene · Sep 28, 2019

You find it interesting that a DNS would quit over being asked to work the floor?

How about hiring enough staff, paying them their worth so that the DNS can do their own work?

When the state is in your building and all hell breaks loose, the DNS is the one who gets asked " why weren't you on the ball?"

Then you fire them for not getting a great survey and "wash, rinse and repeat " all over again!

Only an Administrator or Regional would say something like that! Good God ! What more do you want?

CapeCodMermaid, RN · Sep 28, 2019

5 hours ago, Nigelene said:

5 hours ago, Nigelene said:
You find it interesting that a DNS would quit over being asked to work the floor?
How about hiring enough staff, paying them their worth so that the DNS can do their own work?
When the state is in your building and all hell breaks loose, the DNS is the one who gets asked " why weren't you on the ball?"
Then you fire them for not getting a great survey and "wash, rinse and repeat " all over again!
Only an Administrator or Regional would say something like that! Good God ! What more do you want?

Interesting that the PP is an admin. I think the DNS should be the LAST person to take the cart

Nigelene · Sep 28, 2019

On 8/20/2018 at 4:06 PM, Neats said:
I occasionally work the floor (maybe 3-4 times annually) as the DON just to keep abreast of anything new, and to keep me current with my skills when I was doing this type of work. I once went into a troubled facility as the LNHA they had no ideal I was a nurse too. Usually the 3-4 times I do work the floor are when the nurses really could not find anyone for their floating holiday I allowed for nurses day. Most times the nurses find coverage.
I find it interesting that a DON will quit over working the floor. To me it is important to know what is going on in the facility and what better way.
As a LNHA I have asked a DON to work the floor 3 times that I can recall and they were all weather related. None had any issues with it.

Nigelene · Sep 28, 2019

I'm telling you , a free floating DNS and ADNS is a thing of the past

Not only is the ADNS doing the Staff Development, IP or Wound nurse, they are also expected to be the day Supervisor or on the cart while the DNS the day Supervisor and may have to come in as 11p-7a Supervisor while on the cart.

That's the reason for the nursing shortage. Not that we don't have enough graduates or they are all leaving the bedside or none of the bs they want us to believe. Oh, and add in the fact that some places are only paying $26-$29/hr. Check Indeed

Nurses-give, BSN, RN · Oct 27, 2019

The best DIrectors get out on the floor, they don’t just sit in their office. But on the other hand they are bogged down with important paper work that must be done. They still make time to ask the nurses “how are you doing?”, letting them now when they did a great job, pitching in even with little things, they don’t leave their nurses drowning. They don’t allow or contribute to negative gossip. They never play favorites. If they have close friends working with them, they kept it professional at the work place. They choose the best candidate not their best friend. They lead by example!

They are far from perfect and hopefully you have one of these as your director.

Nigelene · Oct 27, 2019

I have a great DON. We do rounds and she pitches in when needed, and so does everyone else where I work, without a grumble.

However, I know of some jobs who would have the DON and ADNS as the Supervisor or even on the cart and still expect them to

1) not take a comp day, they'll pay them if it's beyond the expected work hours

2) handle their DON and ADON duties

Remember, the DON is not in his/her office sipping wine or filling nails. They have to monitor allllll the other departments and most times the ADON is wearing two hats (as myself ADON and Staff Development)

Then when there is a state survey the company hires all the extra nurses forgetting they were riding the everyday nurse like a race horse...and God help you if they should get a tag.

That's what I'm talking about

ocean.baby · Mar 25, 2020

Unfortunately it is not working the cart occasionally. The less you complain about it the easier it is to say, 'oh the DON will do it' instead of truly trying to find coverage. A DON has far too much to do to also work the cart, even in an emergency. The thing is that you will work the cart one or two days per pay period, or more, and that is one or two days that you are not doing your job. Do your evaluations include how well you worked the cart? Nope. It includes how much of your work you did not get done, things you should have noticed but didn't, problem areas you didn't take care of in a timely manner all because you worked the cart too much. Nobody cares. Your job is to get your work done and prioritize your work. There goes your eval. How do I know? Been there done that because 'I didn't mind helping out'.

kbrn2002, ADN, RN · Mar 26, 2020

I don't know how the management nurses are getting anything done about now. There have been so many call outs recently that there's been no option but for management to work the cart.

With all the extra infection control monitoring, trying to fill gaps in the supply chain with the PPE shortages and other additional work with Covid-19 hitting nursing homes so hard I just don't know how they are keeping up with all the extra work.

TheDudeWithTheBigDog, ADN, RN · Dec 13, 2020

On 3/26/2020 at 5:29 AM, kbrn2002 said:

I don't know how the management nurses are getting anything done about now. There have been so many call outs recently that there's been no option but for management to work the cart.

With all the extra infection control monitoring, trying to fill gaps in the supply chain with the PPE shortages and other additional work with Covid-19 hitting nursing homes so hard I just don't know how they are keeping up with all the extra work.

Well, that's the situation that comes up when 20-30 patients per nurse is considered acceptable. You run on a bare-bones staff, and then when someone eventually calls out, you don't have anyone to come in and cover.

These facilities, running on pure greed are doing it to themselves. Hire nurses. Keep your patient to nurse ratio low. 20 patients shouldn't be the norm, but in LTC when there's a callout, it's doable. In that situation, you don't even have to call someone in.

Unfortunately, though, as an industry, we will never come together to demand common sense in our facilities. Every single one of them claims they're running on not enough money coming in to hire more nurses, yet they're buying up other facilities... really think about that.

Nursing staff is a requirement of nursing homes, not something that should be budgeted to the minimum possible.

Kdog · Nov 3, 2023

arainh20 said:

I've the ADON at my facility for just a week and the DON just walked out because she refused to work the cart! Is this unheard of? DON ON CART? Should I except the position?

I'm a ADON and currently working as the DON while she is out for 4 days. We are understaffed and I've worked 3 doubles in a row. My role as manager from 6am to 1500 then on a cart from 1500 to Midnight. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday doubles. Now Sunday I'm on a cart again. In 8 weeks I've been on a cart 12 times.