If I hear this/see this one more time, I'm gonna scream!

[dudette10]

An RT was in my patient's room. I heard the DD ask the RT for her mom to be moved up in bed. It was right next to the nurse's station where I was standing, so I started to go in there to help the RT with the boost. I walked into the room, past the RT, and went to the bed. I turned around, expecting the RT to be standing there waiting for me to get into position. He was walking out the door. I had to walk back out and get another nurse to help.

I was in the middle of doing paperwork when the monitor tech called to say that some of the leads were off on a patient. I asked the only PCT in sight--who was leaning against the station doing nothing to go in there to adjust it. "That's not my patient" was the answer. "Yes, I know, but the leads need checking. Please do it." Huff-n-Puff.

Do you ever feel as if you work with a bunch of children on some days who can't look past their own narrow world? I don't think I'll ever get used to this attitude. Ever.

[wooh, BSN, RN]

Ok, I absolutely HATE the "nobody walks by a light" rules.

You know what happens? The lazy people just hide so they're never "walking by" those lights, and the people that would have helped anyway STILL get stuck answering them, except the one time they're too busy with their own patients, it always happens to be the one time that they're being watched by management. So the lazy stay lazy. The overworked just get more work.

[dudette10, MSN, RN]

Dietary won't help with anything in our hospitals. Secretaries won't help move people up the bed, cos if they get hurt, they aren't covered by insurance. Physios certainly wouldn't help. I've had physios say that it wasn't their job.

When I was a secretary a RN wanted me to help get a patient off the toilet. Now this patient was not light. I said to her I can't as it's not in my job description & if I get hurt, I won't be covered by insurance. She begged me but I said no. It's like me not giving meds after I've finished my work day - I'm not allowed to practice outside the hours of my work, as I'm not covered by any malpractice insurance thru my company.

Blame the insurance companies for putting fear into people.

Good point about certain roles not being covered by worker's comp.

The physios were out of line by refusing though, as you already know. I'm quite sure they are covered.

[canesdukegirl, BSN, RN]

What must the patient think when they hear two people bickering over whose job it is to help them? They already feel helpless enough.

[dudette10, MSN, RN]

I get what VICEDRN and carol are saying. I get asked for help a lot because I'm willing to help. I have had to set some boundaries for myself, usually with meds. I won't stop in the middle of med rec or pulling/admining meds. It messes me up, and it takes me longer to get back on track.

As for the walking past call lights...Yes, I've walked past a call light, but it's not to get out of any work. If I have meds in hand or I've been told by a PCT that my patient wants to see his nurse, I will walk by one.

If management needs to set a hard and fast rule on that, so be it. But recognize that there are bigger problems with some staff that will continue to be a problem even with a blanket rule. Also recognize that the next person you write up for it may be a hard worker who had her priorities straight, and you've just knocked her work satisfaction down a notch.

If you can't discern the ones that are chronically lazy from the ones who take a lot of pride in their work ethic, you are out of touch with the staff dynamic.

Disciplining problem children is hard, uncomfortable work. Treating all the staff like children is the easy way out.

[itsmejuli]

I answer call lights and assist the aids whenever I'm not busy.

One day I was pulling meds from the medcart when an aid walked up to me and pointed to a call light. She said "aren't you going to answer that light?" I gave her one of those looks and told her that I was in the middle of pulling meds and that if she had time to point out the light to me then she had time to answer it.

[klone, MSN, RN]

I don't think those behaviours are all that new. I think it's a function of poor leadership on the part of managers/admin that people think they should get away with poor work standards.

If expectations were communicated and enforced; if you were given the backing and support you need you wouldn't be working with someone's poorly-raised children. It seems to be a never-ending problem.

I absolutely agree. I've worked in both settings - one with the attitude of "every nurse for herself" and one where they fostered a culture of cooperation. Whenever there was a nurse or PCT who wasn't doing something, and she saw another nurse hustling about, she would always say "Tell me what I can do to help you". It wasn't fake, it's just how it was, and what was expected of people.

Maybe you could talk with management about how to encourage and foster that attitude in your unit. You will find that as you do it more, and as new staff come in and see this culture, it will start to become second nature.

[Creamsoda, ASN, RN]

well if the RT is in the room it takes 2 seconds. i wouldn't expect them to help me change sheets but come n, a boost is simple. From a respiratory standpoint, it helps the patient breathe easier too if they're bending in the right places.

[sweet~revenge]

I have to agree with the RT, that boosting a patient up in bed is a nursing function not a respiratory function. I wouldn't expect a lab tech that was drawing blood to help boost a patient up in bed either.

You've got to be kidding me.

At my hospital, everyone from lab techs to unit secretaries have helped me boost a patient. Anyone who works in a patient care area is responsible for caring for the patient as long as it's in their scope of practice. Boosting a patient is definitely within everyone's scope of practice. This is the way I see it: Phlebotomists, RT's, PT, ultrasound and ekg techs, etc.-they're all required to be CPR certified and if they can put their hands on a patient during a code, why can't they do something as simple as help reposition a patient?

[Mulan]

I have a feeling Mulan wouldn't help you move that patient, either.

Well, you'd be wrong!

(Remember what that old acronym ASSume stands for, "I have a feeling" that would suit you to a T!)

[travkitty]

I have a strict rule. Nobody, not me or anyone else walks past a light that is flashing.

Our whole hospital system as that AS POLICY. Granted, there are probably some people who still walk past. Even housekeeping is supposed to not just walk by. If it's beyond what housekeeping could do, they are supposed to find someone who can.

[pedicurn, LPN, RN]

Have worked in the uncomfortable position where :

Those who wont because the hospital needs to provide more staff vs those who will stretch because the patient needs it

Whilst I understand the position of the former; the current reality is some nurses are being overworked and some patients aren't receiving the care they need plus some processes are falling down

[Ahhphoey]

That type of attitude in an industry that is essentially centered on "caring" is apalling. I didn't realize it until reading this post, but I guess I've been pretty fortunate in that I have not yet encountered an RT that wouldn't help me boost a patient (or not that I can remember anyway). The rehab folks I've worked with over the years (including PT, OT, and ST) have also been great for the most part. I've even had docs help me boost patients.

Like others have said, though, patient care is not just the nurse's job, though we definitely take on the brunt of it. Healthcare is supposed to be about helping others, so what are we saying about ourselves (all healthcare disclines included), when we have to bicker about who's going to help who boost a patient in bed.