What do you have most difficulty with in your everyday job?

[MikeDiggity]

I'm a student in Arizona, and I'm curious to know what problems that established nurses have to deal with most often in their daily tasks.

Or in other words, what particular thing would you omit if you had the opportunity?

Thanks for the insight.

_MIKE

[leosrain, BSN, RN]

Lack of control!

The following people make all the decisions: Doctors, admitting, administration, patients, family.

I am only able to say, "I think x would be best, and can we do y?"

I'm never actually able to make decisions. I am only on the receiving end of everyone else's decisions. Nursing has a long way to go before it finds itself autonomous.

Sean

[MzMouse]

Nurse managers who say what you want to hear and don't back it up with their actions.

[mtwife]

I got tired of the scritping and "customer service initiative" in hospital nursing. Some days it felt like it was more important to make sure the kitchen got the meal order right or that the coffee was hot than make sure the antibiotic was on time or the panic labs reported. All the 'behind the scenes" stuff (like calling docs, coordinating tests, consulting pharmacy, calculating dosages) was secondary to patient-percieved "good care" (we were told to prioritize pillow-fluffing for the patients). How can pt satisfaction be monitored properly if they really don't grasp what we do on their behalf?. Nice tirade, I know. But now I'm in outpatient and it's much better. I know some patients were aware of all the work I did for them, but so many complained b/c they didn't get their diet coke on the meal tray (or the family would complain). And I think it's all a result of patients being customers rather than patients and expecting a hotel atmosphere where nurses become the concierge. :)

[FUNNYGIRLRN]

I would love to stop having to chart the same information on three different forms in three different places.

[adrienurse, LPN]

deleted

[espritjolieRN]

My answer's a little different it looks like. I can deal with the interpersonal issues patients and their families sometimes bring to the table... paperwork/charting is no big thing to me... I'm more than up for those challenges. But starting IVs... I DETEST THAT! Same with cathing difficult people. I wish those things would just go away!!

[cmo421]

I work in school nursing. My big beef is that "education" and "health care" do not speak the same language ! Teacher's don't know what I do and they don't care. They just want what they want...and they want it NOW !

No appreciation for the school nurse at all !

As a mother of three boys,one still in school. I soooooooo appreciate what u do!

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

Nurse managers who say what you want to hear and don't back it up with their actions.

Amen to that. I am sooooo sick of that.