I came into work yesterday and the day shift nurses were talking about how our director came up and chewed everyone for complaints from a patient...no one introducing themselves when they walked into the room, pt complained about some hair left in her bed after being prepped for a cath, nurses telling the pt it was policy that the pt couldn't take their home meds back home with them...etc.
...Then I realized it was the patient that my preceptor and myself prepped for cath! I was still orienting and I have never prepped someone before, so I brought my preceptor along to make sure I was doing it right. She was showing me how to do it on one side and as she was shaving, I kept grabbing the clumps of hair off the bed and putting them in the trash. Then she had me shave the other side, and same thing. There were still some hairs left in the bed and the patient complained about it. I tried to clean off those hairs as best as I could...and I realize it was my fault for 1) not putting down a chux pad beforehand and 2) failing to do a linen change afterwards (and not delegating it as I should have, I had a VERY heavy load that night!) but from what I have heard from other employees, the pt made it sound like there were clumps and clumps of hair left in the bed! Linen change was done at around 0715...pt got up to the bathroom so the new nurse & I changed it while they were up. Shave prep was done at I don't know, 0500-0530? Then a pt was complaining of chest pain so I had to order a stat EKG and get the doc on the phone...and still trying to get caught up with charting everything including meds, initating orders, etc...it was busy for me! And I don't know if they were prepped some more downstairs or what and left more hairs in the bed...but frankly I'm pretty worried!
I had this patient the night before, too, and I was told I was the very first person to introduce myself when I came into the room. Not sure what was going on with the discharge. I'm still on probation (about half-way through now), just had my evaluation last week and was told how I am doing such an outstanding job...that night I worked was by far one of the worst nights I have ever had...and during my evaluation I was commended for handling it professionally and not having a negative attitude about anything, etc....and now this! I haven't heard anything yet, but yesterday our director took our schedule book because she was trying to figure out who was working that night and working when the pt left.
A similar situation happened in the past...Another patient wasn't happy with the care the were receiving and complained that no one came in the entire shift. Obviously with documentation including med documentation, that is not the case. I did not work that night, but everyone who worked that night got talked to...
I have never had a patient complain about me before! And I know this is bound to happen at some point in my career (and it probably hasn't because I'm still so new) but I have not made any med errors and have never had any safety issues with patients. If I need to call the doc, I call. If I'm unsure about calling, I asked my coworkers for a second opinion. I always try to advocate for my patients in the best way possible. I am always polite to my patients - I never talk back to them or be rude to them. I have perfect attendance and always show up early to work...and I'm still worried what will be said to me if anything at all. Day shift nurses were again talking about it at shift change. Came home and couldn't sleep...finally slept for 2 hours...and now I'm awake again and I'm back tonight!
:lol2:rule number 1: one shift always talks about the other shift (usually in a negative manner.)
Rule number 2: see rule number one
Rule number 3: The more free time adminstration has, the more "incidents" will occur.
Rule number 4: nice, well meaning people like you worry about what the day
shift thinks of you.
Rule number 5: the night shift knows you are a good nurse.
Rule number 6: Most of us don't listen to silly stuff like this, we just show up, take report, do our job, report off, and go home (rinse and repeat for 2 more 12 hour shifts.)
Rule number 8: Your evaluation is already in the bag and on file, no one will take it back.
Rule number 9: Don't sweat the stray hairs and small stuff...if that's all she had to complain about she's workin pretty hard.
I'd tell you to not take this stuff personally, but you will. Some day you will use this story when teaching new nurse, and you'll laugh! really! (If you watch NCIS- don't you just want to Gibbs smack the back of her head? if you don't find someone who does)
Your nursing leadership sucks. they should have told the patient they were "so sorry you were unhappy. Thank you for bringing it to our attention." Then, knowing it is a BS complaint, they should have dropped that part into the circular file.
The not introducing self is only slightly less petty, but worthy of mention at a staff meeting. The witch hunt is stunningly ludicrous.
I'd be looking for another place to work just to avoid the skewed values and leadership incompetence of your administrators.
Your nursing leadership sucks. they should have told the patient they were "so sorry you were unhappy. Thank you for bringing it to our attention." Then, knowing it is a BS complaint, they should have dropped that part into the circular file.
I disagree that it's a BS complaint. Having hair in your bed is extremely uncomfortable. (Think of the old saying, "Wearing your hair shirt.")
The not introducing self is only slightly less petty, but worthy of mention at a staff meeting. The witch hunt is stunningly ludicrous.
I'd be looking for another place to work just to avoid the skewed values and leadership incompetence of your administrators.
Agreed. BS is the overly-dramatic reaction to it. It's a process issue; not a personnel issue. If cath lab prep is done frequently on this floor, the staff meeting should include tips on avoiding it in the future. Tongue-lashings just create bad blood among shifts and between floor nurses and management.
I've worked with you melosaurRN. Your a good nurse. I can see that and I don't even work on your shift. We do the best we can do and that's all we can do. Trust me there will always be something that we "did wrong". Don't worry it will blow over. And if she asks you just explain your side.
Better the hair was left on the bed, and not dragged by the cath up into his sorry vessels....winding along the vascular system to lodge in some tiny vein, looking like a palm tree , waving in a bloody ocean breeze....
I must admit to being very confused about this thread. Until I read this.
