I have been a nurse for 15 years, the last seven have been in PACU. I can go through my whole story of how I have always been a team player, willing to go above and behind, blah blah. My problem seems small but it is really bothering me. I work at an ambulatory surgery center (started 2 months ago). Some days we may have 55 patients, mostly eye surgeries with probably ten or so general cases being ortho. It's a long day, no breaks, short lunch, we all know the drill. I accepted that years ago and concentrate on pt care.
Here's my dilemma. The nurses strip and clean the stretchers and fill the laundry bags and bring them to the dirty utility room. The eye pts are also on stretchers so you're looking at linen for 55 stretchers. At the end of a ten hour + day, we are then expected to push the huge linen cart across the parking lot and then take each bag and hoist them up into a different bin outside which the laundry company picks up in the evening.
I'm all for doing my part but this seems wrong on so many levels. Now I know it's easy to say, I'd go right to my manager and say this and that. I'm a very assertive, confident, fair minded nurse. I know how to deal with management and coworkers. I am going to go to my manager, he's very approachable and a good guy. I am contemplating if I want to say I don't think it is work for a nurse to do, now don't go postal on me for saying that. We are professionals and work very hard for 8, 10, 12 hours a day. Or, if it is not something physically we should be doing. Not sure if I want to go the "it's tough physically" route. I know we have to carry our load but this is getting crazy. I have had many jobs (I'm a military wife who has traveled for 25 years with hubby), but have never had to lift twenty laundry bags over my head into a dumpster type bin at the end of the day.
Specializes in Infusion Nursing, Home Health Infusion.
What would your solution to the problem be? Do you really think they are going to hire someone to do that? My guess is a big "no" so try to make the job manageable as the previous poster suggested which by the way was really good advice!
I am certain you work very hard......no doubt about that but this is simply part of the job that you have. I do not think that has anything to do with it. I think that after a very long day a dreaded and physically demanding task at the end of the day just seems like too much and very annoying. Nowhere in my job description does it state that I have to clean the office or keep the IV carts clean and in good repair but I do it anyway because someone has to do so we have a clean and neat environment. .
I think that's a shame. We have EVS that come empty linens and techs that clean the beds and apply new linens to the gurneys. But I'm inpatient PACU so maybe an outpatient center is different. I'd be careful about going to management with this because you've only been there 2 months. Yes, lifting 20 lbs overhead seems quite dangerous.
They had an orderly who did the stretchers and linen right before I started there. I literally thought it was insane when I first started and the other nurses did too because they were there when the orderly was there. Now they are getting used to it. I don't think I or they should get used to it. They aren't hiring anyone because we are settling for less than what we should demand for ourselves.
It is a privately owned physician surgery center and money is the bottom line. It is all about saving money but working your nurses to the brink of exhaustion. It's wrong on so many levels. We smile and settle way too often. I will approach my manager but want to do it in a professional, effective way. My saving grace is if he says, it's do it or leave. I am able to leave and be ok.
My mouth dropped open when I read your post! I would have the same issues as you do with lifting so many very heavy bags over my head. I'm hoping it is possible for you to fill them less, but then you'll have twice as many bags. I honestly do not know what I would do with this, all I know is I could not physically do it without seriously hurting myself. I'm in pretty good shape, but bad body mechanics is just that. I had a related problem- we had to use a portable RO (for dialysis) that was very heavy and low to the ground so you had to bend over while pushing it up long, long hallways, and it was killing my back. I emailed my boss about it repeatedly because I knew it was just a matter of time before I was injured. Nothing happened, but at least I had it in black and white exactly what the issue was, for what that was worth. I wish you the best!
As posted in another thread, How would I handle this? I would lift the bags. I would lift them happily knowing I have a job at the end of the day. If they are too heavy, don't stuff them too full. Empty at half shift and end. Rotate turns but in the end I would keep on lifting with a smile. As long as I am able and no injury is caused-keep on keeping on.
I would do it because it is my job and if I don't do it someone else will.
Dang Willy.. that "just be glad you have a job" mentality is what keeps nurses from being respected.
What about the mentality that doing this is beneath nurses? If it is in the job description, then problem solve how to make the bags lighter or emptied at a different time.
What about the mentality that doing this is beneath nurses? If it is in the job description then problem solve how to make the bags lighter or emptied at a different time.[/quote']
Nurses have enough to deal with as it is. I can't think of any other job that requires a college degree where people don't have a problem with giving them trash or laundry duties.
I see/read about situations like this all the time. It seems like everyone else can throw their hands up and say, "not my job." If a nurse says that, people jump on him/her, as if to say that a nurse shouldn't ever be "above" anything. Well let me tell you, if the orderly was out sick for a few days, I'd have no problem helping out. I would definitely have a problem, though, with my employer tacking on unnecessary duties to save themselves money, making my work day longer and more difficult.
What about the mentality that doing this is beneath nurses? If it is in the job description, then problem solve how to make the bags lighter or emptied at a different time.
True, it's not beneath nurses. It's not beneath surgeons either. Perhaps the surgeons should take the laundry out on Monday, Wednesday and alternating Fridays. Nurses take the laundry out on Tuesday, Thursday, and the other Fridays. Of course, this will only work if the surgeons fall for that stupid guilt trip, "How dare you think laundry is beneath you!!"
Why can NOTHING be "beneath" nurses? We already wipe people's butts. I think we've suitably proven our humility. At some point, things actually should be considered NOT our job without us being guilted for preferring to do the work we are educated to do.
What about the mentality that doing this is beneath nurses? If it is in the job description, then problem solve how to make the bags lighter or emptied at a different time.
This is NOT an issue of the task being "beneath" nurses. I have performed tasks that are much more difficult and something anyone would feel is intolerable.
This particular task is in ADDITION to an already unmanageable workload.
Again, we say it isn't beneath but make excuses why it is. So what if we have a diploma? The job description always says additional duties as needed by management. I used to help serve in a dining room because we didn't have staffng yet. Job descriptions change all the time.
True, it's not beneath nurses. It's not beneath surgeons either. Perhaps the surgeons should take the laundry out on Monday, Wednesday and alternating Fridays. Nurses take the laundry out on Tuesday, Thursday, and the other Fridays. Of course, this will only work if the surgeons fall for that stupid guilt trip, "How dare you think laundry is beneath you!!"
Why can NOTHING be "beneath" nurses? We already wipe people's butts. I think we've suitably proven our humility. At some point, things actually should be considered NOT our job without us being guilted for preferring to do the work we are educated to do.
Depends on where you are. Is pericare beneath you because you have an education?
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
duplicate threads merged
Where I have worked housekeeping always came and emptied the bins. I just think there is a better utilization of nursing staff than to dump laundry bins in the parking lot.
iluvivt, BSN, RN
2,774 Posts
What would your solution to the problem be? Do you really think they are going to hire someone to do that? My guess is a big "no" so try to make the job manageable as the previous poster suggested which by the way was really good advice!
I am certain you work very hard......no doubt about that but this is simply part of the job that you have. I do not think that has anything to do with it. I think that after a very long day a dreaded and physically demanding task at the end of the day just seems like too much and very annoying. Nowhere in my job description does it state that I have to clean the office or keep the IV carts clean and in good repair but I do it anyway because someone has to do so we have a clean and neat environment. .