Who orders a PRBC transfusion at 0659, I ask you? Who does that?
Oh wait, the NP for my patient last night, that's who. After I'd told the fellow at 0600 that the Hct was 30. And the baby has no peripheral access. And now, at 0659, I must make at least an attempt to start one. Me, who is the most hopeless IV starter on the floor. But still, in order to avoid the wrath of day shift, I must try. Because the blood was ordered on my time. At six. Fifty. NINE.
Oh yeah, it was bad. The poor night LPN was bullied by a day shift LPN and actually stayed until 7:30 am to call the doctor because the day shift nurse said IT WASN'T HER JOB!
That poor LPN night nurse left in tears. I would have told that day LPN exactly where she could....
After working a 12 hours shift I doubt I would have had the capacity to 'be nice' if I had been faced with such an absurd demand.
I guess my idea of being nice would have been to have handed her a couple of packages of SurgiLube on my way out the door.
Oh yeah, if I had been that LPN and some day LPN told me I was going to stay until 7:30am and call the doc, I would have a few choice words to say. Problem was the night shift LPN was TOO NICE, and was intimidated by the day LPN. Night LPN had worked there 10 years compared to the day LPN who was a 25 year veteran nurse who thought she ruled the whole building, but had only worked there 6 months. She was very rude to work with and on evening shift, when I worked, she was rude during shift report and narcotic count. The one night I worked,(worked at double) she came in at exactly 6am, played with her lunch, looked at the paper, all the while I am ready to give report. I finally announced "It's time for the count, I have been here since 2pm yesterday. I would like to go home! Usually I am very nice..with that nurse I announced my intentions that it's my time to go home, quit fooling around!
But still, in order to avoid the wrath of day shift, I must try. Because the blood was ordered on my time. At six. Fifty. NINE.
So, what have they done to you at 06/1859?
"They" did not do this "to you"
To "avoid the wrath of day shift??!!" You sound like you view yourself as helpless.
Grow a backbone and stop worrying about what someone else might think say or do because you are human and choose not to work overtimes simply to avoid bullying.
As long as you play into this mind set you will always be beaten by others.
Your shift ends at 7 you got the order at 0659. so what? It is not your place to stay and do this. Nursing is a 24 hours job and things MUST be passed on.
I will stay and get what needs to be done done. I have a hard time passing stuff off that I could have very easily done. However, if oncoming shift tells me to go home and they'll take care of it, I go.
I will stay and get what needs to be done done. I have a hard time passing stuff off that I could have very easily done. However, if oncoming shift tells me to go home and they'll take care of it, I go.
That's very noble of you, but sets a sad precedent. Nursing is a TEAM effort and your job is done when the oncoming shift arrives, receives your report, asks their questions and you can chart briefly that you reported off to such and such.
If you stayed after I received report and continued providing care for my patient, I would ask you to stop. Somebody, including myself, recognizes that I am competent to "get what needs to be done, done" so I would feel that you were being intrusive.
That's very noble of you, but sets a sad precedent. Nursing is a TEAM effort and your job is done when the oncoming shift arrives...
Thank you!
I've heard a number of nurse managers tell staff that staying over is not appropriate (I think the basis is that they don't want to pay overtime).
I agree, it sets a bad precedent. There are plenty of people who will take advantage of a misplaced sense of loyalty or duty - both in management and other staff nurses.
I don't want somebody thinking they can bully me or try to make me feel guilty because "so-and-so does this, why won't you?"
That's half of the problem.... by the time nurses get report and out to the floor, I had what needed to be done done. An extra 5 to 15 minutes isn't worth arguing over and nurses are still in report. I can't leave a patient in a soaking wet brief while everyone else is occupied. It will take me 2 minutes to change it, and the patient won't get skin breakdown. It's just the way I am.
I'm not saying this to be rude or superior, this is an observation that I think you should note;
There are some exceptions, but it looks to me as if most of the people on this thread who say they feel obligated to stay after their shift to finish up have less than a couple of years of experience as nurses, and most of the people on this thread who have said that you should go home when your shift ends have 5 or more years of experience.
I will stay and get what needs to be done done. I have a hard time passing stuff off that I could have very easily done. However, if oncoming shift tells me to go home and they'll take care of it, I go.
I hear you on this, and I understand your POV, but I have had a day nurse stay and stay and we can't get our shift started because she has the nurses station full of charts and she isn't done charting yet. Nurse refuses to give report until she is done, it's 2:20pm, shift starts at 2pm, and she is running me and the other evening nurse behind by 20 minutes.. nurse passes me the keys to med cart and tell me to count by myself??? I THINK NOT!
Nurses on evening shift can't even get behind the nurses station to start making out assignments because day shift nurse is still charting and has a mess of charts and papers and what-not all over the nurses station. Nurses aides waiting on assignments and I am trying to find an empty place to write! What a nightmare for the incoming shift!
That's half of the problem.... by the time nurses get report and out to the floor, I had what needed to be done done. An extra 5 to 15 minutes isn't worth arguing over and nurses are still in report. I can't leave a patient in a soaking wet brief while everyone else is occupied. It will take me 2 minutes to change it, and the patient won't get skin breakdown. It's just the way I am.
That is compassionate and I am sure the oncoming nurse is grateful that you went that extra mile. You sound very proactive in providing patient care. And I am sure that the patient appreciates your actions. If that's the way you are, I LIKE IT!!!!
Diary/Dairy, RN
1,785 Posts
AMEN - I go home when it is time for me to go home!