I didn't see the light on???

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I must vent or I'll explode.

I work in LTC. I'm usually pretty good at staying "on schedule" with my residents.

Lately, when any nurse is filling in (we have an open position), that nurse (different each day) seems to feel the need to point out to me and my hall partner that "Ray's light is on, he wants to be changed", "Mary wants some ice"....etc...well NO KIDDING!!

Do you think I don't see it!? Do you think I don't know!?? Do you think I'm just hangin out in the hallway twiddling my thumbs!!!??

I can SEE his light is on and I just changed him 20 minutes ago, his light is ALWAYS ON' and he's ALWAYS wanting something. ....and I'm sorry "Mary wants some ice", she's going to have to wait while I change the resident who had a BM in his brief and the other resident' who's been wanting to get into bed for the past hour, and then I have to take Millie to therapy, and get John into bed so that SAME nurse can hook him up to his tube feed......

I KNOW THEIR LIGHT IS ON, I KNOW WHAT THEY WANT AND IT'S JUST GOING TO HAVE TO WAIT A BIT LONGER OTHERWISE YOU WILL BE PULLING ME IN THE OFFICE FOR HAVING A RESIDENT WITH SKIN SORES, MISSED THERAPY APPTS, AND A RESIDENT WHO FELL BECAUSE SHE SELF TRANSFERED. :banghead:

It drives me crazy sometimes. Our other nurse would help if she could (get Mary some ice), and she knew that we KNEW what had to be done... and it just bugs me that the new nurses haven't figured that out yet. I know they don't know us, but just let us do our jobs and quit harping! We know what we're doing with the little time we have for the amount of work needing to be done...

The day we stand in the hallway twiddling our thumbs is the day you can harp on us.

Thank you, I feel a little better. :speechless:

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

((HUGS)) ........nursing isn't for the faint of heart.....thank you for caring about your residents.....((HUGS))

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One of my pet peeves in life is this passing the buck nonsense. If one has enough time to check and see what someone needs and then find someone else, they have enough time to do the job themselves. Yes, it's inconvienent but it's such simple things that make the biggest difference sometimes

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Specializes in None.

You are doing an awesome job! I know LTC was not for me. I learned that in less than a year and took a job at the hospital. Sounds as if you are doing an amazing job. Priority, priority. The ice and pettiness can wait, get to those that don't have a voice for themselves. Also, like you said if you just changed that resident 20 minutes ago and needs to be changed again…go to the one that has yet to be changed in awhile. Don't let it stress you, just simply say okay and smile. If you get to the ice, wonderful. If not, it isn't the end of the world. Hang in there! You are doing great. :up:

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

OK, this is going to sound counter-intuitive... it did to me at first.

A couple of years ago, my organization introduced 'scripting' & I Hated It! One of the scripts was supposed to be used during hourly rounding... "Is there anything else I can do for you while I am here? I have the time." And when leaving the room "I will be back in ____ minutes".

But, you know what? It worked. The frequency of call lights decreased (we measured) and patient satisfaction increased. It seems that patients tended to use their call lights more if they weren't sure when the nurse was going to be back. If they knew that someone was going to be in their room at a specific time, they were content to wait.

You may want to give it a try.

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On night shift scripting has actually INCREASED our ringing. And there is always those patients who will think of things just to keep you there because they are lonely. I normally like to pride myself on making my patients feel like they are my only patient. I've received many commendations for it. However, I have a few that need to be told "I do not mind helping you, but I cannot even get to the next bell ringing before you are calling me back in here." This is after toileting, fresh wate and soda, a snack, applying Chapstick, changing socks, listening to them cry and turning them three times because each new position was uncomfortable. I give them a time frame I will return but less than two minutes later they call again. Sometimes I don't even make it two doors down before they call again. Thankfully, it is not every patient, but scripting will not help these patients.

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Specializes in Gerontology RN-BC and FNP MSN student.

