Frustration: taking over patients

[Sassy5d]

Just venting. How the universe can be thrown out of tilt simply by the staff member you are taking over for... And it takes you sometimes hours to dig yourself out of the trenches..

[foragreatergood]

There is that one person on our dept that no one likes to pick up from. We have discussions about how this should be addressed, but as far as I know no one has mastered this.

Typically - she has no clue what is happening in 2 of her 4 rooms, despite the fact that she has medicated them for something. Usually at least one is angry from waiting for a pain med for over an hour, and the fourth has likely had a icu bed ready for over an hour and she expects me to give report. Not to mention patients laying in soiled linens and the room is trashed.

I spend the first 2 hours trying to clean up the mess and calm the angry patients

The only partial remedy is to insist on a bedside report, with a computer to review labs/meds/orders. Then, if I see an NG tube was ordered 2 hours ago - I say " I need you to do this before you go please". Or if a med was ordered hours ago, I ask her to do it. If nothing else I have a better picture of the patients and what needs to be done.

When I pick up from anyone else, I have no issue with completing orders or tasks that they may not have gotten to. But with that ONE person - I insist she does it.