Kinda of a vent...

[blessedmomma247]

So, I started my new job today and was very happy with the nurse that oriented me. She was very informative with the policy and procedures and I noticed she was very efficient with her med pass. She asked if I felt comfortable doing a few tx's, meds and I took on a few tasks. I had questions and she was there to help. So what is my problem then?

Well, I noticed by working thru my agency, going to different faclitilies for staff relief and by working full time in one place, that every place has a different way of doing the same thing and I think that is just kinda of silly. For example, in one nursing home, its policy to sanitize the BP cuff after each resident with a sanitize wipe but those wipes are not allowed on the cart, only on the treatment cart. Another nursing home says to sanitize the BP cuff after every 3rd resident. One nursing home we must clean the glucometer after each resident while another nursing home has a totally different policy. To keep my sanity, I have made notes and glance over my notebook when I am assign to a facility. I wish there was just a general policy for every place for the simple things that would save the nurses a ton of time. Its hard enough passing meds to 20-25 patient in the whole "hour before/hour after" ...add the extra time for cleaning each cuff its like....banging my head up against a brick wall....

okay..done venting ..thanks!!!

[JBMmom, MSN, NP]

Hope all goes well with your new position! I'm sure it must be difficult keeping things straight with different facilities and policies, but I would imagine that as long as you're providing competent care, unless the state is there, no one is likely to give you a problem over whether you sanitized your BP cuff and the like. I focus on the big picture stuff and hope I can do everything else, but realize that I just can't do everything as thoroughly as I would like within the time frame of a shift.

[HippyDippyLPN]

Patient on precautions should have their own BP cuff so unless a patient gets fluids or hacks all over my cuff, I really never had time to sanitize my cuff. I would the glucometers but we also had the Sani wipes on our cart so it was easier. You can't sanitize everything unfortunately if they want to keep giving you the max load of patients, I'm sure you barely have time to pee let alone sanitize your cuff after each BP.