Published
I get to work at 7pm and I get my assignment - between 7-9 patients (Med/Surg). I work from 7pm-7 am
I get report; there are so many interruptions during report, report last from 40 minutes to an hour.
I start my assessments.
I start discharging whoever needs to get discharged.
I then find out of an admission that I am getting.
I take care of issues - ABC's
And then at around midnight - I have to file stuff from dayshift. It is mandatory.
And then I have to start getting papers ready for the next day - assessment sheets, I /O sheets). I have to stamp those with the appropriate date, put patient labels on them, and put them in the charts for the next day.
I then have chart checks to do. I have to make sure that all orders received on days (7a-7p) have been correctly entered into the computer. I have to ensure that all labs/test have been ordered right, that test have been done, etc, etc.
I have to make sure the Kardex is up to date
And then I have to check the new MAR's and ensure that there isn't anything on them that shouldn't be, like a newly dc/d drug....and that new orders are on it.
I then find out of another admission.
CNA is going to dinner, now I have to answer call lights.
Hey look, it is almost time for me to go......but first I have to add up everyone's I/O's for the past 24 hours. (hopefully the CNA has emptied everyones foley by now)......and then chart those in graphics.....and then file the I/O sheet from yesterday. Adding this stuff up, recharting it, is very time consuming.....as is filing. The CNA's aren't allowed to do this anmore because apparently there were too many mistakes in their calculations.....?
We don't have a clerk on my shift. Admission/discarge paperwork are 100% on the nurse. Once in a while the house supervisor will help enter orders, but that is rare.
A friend of mine who lives in a different state says that her job is nothing like this - no chart check, no filing, and they have a clerk. She works at a Magent hosptal and claims that is the reason why her job is easier than mine. What do you guys think?