Frustrated

[0128AAE]

I am a new nurse and sometimes I get frustrated because of another nurse that is not doing her job. This nurse has called an RN because of a low blood sugar like the RN would fix this problem. The policy where I work is to notify MD of blood sugars

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

Why are you calling the doc for this other nurses patient? She should do this herself. I also think you have every right to be frustrated. Sounds like this nurse has no common sense what so ever.

[sharlynn]

Why are you calling the doc for this other nurses patient? She should do this herself. I also think you have every right to be frustrated. Sounds like this nurse has no common sense what so ever.

I agree. Write the phone # down or hand her the Rolodex. It's her job to call the MD, not yours!

[locolorenzo22, BSN, RN]

your patient...your call..I'll page em, but you take the call when they call back...cause really...what does 2 second page mean vs actually talking to the doc....

[PsychNurseWannaBe, BSN, RN]

The nurse who has performed the assessment should be the nurse who is calling the Doc. I know you are a newbie (I am too) so just make sure that you are not getting things thrown at you because the other nurse(s) are taking advantage of you. You might need to get a little assertive but draw that line in the sand NOW. I have done this several times. I am more than willing to help out a coworker, but I will not do it just because the other nurse doesn't feel like doing it.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

This nurse has worked at this facility for 2 years.

This is a classic example of the "Warm Body Syndrome," when some LTCFs keep poorly performing employees on the payroll for years, instead of hiring more competent people to take their places.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

Some facilities have it set up so that ONE person makes all the calls to the doc regardless of who did the assessment.

And a question...if you have a protocol to deal with low blood sugars and the protocol raises the patient's blood sugar...why does anyone have to call the doc?

[PsychNurseWannaBe, BSN, RN]

some facilities have it set up so that one person makes all the calls to the doc regardless of who did the assessment.

in these facilities... one person has to know everything about several patients if several calls are placed? does this impede anything?

and a question...if you have a protocol to deal with low blood sugars and the protocol raises the patient's blood sugar...why does anyone have to call the doc?

i have similar protocol as the original poster. if bs

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

I think I get it...I've read your other post. Are you in training and sharing those pts?

You still need to call the doc (esp if this is happening alot) since it might be a trend and they might need a change in meds if they are always dropping so low. Read the policy and see if it does say to call the doc or just do the protocol and then call the doc.

I would ask the nurse to expain why she isn't calling. Are they always high and maybe they were sick the night before and didn't eat? Or took their meds without eating? Maybe she just feels like it is a onetime thing?

As far as the one person calling thing.....

If you are in a facility with say...150 or so beds and the doc might have a bunch of pts in the LTC facility...we try to group the calls. Trust me...everyone calling every 5 minutes or so ain't going over that well with the doc.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

in these facilities… one person has to know everything about several patients if several calls are placed? does this impede anything?

i worked in one place where the doctor would only speak to one nurse. he was horrible but the management let him dictate....until i got there. i was the nurse manager and it was the most cumbersome system. the other nurses would write their concerns in a notebook, and i would have to call in 2 or 3 times a day. invariably they would leave out some crucial piece of information and i'd have to chase them down and get the details. besides, they knew their patients...they should be the one speaking to the doc. shortly after i started working there, i changed the way things were done. the doc balked at first, but the nurses learned to give complete concise reports and they had all the information he needed to make an informed decision.

and i must have missed the part of it being protocol to call the doc with a low blood sugar. we write the same kind of parameters on our blood sugars, too....call if less than 60 or greater than 400

[banditrn]

I worked in one place where the doctor would only speak to one nurse. He was horrible but the management let him dictate....until I got there. I was the nurse manager and it was the most cumbersome system. The other nurses would write their concerns in a notebook, and I would have to call in 2 or 3 times a day. Invariably they would leave out some crucial piece of information and I'd have to chase them down and get the details. Besides, they knew their patients...they should be the one speaking to the doc. Shortly after I started working there, I changed the way things were done. The doc balked at first, but the nurses learned to give complete CONCISE reports and they had all the information he needed to make an informed decision.

And I must have missed the part of it being protocol to call the doc with a low blood sugar. We write the same kind of parameters on our blood sugars, too....call if less than 60 or greater than 400

I would prefer to call the doc myself - that way, I can give them my thoughts on WHY the bloodsugar was low, such as throwing up, etc. Also if it was a routine thing that the bloodsugar was low at a certain time every day - possibly the meds need adjusted.