Don't just get to work on time....

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Specializes in Hospice, Med/Surg, ICU, ER.

also GET TO WORK on time!!!

Almost as bad as really being late, is the chronic morning "lolly-gagging" that occurs on my unit. I work nights.

Usually, the nurses all show up "on time" (at 7:02 am, they are getting off the elevator). The problem is that they all move like molasses to the break room to deposit jackets and purses, then they gaggle around to check their assignments and haggle with patient swaps. Several touch up their makeup and more try to slug down that extra cup of coffee first. THEN they like to gather charts/kardexes and spend tremendous amounts of time going over labs etc and filling out their shift worksheet before taking report.

Meanwhile, our director likes us to be done with report and gone by 7:30am. He HATES to pay "unnecessary" OT.

Even as a new nurse, I have told several of the long-time employees that a) I arrive for shift 15 mins early to gab and to gather what I need on my assignment before taking report; you can too if necessary - it is not fair to hold ME up while you get organized or jump-started; then b) you can hold your "ladies sewing circle" conversation at break or at lunch - you are holding me and MY day up with the chronic lolly-gagging; and finally c) taking report does NOT require you to be fully conversant with every event or value that has occurred since the pt's admission. You CAN look up labs etc. AFTER you take report.

I, for one, do not need nor do I desire a total restate of what's in the kardex or the latest labs when I take report - I look that stuff up at the bedside while passing meds and doing assessments. All I need to know at report is any changes that occurred during the last shift or so.....

On another note, the other morning, as I was giving report on my last patient (at 7:45am), the unit secretary called me on the intercom to tell me that one of "my" patient's PCA was beeping (empty). To the consternation of the other nurses at the station, I announced "I have already given report to Nurse A - you need to notify her about that". Seeing the looks of incredulity on the faces of my coworkers, I announced (looking at my watch) "Sorry ladies, but I have worked my nearly 13 hours today, I am tired, and I am going home - because I have to be back here in (again looking at my watch) 11 hours to do it all again. Just how late do you expect me to stay to do work that properly belongs to this shift?

I have already gained the reputation of being willing to work nearly anytime I am called, and am always willing to help another nurse with tasks, but sometimes the expectations of some are just too much. Honestly, my unit is not the "House of Horrors" that I hear other posters on AllNurses talk about, but the constant disrespect of my personal time is starting to get really annoying.

Bullying and abuse of coworkers takes many forms. I am unwilling to take it just because "that is how it has always been". I guess that I am one of the fortunate ones that doesn't worry about what others think of me. I do my job, as well as I can, and take care of my patients. That is what I am here for - if getting along with my coworkers means getting abused.... I guess that I just won't get along.:nono:

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clee1

You said it so well.

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Specializes in Trauma ICU.

Some people can take your kindness for weakness. Continue to stand your ground. Also, you should remind them that once report is giving to the oncoming RN, all care has been transferred to that individual.

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that's awful treatment... dont put up with it

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Report starts at 0245. We arrive a few minutes early, take the Kardex into the report room and write the room #'s, names, ages, docs, and diagnosis down. Then the nurse gives report on her pts. Then the next nurse gives report on her pts. We read the chart, look at labs, etc., after report. We check meds after report.

Sometimes there will be lollygagging . . . nurses coming in talking and getting coffee and putting down all the goodies they've brought for night shift and such. But not the stuff you talk about. We decide assignment after report. Amongst ourselves.

Night shift eats well . . just today they brought in mexican food, homemade bean dip, salsa, tortilla chips. Sometimes they bbq.

steph

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Specializes in Hospice, Med/Surg, ICU, ER.
Also, you should remind them that once report is giving to the oncoming RN, all care has been transferred to that individual.

This is the problem in a nutshell.......

They know all too well that taking report means that they are now responsible; and they avoid this as long as possible.

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Specializes in Hospice, Med/Surg, ICU, ER.
We decide assignment after report. Amongst ourselves.

We've tried that on our unit before my time..... It always seems that the newbies or agency nurses wind up with the tough acuities or the PIA's while the long-terms wind up with the creampuff assignments.

Now the offgoing charge makes up the assignments to keep it more fair and so that the offgoing nurses know who they are giving report to.

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We are assigned patients, period. We don't "swap" them, unless it happens that two people coming in two days in a row happen to have been assigned the run from each other's previous day. Not common, and it's noticed immediately. Otherwise, you get who you get, take report and get away from the charge nurse :p

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Specializes in ICU, telemetry, LTAC.

LOL, "get away from the charge nurse!" I wish I had that on a tee shirt, and I wish it would make the phone shaddup and stop ringing, too.

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We've tried that on our unit before my time..... It always seems that the newbies or agency nurses wind up with the tough acuities or the PIA's while the long-terms wind up with the creampuff assignments.

Now the offgoing charge makes up the assignments to keep it more fair and so that the offgoing nurses know who they are giving report to.

We are a small hospital - never more than 2 RN's and 10 patients. It is probably easier to do for us. I can't imagine it working in a bigger hospital with 10 nurses and 50 patients.

Just yesterday we had an admit from our ER and the other nurse begged me to take him as he is a frequent flyer and she had him two weeks ago and it was not fun. I took him - this time he was in fine form, not as heavy a patient and easy to care for . . . . . she was surprised.

steph

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Clee - good for you for telling them off!:D

I always felt that if your shift started at, say 7, for instance, that doesn't mean you walk in the door at 7. You be there, READY TO WORK at 7. If it takes 10 minutes for you to put your stuff away and get organized, then be there 10 minutes BEFORE 7!!:angryfire

I'm getting OLD - and I'm really tired of this BS from some of these people. Don't let them walk all over you!!

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Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

"....Sometimes they bbq."

How the heck do they do that???

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