I was orienting a new nurse the other day. (We have three new nurses on night shift!!!!!! Plus I don't do charge when I orient!!!!)
Anyway, I happened by the call light on the way into report, a patient in my assignment was asking for pain medicine. The day nurse was busy with another patient. I've known this nurse many years, she was not going to medicate this patient, she was going to finish up, come into report and go home. Period.
I said the the new nurse, "why don't we make things easier and medicate this patient now, instead of making him wait until we are finished, which could be about 30 minutes". I'm real big on making people comfortable, and I fussy about prioritizing pt's in pain and not making them wait. It just makes life easier for all concerned.
I explained I would check the narc record, and check with the day nurse and do a pain assessment on the patient before we medicated him. She said she wasn't comfortable with this at all. It wasn't our patient until we accepted the assignment from the day nurse. She was worried about the "legal ramifications".
I was more concerned about the patient and not getting *****ed at for him waiting so long. So I medicated him.
I know I could have gotten ugly and insisted the day nurse do it, but I'm not ugly and she was very frazzled, and I have a good rapport with the day shift I would like to keep.
Any thoughts?