Why do I have to call lab to remind them of timed blood draws being drawn, well, on time?
Why do I have to call dietary to make sure the ordered supplements are on the tray?
Why do I have to call pharmacy to refill the Pyxis?
Why do I have to call supply to tell them that they smooshed two types of IVF together in the supply Pyxis and they need to sort it out?
A STAT imaging call to radiology is our job, but why do I have to follow up 30 minutes later?
Even if I'm busy, I have to check orders every 30 minutes because STAT orders are put in without a courtesy call to the nurse!
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.
Just a little info on the pharmacy thing. I became a pharmacy tech while in nursing school. mainly because I thought it would help me in my career, but also to see what all the fuss was about between nursing and pharmacy. A lot of times we arent aware that the pyxis is empty because the count could be off (nursing or pharmacy's fault) or we are out of the med or are literally about to bring it up as you call. But working in the pharmacy with some lazy techs I know that sometimes people just dont do their job! Just as an FYI.
Thanks for that. This is a rant. On a nursing site.
Whow..that was kind of just not nice..had to put that in a nice way. Seriously though, they are right. Nurses are not the perfect deity in the hospitals. I worked as a pharm tech in a hospital for years and every day I dealt with nurses that had to have gotten their licenses from Cracker Jack boxes. Rants are cool and totally understand them. Just realize that what you rant on isn't always right.
Whow..that was kind of just not nice..had to put that in a nice way. Seriously though, they are right. Nurses are not the perfect deity in the hospitals. I worked as a pharm tech in a hospital for years and every day I dealt with nurses that had to have gotten their licenses from Cracker Jack boxes. Rants are cool and totally understand them. Just realize that what you rant on isn't always right.
It wasn't "not nice." It was the truth. I was/am ranting on a nursing site and the first person swoops in and says something to the effect of, "You have no idea what other disciplines have to put up with. How dare YOU find fault with them." What should I have said? Nothing? I'm sick of saying "nothing" when all it means is keeping to the status quo.
And quite frankly, your statement, "Nurses are not the perfect deity in the hospitals" is dripping in sarcasm and is ragingly snide.
Your post made me think of this:
There is a particular discipline where I work that likes to talk about how nursing is lazy and not compassionate. One of two grand dames of that discipline combed out and put my patients hair in a pony tail today. It was nice for the patient, and I thanked her. She gave me a look that could kill. In her mind, she was the bestest, most compassionate-est person in the entire hospital. 'Cause look what SHE did that NURSING didn't. That's not compassion; that's self-aggrandizement with a healthy dose of RN envy.
It wasn't "not nice." It was the truth. I was/am ranting on a nursing site and the first person swoops in and says something to the effect of, "You have no idea what other disciplines have to put up with. How dare YOU find fault with them." What should I have said? Nothing? I'm sick of saying "nothing" when all it means is keeping to the status quo.
And quite frankly, your statement, "Nurses are not the perfect deity in the hospitals" is dripping in sarcasm and is ragingly snide.
Your post made me think of this:
There is a particular discipline where I work that likes to talk about how nursing is lazy and not compassionate. One of two grand dames of that discipline combed out and put my patients hair in a pony tail today. It was nice for the patient, and I thanked her. She gave me a look that could kill. In her mind, she was the bestest, most compassionate-est person in the entire hospital. 'Cause look what SHE did that NURSING didn't. That's not compassion; that's self-aggrandizement with a healthy dose of RN envy.
If only nurses had time to fix people's hair. I would love to be able to do that but when I am gulping down a sandwich on the run no one is getting their hair fixed if I don't have time to take a lunch.
I do think that all departments in the hospital have it tough but the buck stops with the nurses. If the other departments are slow getting the patients tests, labs, breathing treatments, PT, OT, pharmacy, etc. it all comes back to the nurse to find out why and to have to get after the other departments. Why don't the MDs call the other departments and ask them why so and so or such and such is not done yet? Is it because the MDs do not have any more time than the nurses do to chase people around to do their jobs.
