It's All YOU Baby!

wish_me_luck, BSN, RN · Apr 5, 2012

It's not only that facility and don't make fun of her. She just is used to another form of nursing. I am from the south and the nurses, like you, do everything for the patient. That being said, in other parts of the country, especially like in NY, they have functional nursing and the like. There was a nurse I once worked with that was from my area and then moved to NY. They did functional nursing and she moved back here and was overwhelmed with the work because of it being team nursing. Unfortunately, it became too much for her and she got a job elsewhere.

So, my answer would be they do functional nursing. I wanted to throw my smarty pants answer in. :lol2:

onetiredmomma · Apr 5, 2012

My dream has always been to work somewhere that has an IV team...alas, as I get closer to retirement it is bound to be a dream unmet! It has to be hard to go from a big facility that has "everything" but I learned in a sm town hospital on night shift that did team nursing wo CNAs and I learned a ton from those coworkers! Your new coworker will learn soon enough as long as everyone is patient with her/ Where I work now I keep forgetting that the PICC nurse comes and changes central line dressings...that's a treat in itself!

rn/writer, RN · Apr 5, 2012

It has to be a real culture shock for this nurse. I wonder if she would have taken the job if she'd known how different the duties would be. Hope you're able to help her get up to speed.

Imagine a team nurse moving to a functional setting. Would she experience a similar discomfort and feel hemmed in by being asked to rely on so many others to do what she was used to accomplishing on her own?

Very interesting dynamics at work here.

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Apr 5, 2012

i went to work as a temp as a "disease management" telephonic case manager in a big hmo, just for the practice and to see how it works. i want to tell you, when you are used to doing everything, calling for help when you need it, and asking questions of the people who know the answer, it really bites big-time when you are told, "you can't do that, the xyz team does that." "you can't just ask the psych team, you have to send a request via this specialized email channel and wait for the answer." "you can't call and ask the pharmacist that question, the patient's advocate group does that."

as a former staff nurse in world class icu-ville, i would have given my right arm for regular visits from a turn team and an iv team. everything on that list, though, we did ourselves.

PMFB-RN, RN · Apr 6, 2012

It's not only that facility and don't make fun of her. She just is used to another form of nursing.

*** Oh I am NOT making fun of her. I like her a lot and she is wicked smart. I was more poking fun of "THE World Famous Medical Center", actually a smaller hospital with a smaller ICU than where we work now. but MUCH more famous.

PMFB-RN, RN · Apr 6, 2012

It has to be a real culture shock for this nurse. I wonder if she would have taken the job if she'd known how different the duties would be. Hope you're able to help her get up to speed.

*** She kinda had no choice about the job. She had to move here for her husband's job. Don't worry about her. She is super smart and very personable. She is going to fit in just fine.

Imagine a team nurse moving to a functional setting. Would she experience a similar discomfort and feel hemmed in by being asked to rely on so many others to do what she was used to accomplishing on her own?

*** We do primary nursing in the SICU. The primary RN does everything that needs to be done. We have CNAs but they only enter rooms to help the RN. I can tell you I would feel like I was being kept on a very short leash if the shoe was on the other foot.

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Apr 6, 2012

I believe I had a travel assignment at "the world famous medical center".

I was assigned three or four patients.. with their computer charting the biggest responsibility.

I feel that the nursing duties you described .. should be a part of the whole picture we can do for our patients.

Not looking to turf basic duties to the appropriate area, while we sit at a computer and document it in 6 places!

Don't back down to earlier posters.. you are right on!

She may .. or may not.. realize that she is the NURSE and should know how to do all these things...

instead of DOCUMENTING that they are done.

PeepnBiscuitsRN · Apr 6, 2012

I think the World Famous Medical Center might just be in my state of residence! Maybe I'm wrong...I recall learning in nursing school that this particular medical center/system has an IV team, a foley team, lab team, probably a turn team too... and new grads salivate at the opportunity to have their residency there...what a let down. I know I was let down when I learned that unless you worked in like 4 or so special departments in my own hospital you don't start IV's- the lab techs do. It MUST be a culture shock!

RNperdiem, RN · Apr 6, 2012

I love my IV team, stat pharmacy, and all the others that make a job so much easier sometimes.

My unit has very low turnover, and when people do leave it is usually to go to anestheisa school, or for a move to a different state, rarely because of unhappiness with the workload.

Your new nurse will hopefully adapt to the changes, but I'm sure she will miss all the amenities she once had.

GitanoRN, BSN, MSN, RN · Apr 6, 2012

definitely, this reminds me of the hospital where i did my clinical, everything was done by the rn, therefore, either you swim or sank that was their motto. undoubtedly, i have no doubt that your new nurse will catchup having you as her mentor :cool:

2011GradRN · Apr 6, 2012

I work in the TMC and I watch my balloon pumps, if we have trouble...circ support, I start my own ivs, I turn my patients, I change my own central line dressings, draw my abgs, etc...I do everything you mentioned except my drips are premixed from the pharmacy so not every facility is the same in the TMC.