Everything is our responsibility. Rant.

Cohiba · Jul 21, 2013

I wish, as an orientation exercise, every department of the healthcare team was required to shadow a nurse for a day. I think many eyes would be opened.

As would nurse's eyes be opened if they had to shadow in other departments/specialties as well...

dudette10, MSN, RN · Jul 21, 2013

Thanks for that. This is a rant. On a nursing site.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Jul 21, 2013

Not only is everything our responsibility, everything is also our fault. That's one thing I hated about hospital nursing... a room change happens at 10pm, the kid's mother is mad that the bathroom isn't cleaned fast enough (because it was somehow clearly inappropriate that we disposed of her son's roommate's emesis in the toilet and crazy mother is convinced that germs from vomit flushed 8 hours ago are going to aerosolize and infect her son's covered surgical site) so it's clearly the nurses fault that there is ONE environmental services person covering the whole hospital on the night shift.

dudette10, MSN, RN · Jul 21, 2013

Kel...that's the part that is frustrating. We are on the front lines, so we get the dissatisfaction. It's a part of our job, I know, but it really wears on me at times. I have a vacation coming up to recharge. :)

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Jul 21, 2013

Welcome to nursing...*sigh*

Sorry you're feeling put-upon--I can relate. It's amazing how many things are suddenly my responsibility, especially when they're going south. I hope your vacation arrives quickly and you have a great time :)

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Jul 21, 2013

Sigh......Preaching to the choir...I think this is the hardest to put up with...immense responsibility and very little authority yet responsible for everything. :banghead:

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Jul 21, 2013

Kel...that's the part that is frustrating. We are on the front lines, so we get the dissatisfaction. It's a part of our job, I know, but it really wears on me at times. I have a vacation coming up to recharge. :)

You know, I remember when I was in nursing school, someone I know who had a daughter who was in and out of hospitals told me that she felt she could realize empathize with nurses because she used to be a waitress and she felt like it was very similar. At the time (I was a senior nursing student), I thought the comparison was a little insulting though I kind of understood after she explained that waitresses, like nurses, are on the front line so they get yelled at/blamed for things they cannot control. And then after working as a nurse for just under a year I FULLY understood what she meant one day... my patient who had had surgery for an arachnoid cyst had developed a CSF leak and was on-call to go the OR. He was made NPO that morning because we had no idea when the OR would be able to fit him in. His surgeon had several other surgeries that day and couldn't predict low long they would take either. If I recall correctly, one was a brainstem tumor operation... obviously a very complicated surgery. Anyway, Dad wasn't too happy that Jr had to be NPO and Jr was only 4 or 5 years old so after a few hours, he really started complaining about wanting to eat. So, who is there for Dad to yell at but the good old bedside nurse? Clearly I control the OR schedules and can make the Chief of Neurosurgery move faster when operating on another child's brainstem... All day, Dad screamed at me about how we were torturing his child by keeping him NPO and how if I couldn't give him a time for surgery right.this.second. he was going to feed the child.

Biffbradford · Jul 21, 2013

"Hey, thanks a lot for coming up and fixing the refrigerator in the break room. We really appreciate it. Do you suppose that you could come back up and PLUG IT IN??????" :smokin:

noyesno, MSN, APRN, NP · Jul 21, 2013

You know, I remember when I was in nursing school, someone I know who had a daughter who was in and out of hospitals told me that she felt she could realize empathize with nurses because she used to be a waitress and she felt like it was very similar. At the time (I was a senior nursing student), I thought the comparison was a little insulting though I kind of understood after she explained that waitresses, like nurses, are on the front line so they get yelled at/blamed for things they cannot control. And then after working as a nurse for just under a year I FULLY understood what she meant one day... my patient who had had surgery for an arachnoid cyst had developed a CSF leak and was on-call to go the OR. He was made NPO that morning because we had no idea when the OR would be able to fit him in. His surgeon had several other surgeries that day and couldn't predict low long they would take either. If I recall correctly, one was a brainstem tumor operation... obviously a very complicated surgery. Anyway, Dad wasn't too happy that Jr had to be NPO and Jr was only 4 or 5 years old so after a few hours, he really started complaining about wanting to eat. So, who is there for Dad to yell at but the good old bedside nurse? Clearly I control the OR schedules and can make the Chief of Neurosurgery move faster when operating on another child's brainstem... All day, Dad screamed at me about how we were torturing his child by keeping him NPO and how if I couldn't give him a time for surgery right.this.second. he was going to feed the child.

I agree with the waitress thing. 100%

That's why I've said this, time and time again: leave a 20% cash tip on the bedside table.

dudette10, MSN, RN · Jul 21, 2013

I can empathize with patients who feel good, are hungry, but who are, in reality, very sick. I just wish they understood that yelling at me is just not nice! I had a direct admit the other day that I was concerned about, and I got an ICU eval on. The ICU residents were in the room calling out orders to see if they could improve the patients condition. He was borderline for floor vs ICU. I also could hear my patient next door hitting the call bell and complaining about being NPO, after returning from imaging in which he was NPO for prep. He called 2times in 15 minutes. I finally multitasked to the Pyxis for my ICU eval while on the phone to the resident for hungry man to make sure he could eat. The hungry patient could see I was occupied because I and MDs were entering and exiting the room right next door! Frustrating!

dudette10, MSN, RN · Jul 21, 2013

"Hey, thanks a lot for coming up and fixing the refrigerator in the break room. We really appreciate it. Do you suppose that you could come back up and PLUG IT IN??????"

This made me laugh out loud!!! Good one!