You are awesome!!!! Rock On!!!:up:

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Specializes in retired LTC.

To OP - just know that the substitute nurse is at a disadvantage too. They probably pulled her from another unit or she's agency. She doesn't know the residents so well, nor does she know you (and the other staff) very well either. Her job is to make sure the pts are being cared for by the staff, herself included. I'm sure she's not twiddling her thumbs either as she does her unfamiliar med pass, treatments, etc.

I've been in her shoes. She can only let the aide know as she hustles to do her own job, too. There's not much luxury of her stopping to help a lot without herself falling behind.

Everybody runs like crazy in LTC today. We all need to cut each other a little bit of slack.

(Now if she IS actually twiddling her thumbs (figuratively) or texting on Facebook, then you do have an issue...)

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One of my pet peeves in life is this passing the buck nonsense. If one has enough time to check and see what someone needs and then find someone else, they have enough time to do the job themselves. Yes, it's inconvienent but it's such simple things that make the biggest difference sometimes

Yes, agreed. If you have time to find me and tell me Mary needs ice, you have time to get it yourself. By the time I am hunted down, that nurse could of gotten ice 3 times already. I know the nurses are busy, it's when they aren't (and I am) and they hunt me down that aggravates me.

"I need a fingerstick STAT." Ok, well you see I am doing an EKG. If it's THAT important and needs to be done NOW, you'll have to do it!!

Sorry for the rant ;)

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Specializes in Hospice.

OP I want to thank you for taking such great care of your residents. I too came from LTC and was a CNA, I am now a nurse in acute care, but I have never forgotten my struggles as the CNA. I still change patients when they are soiled, I still go get their fresh water, and I still feed my patients when I have the time.

I remember one time when I was working night shift as a CNA I had a nurse come find me (she had just moments prior to this been sitting at her desk reading a magazine and it was not AJN). She walks into the patients room and I am elbows deep into a code brown (BM) she tells me "Mr. X needs his urinal emptied. Peeewww." Now I should mention that Mr. X's room was directly across from the nurses station. I was absolutely livid, however, I looked at her and smiled and replied, "Oh, if you want to finish her I will go empty the urinal." I think she got the hint because she emptied the urinal.

CNA's in long term care are under appreciated, so I just want to say thank you for what you do and for doing it so well.

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Specializes in Short Term/Skilled.
OP I want to thank you for taking such great care of your residents. I too came from LTC and was a CNA, I am now a nurse in acute care, but I have never forgotten my struggles as the CNA. I still change patients when they are soiled, I still go get their fresh water, and I still feed my patients when I have the time.

I remember one time when I was working night shift as a CNA I had a nurse come find me (she had just moments prior to this been sitting at her desk reading a magazine and it was not AJN). She walks into the patients room and I am elbows deep into a code brown (BM) she tells me "Mr. X needs his urinal emptied. Peeewww." Now I should mention that Mr. X's room was directly across from the nurses station. I was absolutely livid, however, I looked at her and smiled and replied, "Oh, if you want to finish her I will go empty the urinal." I think she got the hint because she emptied the urinal.

CNA's in long term care are under appreciated, so I just want to say thank you for what you do and for doing it so well.

This ^^^ xoxo

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Do you think it would help if you explain to this nurse that you have worked x amount of years at this facility and that you have a certain system to organize and prioritize your day. Tell her that if she gives you time and space that she will see that the patient will get her ice, but that there sometimes other things that need my attention first. By her interupting your flow of work and thinking she is hindering you more then helping you.

Maybe if reasure her then she will back off. I am not making excuses for her, but sometimes I can see nurses that work in LTC having to sometimes remind CERTAIN CNAs of doing their jobs because they do get disorganized and do not do their jobs. Then it kind of starts to become second nature to them after awhile to think they have to remind all the CNAs that are under their charge. Even the good ones.

Big hugs and I hope it will improve for you. As the others stated you are a great NA and the facility is blessed by having you.

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