Bummed

[Vito Andolini]

I had another new aide yesterday and today. I had to speak to her about leaving the floor without letting me know. I clearly write on the assignment sheet that I am to be informed when someone is leaving the floor. I tell my med cart mate if I need to step off or out for a moment or longer (toilet, lunch, whatever) and I expect the same of my aides. This one took offense, demanding why don't I ask anyone else to do it, how come I'm checking up on her, etc.

I tried to explain but she wasn't interested in my response. I asked the supervisor not to send her back any more. She's a floater so I might get lucky and not have to deal with her any more. Most of the time, she signs up to work but doesn't show, due to not being relieved on her other job. Does she bother to call? I can't figure out why they keep scheduling her. She calls to say she's late but never calls to say she just plain isn't coming. She must have the dirt on somebody.

I'm so sick of people you can't talk to or reason with or say anything to, however nicely, however legitimate.

[Vito Andolini]

As long as they make arrangements for someone to cover their lights and their breaks are short, then I have no need for the CNA to report to me when they leave the floor.

How do you know who to go to, quickly, directly, when you need to communicate with the aide who is now off the floor but you don't know it?

I guess you could go 1 by 1 and get lucky to find the right aid on the firist try.

[TopazLover, BSN, RN]

One of the issues raised in one of the previous posts raised some hairs for me.

The idea of being left in a wet "diaper" always bothers me. Adults usually hate the thought of being in a diaper. It is better to start thinking of these as incont. supplies, or "tidy whities" or another word that is less babying of the patient.

On any given floor that "2 minutes" usually is much longer. There may be reasons to run when the bell is rung to get to the BR. Urinary bladder retraining is difficult and lack of success will lead to discouragement on the part of the patient and frustration by staff.

Staff is paid to either be on the floor or accounted for. In case of fire, etc. you need to know where staff is. One unaccounted staff may cause all kinds of problems. I had to evacuate a unit at midnight once. If someone were MIA and I did not know where that person was ...?

These are things you learn over time. Smart attitudes are not the same as smart nurses. Smart nurses learn from others rather than wait until it happens to them.

[lindseylpn]

I understand about wanting to know if someone has to go take a "pee break" (if its off the unit).

I once had a cna take a "bathroom break" and not tell anyone. We couldn't find him for 2 hours, wouldn't answer his pages or even his personal cell phone. We assumed he quit and left the building without telling anyone. Turns out he fell asleep on the toilet in a bathroom that noone ever used down in the service corridor. (He was very embarrased)