Nurses who Nurse Patients

[QI/QM]

Maybe its just the area I work in but I am seeing a trend in nurses that dont want to provide patient care. I'm not talking about nurses that don't want to fluff pillows or serve meal trays. I mean nurses that want to sit around at a desk or in an office and push papers. You can't make them understand the importance of assessing a patient, notifying a doctor of a problem or providing an intervention themselves. I frequently get "why can't so-in-so do it" Really? I just don't get this.

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

What area do you work in?

[QI/QM]

Acute Rehab

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

Hm, well, since I don't know your co-workers or have any way of experiencing your situation, I can't really speak to it. I can just opine that to me, assessment is the foundation for everything else we do. Strong assessment skills are, in my opinion, the most important skill for an RN to develop. So, if you're sitting at a desk and not laying eyes on your patient, it's kind of hard to do that.

As far as tasks, those can be delegated to the appropriate interdisciplinary team member. But knowing what tasks need to be delegated and to whom, it's important to first assess the patient.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

Perhaps these nurses should go work in an area where they don't have to do patient care, then.

[DixieRedHead, ASN, RN]

QI/QM, I agree with you whole heartedly. Heaven forbid the nurse have to actually lay hands on a patient unless it's a code. You would think you are asking them to raise the Titanic.

If you want a nursing assistant to be at your beck and call, just help with a bath, or incontinent care, walk a patient to the toilet.

If you are in the room, take your own vitals. You can learn so much about the patient while doing it. There is a head to toe assessment just waiting for you.

[chansen]

If you want a nursing assistant to be at your beck and call, just help with a bath, or incontinent care, walk a patient to the toilet.

New RN but I've been an STNA for the last few years through school, working in a long term care and rehab facility. This is completely true from the assistant perspective. The nurses that willingly assist in the simple tasks that save me time are the nurses I bend over backwards for.

[Ruthfarmer]

I've seen nurses "assess" breath sounds from the doorway, on a cardio pulmonary floor, no less. Absolutely unconscionable.

[Perpetual Student]

Frankly, I strongly prefer doing most of the hands-on work myself. I've never worked in a setting with aides and am used to doing what it takes to get the job done. That's not to say I love every single task. I can't imagine a nurse refusing to do what needs to be done. CNAs are nursing ASSISTANTS, not replacements.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

I too have found this happening with increasing frequency.......I blame the schools for not making it clear especially online schools. As well as an ever increasing belief that now tha they are "in charge" those menial tasks are somehow beneath them. Which really burns my butt.

[WildcatFanRN, BSN, RN]

i never understood that mentality either. when i was an lpn i had no problem helping my cna turn a patients or give a bath, it's a really good time to do that complete head to toe skin assessment. when i finally get to work as an rn it will be the same thing. you can't do an assessment without actually touching the patient or talking to them for that matter, ok you can without the talking.

i mean did your co-workers completely miss that class in school?

[VICEDRN, BSN, RN]

Ha ha! If you want help, you have to help others. These folks just suffer from bad unit politics (assuming you refer to things that are within their job description and not intended for someone else to do on a routine basis. Not doing someone else's job so they can surf the net and smoke cigarettes all day.)