I feel so bad

[beeble]

I work on a very busy unit in an understaffed hospital to an underserved population. Night shifts. We NEVER get formal meal/rest breaks. I am able to get a couple 7 minute 'cig' breaks, and able to go to the desk and chat intermittently during the shift during down times, it varies per night. Some nights, not at all. I consider this my break.

The NAs ALWAYS get their break. Which is fine with me. I am glad they do. I encourage it. They work hard.

They do VS intially, then VS at 0400, then glucoses at 0600. In between is whatever pops up.

I have learned, with short staffing, ect, that I do not really rely on the NAs for much other than the above, maybe help with a turn or two a couple times, but mostly I try to do whatever myself.

There is one NA who is generally pretty good, good about reporting VS abnormalities. But lately she will sit down a particular hallway on the internet, watching her soap opera online, and since I/we sit closer to patients rooms, when a light goes off, i/we get up to get it, and I think lately she is relying on this. Also, sometimes if I ask her for help while she is on the internet, she will say okay, but then wait 5 minutes or so until she is finished with the segment she is watching (not just minimize the window right away to help). It's kindof annoying.

So, though she is good in some respects, this is getting on my nerves.

Last night was actually slow for our unit, a rarity. And though I was able to spend more time than usual chatting at the desk (mostly about the hospital/staffing/the unit/not getting raises/lack of equipment but the hospital is planning new buildings,, ect), she was down the far hallway on the internet. I answered all my call lights (granted there weren't that many last night as there usually are). while I sat down to chart, of course a couple call lights go off. I answer them, put a patient on the commode, and out loud wonder where "Mary" is, as the patient is ready to come off the commode. The charge nurse calls down the hall for her, but I say, Illl get it, I already have the patient wiped and back to bed when she comes to the door.

I ask if I can talk to her. We go to an empty room, and I say that her sitting down that hallway prevents her from seeing llights for these other two hallways. Her reply was that "everyne needs to answer lights". I say thats true, and I usually do as much as I can, but I also have charting to do. She says "I cant answer ALL the lights", ect, I finally say, as this seems argumentative to me, and she obviously dosent want to get it, that I will write nurse mgr.

I sit down, where I have been sitting, and start an email. Then she sits down and starts an email (not down "her hallway"). Another RN asks her for help, and she continues to sit ther, writing. I say to her, Kelly needs help. She says "I know", and is in no hurry to get up. I say, you need to help Kelly now. She finally then gets up.

I feel like I am always the biotch.

Maybe I should have just let it go, I mean generally she is good, if you allow her her 'me time' (but she gets a full break as well. I dont know what to think, I feel like a meany.........no one else confronts............help....I am feeling bad.

[nurse2033, MSN, RN]

Don't feel bad. She shouldn't be watching TV on shift, she should actually be fired based on what you're saying. Is the charge nurse aware? If management is aware and doesn't care there isn't much you can do. I'm also concerned about you never getting breaks. You should always take your break. If the unit can't handle it because it is too busy, then management needs to come up with a solution. You are enabling bad management through your good intentions. It is actually illegal for you be working for free, which is what you are doing when you don't take a break. Although that seems to be the culture, it is not OK.

[NICU Kristen]

Don't feel bad. You are doing the right thing. She is relying on others to do her job. Yes nurses should answer call lights as well, but it sounds like she is doing the very bare minimum requirements of her job. You were right to try to talk to her and when you saw that the talk wasn't going anywhere you ended it before it could turn into an argument. I think you did a great job! :)

[cherrybreeze, ADN, RN]

I believe you're 100% in the right, and would have both feel the way you do, and handle it the way you plan to. You tried to discuss it with her, and you're right.....she doesn't get it. She is making excuses that are both not relevant and argumentative. Your only choice is to follow it up the ladder now, so don't feel badly about it.

[beeble]

Thanks guys. I feel like maybe I should have not been so quick to write nurse mgr, just let what I said to her sink in...I really am one of the few who will say anything, though there is another night RN who will, too...I just worry I hold my annoyance inside for so long, and then, once to many times, and you dont get what I am saying right away...you get the picture? I should have worked with that more? I dont know...But thanks for your replies.

I also was feeling bad because last night I actually did have some real downtime (unusual), expecting her to work when I had had time to jabber...but just then I was focused on charting (and I hate, but always do, get distracted).

We dont get breaks on our unit because thats been the climate there. We have a higher patient load than most other units. We usually have patients we can't really leave for much length of time. There is one other unit that shares our matrix, and they organize themselves and get a break. I hear rumors that the breakroom there at night is a dimly lit quiet zone.

Thanks all for your help.

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

You said all she's regularly expected to do is two sets of vitals and one set of glucose reading on whoever needs them??? The other "whatever pops up" stuff--is there a policy at your facility for who does what with that?

I bet you a cookie it's against your facility's rules for her to be on the internet or watching tv while on the job. That needs to stop.

You shouldn't be expected, or expect yourself to do part of what she could be doing. If she doesn't respond to you when you talk to her about it, or shortly afterwards, definitely a talk with the charge nurse or manager is needed.

It's good to not let this go on.

[caliotter3]

There are plenty of things that can, and should be done on night shift to take the place of internet tv. Most of those tasks have to do with cleaning something. I always kept busy on night shift as a CNA and the nurses didn't have to find things for me to do. Don't feel guilty about insuring this person answers call lights. It is the responsible corse of action. If she does not like it, you can assist her in a job change.

[manchmal]

You did the right thing by trying to talk to her first. You probably wouldn't have gone to the manager if she had been more receptive to your talking to her. So she seems pretty much to have chosen her own destiny. It would have been acceptable, but maybe not effective or considerate, to go to the manager first -- but you didn't do that; you tried to talk to her, and she was defensive.

I have similar problems, and have had them my whole working life (in my non-nursing career), with feeling bad about asking someone I'm working with to do something if there was any way I could possibly have done it myself. But I wind up growing resentful as I continuously do the other person's job and they do less and less and I do more and more. And I don't like being resentful, so when I finish school and get a nursing job, it will be a top priority NOT to be the one who everyone knows will "just do it all" (I know where this road leads...).

She's lucky to have someone who talked to her first, and she's stupid to have been nasty and defensive when you were taking time to talk to her.

[Turd Ferguson]

You are in the right 100%

I would not want to work on a unit where behavior like hers is tolerated.

[iustforuilovemyjob]

We are all part of a Nursing team...even if it takes one of us holding another accountable to do their part.

[ohcomeon]

Um...I wouldn't feel bad at all. She isn't that "good" if she is sitting and watching soaps on the internet and not answering call lights. I don't think anyone is entitled to "me time" while they are at work. JMO.

[Summers_Off]

Who watches soap operas anymore anyways? Tell her they are all about to be canceled and she should start weaning herself now :-)