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.
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!!
That's the way I view it too. Be ready to go to work at the start of the shift.
Don't worry about letting them walk all over me. I can assure you that I am NOBODY's doormat.
That is one reason to be glad that there are more and more men coming into nursing: we are either genetically or culturally conditioned to stand up for ourselves, and have little hesitation to do so.
I was wondering that myself. I usually have enough time to pee once or twice, and about 1/3 of the time I have 10 minutes to choke down a sandwich. That's all the "free time" I have on shift.
I immediately am ready to take report after I arrive, I can look at cardexes and charts later. My mission is to get the night nurse out of there.
I had a patient call during report for pain medicine tonight (I had just left the room as I like to tend to their needs proactively so nights doesn't have to come on and medicate people, but she was in the bathroom and said she didn't need anything). While I offered to get it, the night nurse kindly said he would. It's the decent thing to do when a coworker is dog tired after 12 hours. Plus you can take the opportunity to start your assessment.
Oh man that p****s me off so bad!!!!!!! It is so disrespectful, and most of our night shifters are HORRIBLE about it! We tape report, and then update after the oncoming shift is done listening. They have been fairly good about starting the tape, but they sop it to eat, or talk, or they listen to the whole thing and then they "have to get their sheets together" (aka "color" - they all have different highlghting systems, which is fine, but GET THERE EARLY ENOUGH TO DO IT BEFORE 11:30!!!) I'm so sick of leaving at midnight or later every single night when I'm supposed to be gone by 11:30. And if I'm all done ith my work and I don't see them by 11:35 - 11:40, I'm in the conference room giving updates. I am NOT willing to stay late every night! See, they don't want us to get overtime, but for me, it's not - I only work 32 hours/week (so it's full time, but not 40 hours). Anyway, this is a HUGE issue on our unit. I think I'm one of the most vocal people about it, but it irritates the you-know-what out of me, when I bust my butt to be out of report by 3:30 (usually it's earlier, depending on how many people have to listen to the tape and where my group falls in said tape). We have a lot of shift conflict issues right now, though. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
There is a bbq grill on the other side of the ambulance garage, which is right outside the ER doors. The doc on-call, the nurses, aides, etc., all bring stuff and they bbq, usually after midnight when it slows down.
Remember, we are rural - there are about 3000 people in this whole valley.
Unfortunately I have to confess at being 5 or so minutes late no matter what I do--but I call, let them know I am on my way, and encourage them to leave me written or taped report so that I don't hold them up...however, our acuity and staffing balance is such that eves is working late to do their own work (I am 11p-0730)--the stuff I can't pick up for them--that I don't hold them up anyway--but when days come on, they also come 10-30 minutes late, and then argue about the assignment--and no, I absolutely refuse the responsibility of making assigments for a shift that is not my own---and--I will not come in early and start working before they will pay me for my time--they don't let us clock in more than 7 minutes before our shift....the solution to this waste of time is to have a management person available at shift change, then just because they are watching--the bad behavior magically disappears...but management usually are "above" coming in or staying during the hours they arereally needed, despite the fact that most nursing happens in a 24/7 facility.....
We have to track down the person with the assignment board and wait for thenurse on the assignment to finish. No lie sometimes I don't start report until 330p It stinks.
what makes nursing different than any other profession on being late? even in another field it would not be tolerated. my grand-mother owns a diner and when the new shift starts that is when the other shift starts doing their close jobs. and i have seen her fire people when the are late repeatedly. it doesn't makes sense.....i say stick to what you think is right. me and husband make sure we have things in order at the beginning of the week. when i have school he is here, when he has something i am here. i understand if you are a single mom, my sister is and she struggles. but she always makes sure she has her sitters lined up and she has a back-up in case of a problem.
I like to be on work before time - helps me avoid any last minute rush my preceeding nurse may have and if I get done with report sooner, I also get a chance to ask them further questions on my patients.
Besides, it helps me start off earlier on assessments - and this way I get to hang my meds usually before/on time.
Gives me plenty of time to chart - and thus start chart checks (my two biggest hassles of the night!)
Of course, all this is assuming that it is a smooth night with compliant patients - which it rarely is. In that case, I still lose nothing ... because starting early still buys me time later on in the shift.
clee1
832 Posts
That's the way I view it too. Be ready to go to work at the start of the shift.
Don't worry about letting them walk all over me. I can assure you that I am NOBODY's doormat.
That is one reason to be glad that there are more and more men coming into nursing: we are either genetically or culturally conditioned to stand up for ourselves, and have little hesitation to do so.