Head to Toe assessment

[madwife2002, BSN, RN]

In my facility our manager was encouraged to leave and we have been left with an acting manager. Apparently the RNs on our our floor of 52 beds have not pleased the doctors nor have the RN's been meeting standards. Nobody has told the RNs what they are doing wrong but it is generally understood that we suck!!!!!!

So a new policy was implemented we had to go back to a class of 4 hours and learn how to do head to toe assessments! Then we have 2do a head to toe assessment on a patient under the supervision of one of the educators, also a written test needed to be passed at 80% or above.

Only our floor in the whole of the hospital has to do this, the pool nurses dont have to do it.

When we questioned the rationale behind this outrage we were told that it was not all the nurses who had problems but that they couldn't single out the ones who struggled, all RN's had to be treated the same.

Has anybody out there had to do anything like this?

[nightmare, RN]

This seems to be a favourite theme with managers on this side of the pond as well.No one is singled out,we all get the same things thrown at us in case anyone feels 'bullied'! So the good ones feel guilty about some deficit and the bad ones just don't care anyway and get away with shoddy work.

[RN1982]

Can you find a new job? Because if it were me, I'd be out of there.

[madwife2002, BSN, RN]

Yes I have a new job I start in a couple of weeks

[RN1982]

Yes I have a new job I start in a couple of weeks

If it was me I would find it rather insulting to have to go to this class as I am very confident in my assessment skills. They should have pulled the nurses who were having the problems aside quietly and told them they are going to this class. Sounds like morale has hit an all-time low on that unit.

[RNKel, ASN, RN]

I'm so sick of all the "PC-ness". "Can't hurt their wittle feewings" so they won't approach the offenders directly! @@ I'm fairly certain all the RN's on the floor are adults and should be treated as such. It isn't right that everyone must pay for some people's laziness or whatever.

[Batman24]

In my facility our manager was encouraged to leave and we have been left with an acting manager. Apparently the RNs on our our floor of 52 beds have not pleased the doctors nor have the RN's been meeting standards. Nobody has told the RNs what they are doing wrong but it is generally understood that we suck!!!!!!

So a new policy was implemented we had to go back to a class of 4 hours and learn how to do head to toe assessments! Then we have 2do a head to toe assessment on a patient under the supervision of one of the educators, also a written test needed to be passed at 80% or above.

Only our floor in the whole of the hospital has to do this, the pool nurses dont have to do it.

When we questioned the rationale behind this outrage we were told that it was not all the nurses who had problems but that they couldn't single out the ones who struggled, all RN's had to be treated the same.

Has anybody out there had to do anything like this?

That's absolutely absurd. They are penalizing all RNs on your floor because one was complained about?! Idiocy runs rampant at your facility. What a freakin' joke.

I've never had that happen but I'd be running for the hills with you. I hope other nurses also get out of there. I'm I'm so happy you got another job. Yeah!!

In an exit interview you might want to mention this was a factor in your leaving and how you found it unprofessional and insulting to be treated this way when you weren't part of the problem. It can be done in a professional and helpful manner on your end and this is something HR should know. This really shouldn't be happening.

[Hilinenursegrl]

In our facility every month we have to do a competency with a written test. Sounds like that's what you are doing. I wouldn't find it insulting. I would find it nice to be able to brush up on a basic skill that maybe I've been overlooking since nursing school. But I always jump at the chance for some continuing ed.

[CHATSDALE]

what started this hullabaloo

did a patient slip through the cracks and have a problem that should have been caught on admission??

i have worked long term care and if a resident came back from a hospital there was a assessment by floor nurse and tx nurse to determine that no decub was there on admission that was not there when sent to hospital

however this could be determined by checking which nurse was on duty between admission and discovery

sorry that this happen to you, i hope that you enjoy your new job

[Babs0512]

This is a problem everywhere. Sometimes JACHO requires ALL nurses to go through an in service if there was a sentinel event that occurred. I don't know the circumstances in this case, but I guess I would try to look on the bright side, AT LEAST management is ACTUALLY trying to rectify a problem, instead of giving lip service.

I'm secure with my assessment skills, so going through an in service wouldn't bother me. But I can see where it might offend some people.

Blessings

[madwife2002, BSN, RN]

Nothing to do with JAHCO

No pts had a decub or obtain one during admission

No pt died who shouldn't

As far as I know no sentinal event and if there was then i am sorry but those are the nurses who should be educated not the whole floor.

I believe that if the whole hospital had to undertake a head to toe assessment and this is just the first class of many then I would have no objections but to single out a whole floor is just plain insulting.

I train student nurses on a daily basis and new grads but not I have to learn how to do a head to toe assessment no.