Yesterday, in the middle of a rather hectic shift, someone I have been working with and, helping whenever possible, let me know I was rather odd and stupid because I took the time, after completing a mid-morning med pass, to explain some new meds to a patient. Nothing too serious, just some new antibiotics and a new BP med. Guess I just should have run off some general info sheets and handed it to the patient. I don't have time to waste, according to this nurse, She needed me to help finish her meds so she could go on break. BREAK! Someone please explain what the word means. LOL!
Who in the world covers your patients adequately? If someone in my unit took that many breaks they would be forced out one way or another, right or wrong.
Hi Fossil. Even before the staffing laws took effect in CA the ICU's were covered under another law that dates back to the 1970's. AB394 just tweaked it a bit in the wording.
RN's cover breaks. One RN never has more than 2 ICU patients and depending on acuity, about half the time it will be 1:1. We have RN's staffed and designated specifically for covering breaks and helping out where ever they're needed. They don't have an assignment except for the RN's they cover. They're called floats. The unit does not share these floats with any other unit.
It's called staffing. We are staffed. The breaks that we take are the breaks that are required by law.
I wish that some day ALL RN's all over the country could experience this. It's what we rightfully deserve. An hour and fifteen minutes in a busy twelve hour day is just about right.
Specializes in ICU, Pediatric, Psychiatric, Med/Surg.
I don't know of any nurse that gets all her "breaks".
I do know a bunch who get pissed off quickly when they don't get 'em.
Fortunately, I do not happen to be one of them. I like patient education, and it doesn't usually take much time to do. (besides, I learned long ago it is my job.)
Every day I swear I'm going to take my breaks AND my lunch and sometimes I do. More often though, I'm one of those nurses with a "full bladder and an empty stomach"!
I think the reality is...."It's official....that co-worker needs to retire!" If someone forgets WHY they became a nurse in the first place, than they clearly need to work somewhere else. Period.
Never second-guess what the right thing to do is - Your inner-voice the one that is compassionate and knows how to treat people is loud and clear! Good for you for listening to it!
One RN never has more than 2 ICU patients and depending on acuity, about half the time it will be 1:1
The above sounds like a dream job to me. When I worked ICU we very very rarely had only 1 pt. It was usually 2, but each shift there was always a couple of nurses who had to take 3 pts. At least one of my three shifts per wk I cared for 3 ICU pts. Maybe I need to move to Cali....LOL
Back to the original post though.....I can't believe this other nurse had the nerve to get upset with you for tending to your pt. instead of helping her pass meds to HER pts so she could take a break. She sure has some big ones!! Sounds to me like she needs some pointers in time management if she can't keep up with medicating her own pts and always needs help to do so.
I'm not saying it's wrong to help co-workers, because I do it all the time...but it goes both ways. Team work is most definately needed in almost any healthcare setting...but for her to get upset & mandate you help her on a regular basis is absolutely ridiculous.
Every day I swear I'm going to take my breaks AND my lunch and sometimes I do. More often though, I'm one of those nurses with a "full bladder and an empty stomach"!
Reminds me of a joke.....a lady was found by the side of the road. The coroner upon completing his exam states, "she must have been a nurse, her bladder was full, her stomach was empty and her butt was chewed off. :roll
I agree with Gitterbug... the next time she asks for help, glance at your watch and tell her you were just about to take your break, but that her situation was much more important and then help out. She will either be thankful and get the message or really think that you ar "dumb". In that case she really does have alot to learn and hopefully she is well skilled at CPR when she has to save her own neck from the rope she just hung herself with. Continue to do what you do, how you do it. It is your soul who has to answer..
The other nurse and I had a talk after work, she was stressed out and said she did not think how her actions and remarks would be taken by me or other staff. I attempted to listen without anger, and I told her I just feel like she needs to look at her time management skills and patient needs a little closer. She agreed she is still new and under some invisible time line to complete a certain number of things by break time. She will find her way and I will be glad to have her working on the unit. No, there is never enough help to do all of the job.
This was a good reminder to me and, I hope, to many posters, what we do and how we do it effects us in many ways, not just on the job.
gitterbug - I don't care what the rest of them do, I do what I know is right. When I worked in post-anesthesia, I would always explain to patients what their meds were for, how to take them and what to avoid when they did.
Legally, you may be covered by giving them a printed sheet, but I find that people don't often read or understand them. Such as - if you take the Percocet, Vicoden, or Darvocet as often as it is ordered, then do not take Tylenol. Pretty soon the surgeons started writing it like that in their post-op instructions. It didn't take very long to go thru them.
Talking about breaks. There should be a way to work it out so employees get off the floor for lunch or break without endangering patients. We need to get away for our own health and well being as well as for our patients. A chance to regroup is important and reduces the incidence of mistakes. Of course there will be times when you can't leave, but the majority of the time it can be worked out.
Colleen
Maybe I need to move to Cali....LOL
:roll
begalli
1,277 Posts
Hi Fossil. Even before the staffing laws took effect in CA the ICU's were covered under another law that dates back to the 1970's. AB394 just tweaked it a bit in the wording.
RN's cover breaks. One RN never has more than 2 ICU patients and depending on acuity, about half the time it will be 1:1. We have RN's staffed and designated specifically for covering breaks and helping out where ever they're needed. They don't have an assignment except for the RN's they cover. They're called floats. The unit does not share these floats with any other unit.
It's called staffing. We are staffed. The breaks that we take are the breaks that are required by law.
I wish that some day ALL RN's all over the country could experience this. It's what we rightfully deserve. An hour and fifteen minutes in a busy twelve hour day is just about right.