End of the Nursing Shortage

Mahage, LPN · Jan 1, 2009

Wow, Must be a nice place to work. I wonder if the RN's and LPN's have the same version. I can remember when I was first off orientation, running behind as usual, desperately trying to get all my electrolytes hung and 6 am meds given and a tech who was sitting at the desk answered the call light and announced to me that Rm 5 wanted to go to the bathroom. I told him very specifically that he needed to go help her ot the bathroom. I was amazed that he would be so lazy and presumptious. He then made remarks that some nurses thought all they were supposed to do was to make med passes. That was one of many remarks this young man made directed not only at me but all the other nurses. He eventually got fired for stating loudly that a certain patient was crazy and the patients wife heard him and complained. He was on the line anyhow for failing to do his job. Another tech who is still with us will almost without fail ask me if I have got all the linen and supplies together when I call her for a change or cleanup on a patient. Last night I was busily giving meds and she had called me about a patient who had a big bm. I was giving meds at other end of the hall and told her I would be there shortly. I finished my med on the one patient and went to the one who had bm and was getting her meds set up and the tech comes to the door and asks me if the patient has septisoft. I just told her I didn't know as I was trying to get her ativan ready to give to calm her down a bit. Well she actually walked the 4 steps to the sink to check it out herself. :clphnds:

There is a world of difference between her and some of the wonderful techs we have who go out of their way to see that the patients are well cared for.:redbeathe Believe me, my patient had two huge BM's last night and I was in on the clean up of both. Cleanups are not a highlight of my night, but if I can cut loose at all to help, I do. That is the norm on our unit. Our techs do backbreaking work, but we do too! If someone sleeps on nights it is because they have lost consciousness then they would get a trip to the ER, LOL!

If you are planning to become a nurse, take my word for it, you will remember you thoughts on this subject when you are trying to track down the tech who won't answer their phone and your 250 lb pt is playing in the poo.

Mahage

Maybe the duties of a RN/LPN varies from state to state. But where know because I was busy giving meds. She took a deep breath and walked to the sink to check for the I live, the RNs do not wipe anyone's butt AT ALL, that is the job of the CNAs/PCAs. They do all of the dirty work now. A PCA told me that a RN once said, "I did not go to school to wipe ass, that is not my job". And they do not have to do it. Many of them don't.
I was trained in a hospital and saw many of the RNs just passing meds, and doing less strenous work, while the PCAs did the hard physical work. They were floor RNs and they looked more relaxed than the PCAs who were sweating and worn out from turning over patients, passing water, changing diapers, etc. I know alot of the RN posters will say "just because it doesn't look like we're not busy doesn't mean we're not doing anything" but when I worked in LTC facilities, and been trained in hospitals, they did not do as much work at all. In fact, I know a lady who is a RN, she LOVES her job because she gets to sleep most of her shift (she works the midnight shift).
Now the part aobut people being turned away because of blood and having to deal with feces..the first time is really awful, but after awhile you become desensitized to it. It's just becomes a job, and soon you become really efficient and fast that you're out of there efore the smell even hits you. But most nurse's assistant's and PCAs deal with that..the RNs/LPNs don't