As a small example- how many times do I have to call the kitchen to have a meal delivered to my patient's room? If there is an order it should be delivered. I can understand things can be missed but it is a common occurrence.
oh boy. I currently work in retail pharmacy. glad to know i am already a professional at getting yelled at. And not having any power but being the first and/or only face people see, so they just get mad at me.
Their MD didn't specify a strength on their Adderall? Or date it? That's my fault that I have been holding to get someone to clarify the Rx for 15 minutes while one hand is counting 320 metformin and the other hand is making some magic mouthwash.
It's my fault that your doctor sent over 60 mg of celexa qd and 40 mg of omeprazole bid and you wonder why I want to call the doc to discuss his decision real quick before i send you out the door with your heart rhythm issue
and to top it off, they think i am a pharmacist, so i should not complain that I am am making lots of money, little do they know, i make less than 1/8 of a pharmacist salary, and deal with the same crap, and usually am the one keeping the pharmacy together, not the pharmacist (whom i had to correct after she said zoloft is an adequate replacement for that pt's effexor, like the insurance said. sorry, you need to keep your antidepressants straight. you are a pharmacist. seriously. idiot.)
Oh man, this is exactly how I always feel. This is one of my favorites: We labor patients. When they are GBS positive we start Pen G as soon as we get an IV. The order is wrote and sent down to pharmacy along with pen g q4h until delivery. Pharmacy takes it on their account to schedule it like all the other departments so they automatically make it for 6, 10, 2, 6. We don't follow that schedule, nor did we ask them to put it on that schedule. So I call down and ask them to change the schedule to what it should actually be, and they promptly inform me that they cannot change scheduled meds without a dr order. ARE YOU KIDDING ME! Nobody asked you to schedule it like that. You did that on your own account. All I'm doing is asking you to correct it. Not to mention that every single time we have to call atleast an hour ahead of time to get this "scheduled" med or else we never see it.
Then there is the never-ending to do list given to the nurses. I swear every single meeting another "nurse responsibility" is added to our list.
If something goes wrong on the floor, I usually don't even waste my time trying to get maintenance to fix it. By the time they get here I can usually just figure out myself. I feel like the waitress, pharmacist, lab tech, ultrasound tech, maintenance man, janitor, logistics, and sometimes when all that's done, I may even get to nurse.
Because we are nurses. The backbone, the glue, the behind the scenes crew, the whatever you need to call it to remind yourself that your workplace could not function without you there to make sure the machine keeps running smoothly.
Because we are nurses. The backbone, the glue, the behind the scenes crew, the whatever you need to call it to remind yourself that your workplace could not function without you there to make sure the machine keeps running smoothly.
The most recent annoyance was several weeks ago when the physical therapist called me and said that the patient's BP and pulse went up when she was trying to get the patient up. Should she put the patient back in bed and what was my name so she can put it in her notes that the nurse said not to get the patient up. First of all, I told her, the patient has been laying in bed for the past three days because PT does not come on the weekends. Of course her blood pressure and pulse will go up. Secondly, getting the patient up or not is her decision because she is the physical therapy consult.
The most recent annoyance was several weeks ago when the physical therapist called me and said that the patient's BP and pulse went up when she was trying to get the patient up. Should she put the patient back in bed and what was my name so she can put it in her notes that the nurse said not to get the patient up. First of all, I told her, the patient has been laying in bed for the past three days because PT does not come on the weekends. Of course her blood pressure and pulse will go up. Secondly, getting the patient up or not is her decision because she is the physical therapy consult.
This is a really good point. Physiotherapists are educated professionals they should be able to assess a situation for themselves. That PT sounds like she was unsure of herself and wanted to be able to throw you under the bus is she got in trouble.
hortona1
6 Posts
Just a little info on the pharmacy thing. I became a pharmacy tech while in nursing school. mainly because I thought it would help me in my career, but also to see what all the fuss was about between nursing and pharmacy. A lot of times we arent aware that the pyxis is empty because the count could be off (nursing or pharmacy's fault) or we are out of the med or are literally about to bring it up as you call. But working in the pharmacy with some lazy techs I know that sometimes people just dont do their job! Just as an FYI.