I am the RN here, you are not! -long

[BlearnRN]

So I walk into a pt room and the dad and the pt home "nurse" is there. The first thing I hear is the nurse complaining about how dirty the room is and why hasn't it been cleaned yet..blah blah blah. I tell her that is is early in the morning( 8 am) and that the floor is really busy and someone will be cleaning it today. Then I walk out. I come back in to check on the pt and the nurse is just standing there telling me about how the pt is dirty and needs to be cleaned and starts going on saying stuff like when was the last time he was cleaned and blah blah blah. I say I just cleaned him up not too long ago and that I will do it again. The dad actually vouches for me and says to the nurse that I had cleaned him up earlier. So I go get an aid and we clean him up again. The aid leaves and I decide that I need to change the dressing on the pt g-tube. As I am cleaning it, the nurse is standing over me and telling me that it is not clean enough.:angryfire I clean it again telling her that I have cleaned g-tubes before and it is clean now. Then she starts in about infection this and that and then how he is allergic to the tape that I am using ( pt not allergic - just the skin is red from me taking it off). I walk out because I need to. I go to the social worker and tell her what went on and that I am ready to kick this woman out because she does not work for the hospital and she is telling me how to do my job. Luckily she diffuses the situation and the home nurse backs off. The thing is, is that if this were family telling me this, it is one thing---its okay. But this is a nurse who does not even work for the hospital!!!! During our little conflict resolution session with the social worker, I told the nurse that she was being really aggressive ...that I work for the hospital, she doesn't ... I know what I am doing and I don't need someone hovering over me when I do my job criticising me...and if she kept on being aggressive , I was going to make her leave the room. The nurse actually backed off and calmed down. But what the heck!!! So I told my supervisor what had happened and all she could say is that " oh they are the type to go to the admin" -she did talk to them and she said that the dad had nothing but good to say about me. But the super was

not supportive eventhough I explained to her that the home nurse was not asking questions like the home nurse said, she was criticising me and telling me how to do my job. I told the supervisor that I will not be told how to do my job by a home nurse who does not work for the hospital and isn't just a worried family member.:angryfire The super then understood, but geeze it would be nice if she were just supportive. I just want to run far away sometimes and never come back.......... or just break out and do this. I wonder what the home nurse would have done if I just said for her to hold that thought and just started doing the robot ...

[delta32]

BlearnRN i just wanted to say thank you for the laugh for the robot line :) I would have loved to see her face :)

Jamie

p.s. sorry about the bad day

[Antikigirl, ASN, RN]

I deal with this way to often, and typically from families that haven't even seen the patient in years, let alone care for them as we do!

Many times I take a step back and talk with folks saying that I hear them clearly, and know that it is hard to watch a loved one in the hospital. That I understand the needs of patients and that sadly due to the nature of hospitals and having 5-6 patients all wanting the exact same thing I have to manage my time in order to get it all in, and that is why I get to work a 12 hour day just to get all this done. I also encourage help from the folks and say if they would like to rub lotion on them for comfort to feel free, feel free to wipe their loved ones face if they wish, and care for them as well so they are a part of the team that loves and cares for this person! I remind them it takes more than one person to get a person healthy again...and I am just one of the team...they are too! :).

I found that often, and it has not failed me...I get the patients basin (if it is not used, new one if it is) and put in two large towels, two hand towels, 4 wash cloths that I roll to make it look nice, and any other tolietries and make up a care basket. I get that done early on my shift and bring it into the room during my initial assessment! That wayI set this down, start the assessment and it never ceases to project the air that I am there to help. I let folks know that someone will be in when they can to help clean with these products, and to feel free to use them as much as they can (pt mainly) if they wish!...It has also cut down on patients laying around in bed waiting...I see them actually get up (or as for help to get up) to the sink and wash themselves as much as they can! Win win in my book...and family loves my little arrangement like they are in some nice hotel or something...LOL. Try it and see if that helps ya all too!

I think you did an awesome job on letting a supervisor or other know what was going on...I do too! I had a patient that was screaming and yelling and my charge was too busy (short staffed and she had to take on one patient, be the unit secretary and her own job!!!), so I went to the supervisor to get things done. The supervisor saw the havoc on the floor and wow...get this...we got a unit secretary and another nurse within an hour (didn't matter that we told them it was hell...they saw it and the patients getting angry! That did it...uhggggg!). But I use my charges and supervisors for these things because that is part of their jobs as well...helping me to get my job done, and the comfort of patients!

[TazziRN, RN]

Dang.....I am in home health and I have visited my home care pts in house. I will introduce myself to the acute RN and let them know I'm the HH nurse, but I stay out of their way and ask questions in the "Can you tell me what I need to know to do when ----- is discharged?" way.

[Dolce, RN]

Triage, I LOVE your idea about the basin full of bath supplies. I can totally see that working. I love it when family members participate in patient care--not only is it helpful to the staff, it is helpful to the patient. Unfortunately most of my elderly patients are lucky to have a visitor while they are hospitalized, let alone family who actually stays for longer than 10 minutes.

[KatieBell]

My Question...Why didn'tthe nurse, who is supposedly familiar with this patient, just get him cleaned up herself, rather than causing you that much headache.

Yuuugh.

[queenjean]

I think the most important learning experience in this entire thread is that I need to brush up on my robot skillz and USE them. Even if I don't bust it out, the mental pic of busting the robot will, I'm sure, help me keep my cool in such situations.

[DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN]

Whoa! What a pain that HH nurse was. I hope you didn't tell her about allnurses!!

[BlueRidgeHomeRN]

dang.....i am in home health and i have visited my home care pts in house. i will introduce myself to the acute rn and let them know i'm the hh nurse, but i stay out of their way and ask questions in the "can you tell me what i need to know to do when ----- is discharged?" way.

i agree with tazzi-if a "real" home care nurse is there, it is for coordination of care. i strongly suspect this "nurse" was either an aide or a private duty caregiver/sitter, with nothing better to do than try to stay in the $$$ loop while "her" patient is in the hospital!!

sorry for your bad day--please don't judge home care nursing professionals by this jerkette!

[frodo]

I bet she was jealous of you taking care of "her " patient, maybe she is possessive, that doesn't make it right how she treated you, you did well, and tomorrow is another day, thank goodness. Now do the robot

[showbizrn]

Maybe I'm too old-fashioned

but I would have told my colleague,

"Back off, Cowboy!

This is my ranch,

my patient

and I DO THE HORSE RIDNG HERE!"

End of Story!

I was never much for tact in response to stupdiity.

[leslie :-D]

you're too much, showbiz...:chuckle

but essentially, i would have said the same thing, too.

leslie