I am not easily offended and l let things roll off my back. The P.A. was making rounds the other day and walked into one of my patients room. I heard the patient ask, "A nurse came into my room at 3a.m. and put something in my IV. I have no idea what it was." The P.A. came out of the room and asked me what it was. I told him I was not sure, but I would find out and let him know. I followed that up with, I'm sure it was important if it was 3a.m. He smiled and thanked me, and walked back into the patients room. I heard him say, "you know, Nurses are stupid. They think if they are awake at 3 a.m. then you should be too." It was probably a flush to make sure the IV is still working. Anyhow, I'll find out fore sure." My mouth hit the floor. At that very moment, I remembered in report the nurse tell me the pt had a Bigeminy rhythm and he was given IV Mag, which corrected it. I quickly walked into the patients room and explained to the pt and P.A. what was given and why. The P.A. responded with a great big smile on his face, "See, I knew we would find out!" I still get pissed every time I think about it. I am a very quiet, non-confrontational person, but let me tell you....I can spit out a sarcastic comment that will make your head spin when I feel the need. I am feeling the need!
I think I might have ya beat...we have one surgeon who is a notorious ******* who works at my hospital and constantly complains about the hospital. Per his request, the nurses are to round with him in the morning for continuity. The first time I ever go to round with him, he sees me walking behind him and slams the door shut right in my face. I proceeded into the room because I am just following his orders and he glares at me. During these rounds, with the patient and her family all in the room he went ahead and said "The nursing staff here is completely incompitent and they have failed you. Any hospital bill you get should be on them. This is a ****** organization and the nursing staff here doesn't know how to do to their jobs." The reason why he said this? Because the patient had to have their discharge cancelled due to a critically low Potassium. Day shift left staples in her abdomen because the order read "Remove prior to discharge" and they wanted me to clairfy, since the initial discharge had been postponed and he smugly said "What? Like staples need to come out 5 minutes before discharge?!" And I said "No, but the order was on their shift and they were not sure. So I'll take care of that." And after he wrote a note in the patient's chart: "Plan: Take out staples AS ORDERED YESTERDAY. Discharge patient home AS ORDERED YESTERDAY."
Wow! I would definitely report that. I'm not one to go around reporting every digression I see, but this was completely intolerable.
How do you know the patient was awake? Sleep is the best thing for a patient & so hard for them to get in the hospital. When I have worked nights & had to give meds I do it as quietly as possibly not to wake the patient. So unless the patient was awake & asked but the nurse didn't tell the patient, there is no harm in what happened.
Or should we wake up a patient every time we have to go in their room to do something? I'm sure *that* would go over well. I know I'd rather have the nurse come in, be quiet with what s/he has to do & let me sleep. But since you're not a nurse, you don't understand.
I agree with trying not to disturb the patient's much needed sleep. One thing I thought of though, in this case, the patient should be made aware that they had an arrhythmia and received treatment for it. Quite possibly this was a transient, unusual situation that will not happen again, but they need to be aware of this in the event they have continued cardiac issues. The compromise I would take, would be to wake the patient right before my change of shift in the morning to let them know what happened, if they were not already aware. But yes...no need to wake a patient for flushing an Iv or other routine tasks ifmthey can be done Quietly.
A PA has their place but get them out of their one little area and critical thinking is not their fore-tay or should I say fore-stay......they cannot carry over critical thinking because their knowledge is only in one area so don't let them get your back up. I have to educate them all of the time even in their areas.....I am a Mastered Degree of 30 years......they just have to be taught......
Always address people in the work-place by appropriate title, or by what they request you to address them as. A lapse of professionalism by one person does not rightly begat that of another.
What are we supposed to call PAs? I've always just used their first name, same with NPs, since there isn't a term.
It's not like people go around calling me Nurse Glycerine. What am I missing?
A PA has their place but get them out of their one little area and critical thinking is not their fore-tay or should I say fore-stay......they cannot carry over critical thinking because their knowledge is only in one area so don't let them get your back up. I have to educate them all of the time even in their areas.....I am a Mastered Degree of 30 years......they just have to be taught......
Funny, in all my years of working with PAs I have not found this to be true. Not once...ever. Furthermore I believe the same can be said for nurses who are taken out of their areas of experience/expertise. I know if you put me on an adult gen-med floor I'd be completely lost. I'd adapt but it wouldn't be pretty at first.
And FTR it's "forte".
And "forestay" is part of the standing rigging of a sailboat.
Actually, all PA programs are not masters level. They are baccalaureates or masters depending on the school. Acceptance simply requires two years of college level study. Alternatively, all NP programs are graduate programs, either a masters or a doctorate level. I don't wish to denigrate PAs, simply wanted to set the record straight.
Thank you for the point of clarification. You are correct that a few programs still remain that only offer the BS option but my understanding is that they are dwindling in number and the vast majority of programs offer a MS degree. I think it is similar to the movement that we see with the closure of RN (Diploma) programs and increase in RN (BSN) programs.
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
Student Doctor Network. It is like AllNurses but for med students
Perhaps some flunked out of med school and they're bitter, but have decided fellow med students will call them out on their BS sooner than nurses will. That's probably true, but giving newcomers the benefit of the doubt is a positive trait on a message board.
Perhaps some flunked out of med school and they're bitter, but have decided fellow med students will call them out on their BS sooner than nurses will. That's probably true, but giving newcomers the benefit of the doubt is a positive trait on a message board.
This newcomer has turned out to be a one post hit and run. So I'm inclined to give more doubt than benefit.
Perhaps some flunked out of med school and they're bitter, but have decided fellow med students will call them out on their BS sooner than nurses will. That's probably true, but giving newcomers the benefit of the doubt is a positive trait on a message board.
I completely agree with you and since I'm the one who first alluded to the idea that we were being punked I just wanted to say that I rarely make these allegations. However, in this situation, given the subject matter and the fact that the OP has not come back even once to respond my suspicions stand. My post was meant to be a warning that we refrain from PA or doctor bashing lest we end up looking foolish as well as reflecting poorly on our profession as a whole.
Actually, all PA programs are not masters level. They are baccalaureates or masters depending on the school. Acceptance simply requires two years of college level study. Alternatively, all NP programs are graduate programs, either a masters or a doctorate level. I don't wish to denigrate PAs, simply wanted to set the record straight.
Can you please share the source of this information? Is it current as of 2016? In the U.S.? I am not aware of any PA today coming out with a bachelors degree or a 2-year. The academic requirements are more stringent than NP.
BeenThere2012, ASN, RN
863 Posts
Wow! I would definitely report that. I'm not one to go around reporting every digression I see, but this was completely intolerable.