I've never heard of shaving a woman (or a man for that matter) to put in a foley cath.
As others have said, there are some people you will never be able to please, no matter what you do. You sound like an excellent nurse to me. I remember my first patient complaint at my first job. I had been an employed RN for 6 months. I had a patient who was a Pysician's Assistant at the hospital system where I worked. We had thank you cards that the patient could fill out when they felt that a staff member had gone above and beyond the call of duty. These cards were posted on a bulletin board in the staff lounge. This particular patient filled out a card and mentioned me and another nurse by name. About a month later, me and the other nurse were called into the Nurse Manager's office at the end of our shift r/t a patient complaint that was 3 typed pages long. This letter detailed the ineptitude of the entire unit and specifically named myself and the other nurse. It was written by the PA patient. I was floored! We were able to address every complaint the patient gave. I went to the staff lounge and got the thank you card and showed it to the Nurse Manager. She said..."this person apparently has some issues. I will take care of this. Forget we ever had this meeting, you are both great nurses." This incident disturbed me but not too much), because it was just too bizarre. The other nurse was very upset and crying and I talked with her for an hour after our shift was over.
About a year and 1/2 ago I worked at an LTAC. I took care of one particular patient many times, and I felt that we had developed a great rapport. One day, while I was taking care of her, she told her neice, who was at the bedside, what an excellent nurse I was. The next day before report, the Unit Coordinator informed me that I would no longer be taking care of this patient. I was confused and asked why. She told me that this patient had complained about me but would not give me specifics. To be honest, I was upset and my feelings were hurt. The patient was then assigned to an agency nurse who had never been to our facility before. Said patient was upset and questioned the nurse's competency to our PTA. When the patient found out that I was working that day and not her nurse, she asked why. ??????? I had to laugh and told my Unit Coordinator about this. Her response..."I guess she should not have complained about you."
Back to my point that there are some people that you just can't please. And they may be the ones that you would never expect critisism from. Hang in there, because unfortunately complaints will happen. Bottom line, look at all of the good you do as a nurse (and not just your technological skills)...being there for patients upset before major procedures, comforting family members after the death of a loved one, etc. Shortly after the 3 page incident, a nurse that I was getting oncoming report from told me that "we need to talk about the patient in room 326." I took care of this patient the night before and my first thought was "what did I do wrong?" However, the patient and family had requested that I care for the patient whenever I was on duty. That made me cry and helped me to get over a petty patient complaint.
I wouldn't worry about it too much, not only are they not life-threatening issues but as you've read a million times here already. You can't please everyone.
When I was doing my postgraduate year, I had a super busy shift and one of my children's lungs collapsed, just a wee thing, it had a cerebral cry, cleft pallate, kept going blue and was RSV+. A child of severe neglect. We put in a IVC for flight out of the town and of all things it tissued and the child had to be recannulated. I felt absolutely aweful! I blamed myself, thinking if I'd just been more careful, looked after it's IVC better it wouldn't of had to go through another one. I was very much teary and upset.
My unit manager grabbed my shoulders shook me slightly and told me. Not to worry about it, that all my patients were alive at the end of my shift and as a nurse. THAT was the most important thing. Everything else is just dust and cobwebs that can be fixed or swept aside.
I've taken that to heart, even today if I have a shift from hell and I'm finally home on the couch reflecting on my day. I can always remind myself, all of them are ok, someone not getting their ice in time? Well that really isn't important in the big picture is it?
I don't know if that mindset is helpful at all, but it certainly put things into perspective for myself. We do our best to meet our patients needs, but the most important thing really is keeping them alive everything else is small fries.
That's what we used to say in our unit at shift change, hey, they are all still breathing, I did my job!! Now, they are yours!!
Now that is success!
Thank you everyone for your comments, I really appreciate it. I feel better. Because I'm still so new and have never had patients complain about me or had doctors yell at me until I started this job, I'm still trying to get used to not taking things "personally." If a patient, family member or doctor is rude to me I never "talk back"...but inside it affects me. Everyone just says to not let it get to me. Thankfully all of my coworkers on nights have been very supportive with any issues I may have and they're always asking if I am doing okay or need any help.
And yes, there is always that day shift/night shift rivalry no matter where you go. I haven't really noticed it here, but maybe because I haven't been here long enough. At my previous job it was very evident who liked who, etc. I just try to keep to myself and try to get along with everyone...
Until I read this.
nola1202
587 Posts
:lol2:rule number 1: one shift always talks about the other shift (usually in a negative manner.)
Rule number 2: see rule number one
Rule number 3: The more free time adminstration has, the more "incidents" will occur.
Rule number 4: nice, well meaning people like you worry about what the day
shift thinks of you.
Rule number 5: the night shift knows you are a good nurse.
Rule number 6: Most of us don't listen to silly stuff like this, we just show up, take report, do our job, report off, and go home (rinse and repeat for 2 more 12 hour shifts.)
Rule number 8: Your evaluation is already in the bag and on file, no one will take it back.
Rule number 9: Don't sweat the stray hairs and small stuff...if that's all she had to complain about she's workin pretty hard.
I'd tell you to not take this stuff personally, but you will. Some day you will use this story when teaching new nurse, and you'll laugh! really! (If you watch NCIS- don't you just want to Gibbs smack the back of her head?
if you don't find someone who does)