lazy charge nurses

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Yesterday a nurse working on a med surg floor was so busy that she did not even have time to go to the bathroom and was incontinent of urine. She was very upset. It was after 2 pm until she even had time to have a lunch break. She told the charge nurse who has no patients that she was drowning. The charge nurse offered no help and proceeded to leavethe unit to go work on paperwork. I feel the behavior of this charge nurse was terrible. That is her job to provide an extra pair of hands when needed. No wonder nurses are leaving bedside nursing.

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I've worked with that charge nurse..grrr....illegal thoughts! It's about pt care....not your status as official dog flicker of the day

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Well, first off, I think that nurse should have just gone to the bathroom. There comes a point when you have to take 2 minutes and take care of yourself. Unless she was in a 6 hour code (or however long she was there), then she could have taken a break, at least long enough to pee. Nurses have to take care of themselves first - I'm not saying to go take an hour lunch, just take 2 seconds to pee and maybe drink soome water.

That being said, I'm a charge nurse, and I bust my butt helping other people when I am in charge. When I'm not in charge and I see the person who is in charge slacking off, pretending to be busy, etc, it really fries my cookies! I feel you on that one!!!!

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Yesterday a nurse working on a med surg floor was so busy that she did not even have time to go to the bathroom and was incontinent of urine

Almost sounds a little passive-aggressive, sorry but I have never seen someone not TAKE the time to go to the bathroom even though we all joke about possible foley bags :wink2:

Does the charge nurse help anyone at all, was it just this nurse, are other nurses also complaining?

I have always tried to help as much as possible usually working much harder as charge then when on the floor. I had a nurse manager did the same, she was so good though, it almost looked like she slowly drifted from place to place yet she could get twice as much done as anyone else. :)

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Specializes in CVICU-ICU.

That is absolutely ridiculous...I bet it took her longer to clean herself up then it would have to take 2 minutes and go to the bathroom. If you ask me that nurse has some serious issues with trying to prove a point...some people just love to be martyrs. There is absolutly no excuse for not taking the time to go to the bathroom.....no one is that needed that they will be missed over a 2-3 minutes period. I work in a busy CVICU and I find the time along with my coworkers to take bathroom breaks and also lunch breaks.

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Specializes in Day Surgery, Agency, Cath Lab, LTC/Psych.
she did not even have time to go to the bathroom and was incontinent of urine.

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

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Was it you?

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Specializes in Gerontology.

Where were all the other nurses working that day? Did any of them offer this nurse help? Does this nurse always have problems completing her work or was this just a one time occurance.

Finally, no matter how busy, she should have just taken the 2 minutes to go to the bathroom. Sounds like shes trying to make herself a matyr.

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

I have no interest in defending the charge nurse if she deliberately failed to assist a staff who asked for help with an overwhelming patient assignment.

But the staff nurse is a professional adult as well. She is responsible for meeting her own personal needs and using the bathroom is high on the list of personal needs.

Secondly, did she ask the charge nurse for help with specific patients and/or tasks? If she did, and the charge nurse failed to respond, then shame on the charge nurse. If she did not, then shame on her. She shouldn't assume that complaining of "drowning" is the same as a specific request for help.

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Specializes in Gerontology.
Secondly, did she ask the charge nurse for help with specific patients and/or tasks? If she did, and the charge nurse failed to respond, then shame on the charge nurse. If she did not, then shame on her. She shouldn't assume that complaining of "drowning" is the same as a specific request for help.

I agree, Simply saying you are busy is not that same as asking for help.

One weekend we had a new nurse complain that no one helped her when she asked. What she said was "I'm so busy I only had 20 minute break". When I was told this by someone else who I replied "Well, thats 20 minutes more that either I or "Other Nurse" had.

And then the next day she complained because I tried to be nice and DIDN"T give her the admission that came - instead "Other Nurse" and I split the admission work between the two of us.

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Specializes in LTC, home health, critical care, pulmonary nursing.

I've made the statement on many occasions, "I don't care if I have to do chest compressions, I have to pee." I feel bad for that nurse, but she has no one to blame but herself.

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Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.
Yesterday a nurse working on a med surg floor was so busy that she did not even have time to go to the bathroom and was incontinent of urine. She was very upset. It was after 2 pm until she even had time to have a lunch break. She told the charge nurse who has no patients that she was drowning. The charge nurse offered no help and proceeded to leavethe unit to go work on paperwork. I feel the behavior of this charge nurse was terrible. That is her job to provide an extra pair of hands when needed. No wonder nurses are leaving bedside nursing.

I guess I'll be the one to say it---She's an idiot. A good lesson to learn here-be assertive.Ask for exactly what you need-don't expect someone to read your mind.

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