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Nurses General Nursing

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My unit is split into 2 seperate wings...we all work on the large unit, but on any given day we will be on one side or the other. We have 12 hour people and 8 hour people. I happen to do 8s. So it was about 11:15, and one of the techs came up to me and said, "I know you're on this side tonight, but can you do me a favor? One of the IVs is beeping on the other side and there is no RN over there." I said "WHAT? What do you mean "no RN"? Turns out that the RNs that were over there were all in report, and the charge RN had "run downstairs for a quick smoke", leaving just 2 of us on the entire floor, and nobody on that side! Needless to say, I hauled butt down there and stayed there till someone else came back, but was I ever mad when I heard that! Taking a smoke break and not even making sure that your unit is covered? And all the RNs were in the same room - I think they could have figured out that that left nobody out there if there was an emergency or anything...what do you think about that? I was pretty angry! Yes, it's inconvenient to have 2 nurses stations, but you have to cover both of them!!!!! :angryfire

One of my pet peeves throughout my working years has been nurses who have to go for frequent smoke breaks. After a while, they often don't inform other nurses they are going and their IVs and call lights ALWAYS seem to go off the minute they step off the unit. Of course, these same nurses were never able to help out when my IVs or call lights were going off and I was tied up in a patient's room!

That was the real issue with me. I think we were okay, and they could have come out of report to fix the pump, I agree. But I wasn't doing anything, so I just hung out over there and the other RN watched our side. The point is, she didn't tell anybody she was going. But we're smoke free as of Jan. 1, so we'll see what happens!

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Wound Care.
I'm sure if there was an emergency those in report would be able to come out and help. Just because I'm in report doesn't make me not responsible for my patients.

Totally agree! Since when does taking report mean you are "off the floor"? It's as simple as the tech walking in and telling the RN that a pump is beeping. Big overreaction, in my opinion.

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I agree with the others that the CNA should have gone to the report room first. And I agree with Daytonite and others about the smoking thing.

Our local hospital just announced that as of next April, their entire CAMPUS will be off-limits to smoking, including employees and visitors smoking in their cars. And it's a LARGE campus!

I stopped smoking when I was in school and clinicals, when it dawned on me that it might be HOURS before I could smoke. And smoking rules back then were much less stringent.

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One of my pet peeves throughout my working years has been nurses who have to go for frequent smoke breaks. After a while, they often don't inform other nurses they are going and their IVs and call lights ALWAYS seem to go off the minute they step off the unit. Of course, these same nurses were never able to help out when my IVs or call lights were going off and I was tied up in a patient's room!

Oh boy do I know of what you speak.

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we always all went into the report room at the same time and left a nursing assistant on the floor. this in no way meant that if a call bell rang, and the assistant was busy, that we didnt have to still answer the calls. the tech should have gone into the report room and reported to the nurses that a patient needed assistance.

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Specializes in geriatric, hospice, med/surg.

You should stay on "your side" if you're the only nurse on it. The others should cover their tailfeathers a bit better to go smoke or whatever it is they're doing when they leave. That was unacceptable behavior on their part. And you are condoning it by not speaking up to them or a NM. The "look" spoke volumes may not have. Don't leave important communications between staff members to "looks!" Speak up. Get something done about the virtual abandonment of the staff on that other side of the unit!

You left YOUR patients to cover THEIRS! NO! Not alright.

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Specializes in Tele m/s, new to ED.

I can remember working as a tech my last year in nursing school, and feeling quite helpless. There were nurses that you just knew wouldn't hear that pump, and if you brought it up, still might not get to it quickly. I'm guilty of seeking out the "good" nurses and letting them know of problems, and letting them figure it out. These are the nurses I learned from. I am also guilty of protecting my techs. They do the jobs we delegate, and they are never the jobs anybody should have to do for $8 an hour. The tech that didn't interupt the report may have been up to his/her elbows in ****, and just wanted the beeping to stop! The RN in question did not abandon his pateints, his "side" was covered. I'm glad there was a "good" nurse available to address the pump, we don't know what was infusing.

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I can remember working as a tech my last year in nursing school, and feeling quite helpless. There were nurses that you just knew wouldn't hear that pump, and if you brought it up, still might not get to it quickly. I'm guilty of seeking out the "good" nurses and letting them know of problems, and letting them figure it out. These are the nurses I learned from. I am also guilty of protecting my techs. They do the jobs we delegate, and they are never the jobs anybody should have to do for $8 an hour. The tech that didn't interupt the report may have been up to his/her elbows in ****, and just wanted the beeping to stop! The RN in question did not abandon his pateints, his "side" was covered. I'm glad there was a "good" nurse available to address the pump, we don't know what was infusing.
Yes, I was thinking exactly same thing. The techs know who will ignor them, who will abuse them, who will get the job done. The end result is that the same nurses get tapped over and over when something goes wrong. I think this is exactly the result for which the nasty nurse is wishing.
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Specializes in Med/Surg, Home Health.

I will come out of report to take care of a patient, but it's aggrivating to all the others who have to wait for me to come back into the room to finish report (we record ours and the assistants have to listen to it also). In my honest opinion, the staff on the floor should cover the floor until we can all get out of report. Its hard to get report if you have to keep coming and going in the middle of it. Geez, its the end of the shift. I cover my floor until the next shift comes out of report. I can wait 10 minutes for a smoke. I will NOT leave something undone or leave the floor uncovered to go smoke...especially if its almost time to go home.

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My comment to Miko was meant to address some of the problems she seems to be picking up on this unit. I certainly know a nurse may be pulled out of report for any number of reasons. It was fortunate Miko was able to cover that part of the unit, but it is never a good idea for the CN to leave the unit without informing another nurse of the absence.

Perhaps I am being overly sensative, but I feel that several posters regard my comment as advice to snitch on co-workers for any infraction, that I did not mean. Working on problems with co-workers keeps a unit strong and morale high. In the future, I think I will read but keep silent. Have a good day.

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