I was almost able to leave work without any issues this morning. I didn't make any mistakes last night and was going to ready to walk out the door at 7:30 this morning. But at about 7:15 I found that one of my pts IVs blew. Now normally I wouldn't worry about that except that I had a hard stick a few hours before and decided since she wasn't getting any meds until after lunch and she was HL to begin with I would let the day shift have a crack at her. It wasn't that I didn't try to get, but I refuse to try more then two times. So, when after report I told the on coming RN that I wasn't able to get either IV she got really huffy with me. I felt bad enough as it was leaving two IVs for her to do first thing in the morning. I apologized multiple times and I just felt really bad.
Then I was driving home and realized that last week she had left a whole admission for me and I mean a whole admission. The pt had been there since 3pm and they hadn't even gotten vitals on her. She didn't have any problem with handing it over to me. Where does this double standard come from. Why does it seem that days has a free pass to leave stuff for nights, but nights can't leave anything for days. We are busy people to.
Thanks for listening and letting me vent. I just felt bad for leaving things and kind of upset that she gave me all this attitude about it.
Specializes in critical care; community health; psych.
I hate to resort to cliche's but you can't please all the people all the time.
In my unit, we rotate shifts. I don't particularly like it but that's another story. So there's no night shift/day shift controversies. Sometimes days will leave something for nights and nights will leave something for days. We understand that it's out of necessity.
My feeling is this. We are supposed to work 12h shifts (or 8 or 10, whatever the case may be). You do the best you can during those allotted hours to get everything done. If it's nonemergent, and you've worked like a sled dog during a blizzard all day (or night), then what's the issue? We'are all in the same boat so let's pick up the oars and just row. I have never gotten huffy when the previous shift left a task for me to perform. I know they worked their butts off.
Sometimes I feel like as long as you are still the new kid on the block, it will remain a lose lose situation. You get the late admissions because you are not in this clique , they get mad at you if you try to leave anywork for the next shift, they don't mind leaving stuff for you on your shift. I say this coz I tried to leave some undone work for the next shift, coz I had seen a nurse who had been there for ages do this, believing that nursing is a 24/7 thing. Boy were they mad at me. Oh and if you try to stay late to complete your so called work, the NM will get mad at you for leaving/clocking out late.I believe time will make us new grads more efficient but until then we willl just have to hang in there.
Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.
I have on occasion had to leave tasks for the next shift. When it happens, I try to remember to point out what I had to leave, and apologize for not getting to it. That way the next nurse knows I didn't do it on purpose. But by the same token, we are a 24/7 365-day-a-year workplace, and it isn't always possible to do everything in our allotted time.
We are only allowed to try twice to start an IV and then we have to find another person. We can also call the CRNA.
You will never be able to change everyone regarding this issue.
Change starts with you. Refuse to engage in the shift wars, don't listen to someone bashing another shift, walk away.
We've talked of having each shift switch and while that may work for awhile, the troublemakers won't change until everyone else around them stops accepting their behavior.
I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. I try not to leave a job undone. I try to remember this is a 24/7 job.
Since this has been going on since the beginning of time, I don't have any other advice for you except do your job and don't engage the negativity.
Specializes in Peds Cardiology,Peds Neuro,Pedi ER,PICU, IV Jedi.
Hi Brooke...
I'm so sorry this happened to you, and if I had a dollar for every time day shift left something stupid or basic for us to do (like a weight on a kid who CAN walk and stand up on a scale)...I wouldn't have to work.
Perhaps the nurse for whom you left the IVs just isn't good at them?? They can be time consuming ordeals with some patients...but to leave you an entire admission?? That's ridiculous, and perhaps you can remind her of that next time you see her.
Me, I always jot in a report exactly what HAS been done..and what NEEDS to be done. That way there's no question.
Have a great day.
vamedic4
Hi eveybody,
I was almost able to leave work without any issues this morning. I didn't make any mistakes last night and was going to ready to walk out the door at 7:30 this morning. But at about 7:15 I found that one of my pts IVs blew. Now normally I wouldn't worry about that except that I had a hard stick a few hours before and decided since she wasn't getting any meds until after lunch and she was HL to begin with I would let the day shift have a crack at her. It wasn't that I didn't try to get, but I refuse to try more then two times. So, when after report I told the on coming RN that I wasn't able to get either IV she got really huffy with me. I felt bad enough as it was leaving two IVs for her to do first thing in the morning. I apologized multiple times and I just felt really bad.
Then I was driving home and realized that last week she had left a whole admission for me and I mean a whole admission. The pt had been there since 3pm and they hadn't even gotten vitals on her. She didn't have any problem with handing it over to me. Where does this double standard come from. Why does it seem that days has a free pass to leave stuff for nights, but nights can't leave anything for days. We are busy people to.
Thanks for listening and letting me vent. I just felt bad for leaving things and kind of upset that she gave me all this attitude about it.
I do have to say that if I couldn't get the IV on the one pt., personally, I would have taken the extra time to start the IV on the other pt. Not because I had to, but out of courtesy to the oncoming nurse.
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wonderbee, BSN, RN
1 Article; 2,212 Posts
I hate to resort to cliche's but you can't please all the people all the time.
In my unit, we rotate shifts. I don't particularly like it but that's another story. So there's no night shift/day shift controversies. Sometimes days will leave something for nights and nights will leave something for days. We understand that it's out of necessity.
My feeling is this. We are supposed to work 12h shifts (or 8 or 10, whatever the case may be). You do the best you can during those allotted hours to get everything done. If it's nonemergent, and you've worked like a sled dog during a blizzard all day (or night), then what's the issue? We'are all in the same boat so let's pick up the oars and just row. I have never gotten huffy when the previous shift left a task for me to perform. I know they worked their butts off.