how long do you have to stay at work because of paperwork?

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in OB, Peds, Med Surg and Geriatric Nsg.

I'm just curious if my fellow nurses out ther are having a hard time to get their work done. I fairly do well with my shift except that when I'm getting an admission, I lose track of everything. Not to mention, admission paperwork. Last night, I stayed over 2 hours to do admission paperwork. I have not done an admission during my orientation and having one when you don't know everything, drives me nuts. Bottom line: Didn't got the admission chart done, so tired (I can't barely write my signature correctly), treatments undone and didn't got enough sleep worrying that my NM would grill my ass at work today for leaving things undone. BTW, I work at an LTC and admission came in at 2130. Shift ends at 2300.

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Specializes in multispecialty ICU, SICU including CV.

I'm in a SICU and I think our paperwork is comparatively minimal. I do have coworkers that stay over to write notes but I generally try to get that done in the last few hours of my shift. With two patients (if they aren't crashing) it's generally manageable if you are fairly organized. We have very few admissions to complete though -- that is done preoperatively.

The hospital floors have admission coordinators, or the charge or ANM helps with admits where I work as well.

I really respect you LTC nurses. Your patient load is beyond crazy. What's your ratio?

What does your manager say about treatments not getting done in order to do an admission? She should be addressing that issue (and not with you, it sounds like you need more staff.)

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Specializes in PERI OPERATIVE.

Sometimes up to 3 hours getting my wonderful labor charting done.

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Specializes in LTC.

Our policy is that whatever paperwork isnt completed, the following shift is supposed to follow up and complete the admission packet. For the most part, my NM completes the paper work, but there are things like the Body Audit, the tissue tolerence test, ect....that I have to do plus the basica assessment, vitals q 2hrs, plus dealing with the patient himself..its very hetic....and paperwork is my weakest point..I am always staying over to complete all my charting and flow sheets....

It all boils down to time management and prioritizing. Yes, esp in LTC, you have other pts and who knows how the new pt is, to deal with..and getting an admission at the end of your shift stinks...all you can do is the best you can...:redpinkhe

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Our policy is that whatever paperwork isnt completed, the following shift is supposed to follow up and complete the admission packet. For the most part, my NM completes the paper work, but there are things like the Body Audit, the tissue tolerence test, ect....that I have to do plus the basica assessment, vitals q 2hrs, plus dealing with the patient himself..its very hetic....and paperwork is my weakest point..I am always staying over to complete all my charting and flow sheets....

It all boils down to time management and prioritizing. Yes, esp in LTC, you have other pts and who knows how the new pt is, to deal with..and getting an admission at the end of your shift stinks...all you can do is the best you can...:redpinkhe

whats a tissue tolerance test is it pressure care related?

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

I am almost always done on time except when I get a late admission and then all bets are off. Passing it along to the next shift doesn't seem fair and things rarely get finished which still falls back on the admitting nurse so I just stay. Fortunately I haven't ever heard any negative feedback about it.

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Specializes in OB, Peds, Med Surg and Geriatric Nsg.

I really respect you LTC nurses. Your patient load is beyond crazy. What's your ratio?

What does your manager say about treatments not getting done in order to do an admission? She should be addressing that issue (and not with you, it sounds like you need more staff.)

Nurse-patient ratio is 1:26. I did informed the incoming night shift nurse that I haven't done some of the treatments and thank God she did those treatments. Yes, we do need more staff though we rarely retain new hires or those new hires chose not to stay with us. There's probably something fishy that I don't see. I'm trying to stick out till September but my God, that road to my 6th month is much harder than I thought.

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Specializes in Rehab and skilled nursing.

They usually tell us at the beginning of the shift if we are going to have an admission, with that, I manage my time accordingly so I dont fall behind my meds and tx. If my admission comes within the time that I am there I finish all the paperwork and the supervisor helps us with verifying orders and other stuff.

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Specializes in LTC/Skilled Care/Rehab.

I work in LTC and I usually have to stay late even if I don't have an admission. Most of the nurses at the facitliy have to stay late because there is so much charting. We don't have to chart on all the patients but we usually end up charting on 5-7. Our DON was saying how the hospital nurses have more charting to do than us. Yes they may have to chart on all their patients but they don't have 25 of them. It is almost impossible to actually leave on time. Luckily time and a half starts after 8 hours so we get overtime ;) Sometimes I am so exhausted from my shift that I just want to go home!

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If the second shift in LTC gets a late admission, night shift should pick up some but all of the work. After all, it's not about who's work it is, its about the patients being admitted in a timely manner.

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Specializes in ER.
Nurse-patient ratio is 1:26. I did informed the incoming night shift nurse that I haven't done some of the treatments and thank God she did those treatments. Yes, we do need more staff though we rarely retain new hires or those new hires chose not to stay with us. There's probably something fishy that I don't see. I'm trying to stick out till September but my God, that road to my 6th month is much harder than I thought.

Are you working in my previous job? I used to work in SNF, ratio also 1:26. :) It was crazy!!! I usually went home past 5 pm (was on 7 am to 3 pm shift) Anyways, I left not because I couldn't handle it but because I know I needed an acute care experience and to the hospitals I applied (Bay area, CA) they won't accept working in subacute SNF as acute care. I was there for almost a year. It gets better though the longer I stayed because I got to know the patients and the way the meds need to be given like crushed or not, PEG or NGT, one pill at a time:crying2: or all pills at one time....good luck!

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Specializes in geriatrics.

I'm a new nurse of 6 months in LTC, and unless there is an emergency, I refuse to stay longer than 30 minutes past my shift. I've learned to prioritize, so whatever is not done...too bad. I'm also a second career nurse, so gaining perspective and learning to prioritize is somewhat easier. I already work 12.5 hours in charge, so beyond that...forget it.

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