a little input PLEASE!!!!

[sasha2lady]

oK....on my shift we have 2 nurses & a chalkboard that lists our census....the # of medicares, bed holds and it has a place for the day charge RN and then on 2nd and 3rd its got a place for "charge". I do "charge" on 2nd but its totally different than on days b/c there are 3 of us and nobody does the desk...its split among us. The DON and I talked about "charge almost 2 yrs ago when she laid it on me that I would be doing it. I told her I didnt want charge..that I wasnt ready..she said I had no say in it b/c I had been there the longest and I had the FT track. The thing is this...I have gotten FED up with having to constantly pull the other 2 nurses weights. I have my own things to do...meds, txs, charting, assessments...the other 2 nurses are supposed to be doing the same thing on their assignments. When I talked to the DON and told her that I absolutely would NOT be responsible for the entire building which is 80 pts, plus the nurses and all of the cnas etc etc etc......she said that that wasnt my job....as charge my job was to basically answer ?'s for other nurses about policies etc and if there was an emergency we should all pitch in etc etc....well....I was feeling a little better about it...til it got so bad with getting all the left overs from day shift that I have just stopped doing it all over the past few months. Ive tried to just stick to doing my own assignment and I help the others when they need me. For so long I did everything by myself with NO help from my coworkers. They would just sit there and eat for over 30 mins while I was covered up with THEIR orders on THEIR patients....they wouldnt even put the orders on their mars or labs in the lab calender...nothing. I feel bad sometimes when I see that they have orders to process and they just throw them up in the box for the day RN to do the next day...and they know that shes overloaded as it is! The only one that ever helps her is me. Well...I just had a run in concerning a pt on the other nurses' assignment...this pt is a chronic daily complainer....she hates all of our aides...complains nonstop....well Ive dealt with her before and so this past time which was the 3RD time....I told the nurse that had her she needed to deal with it this time...and she got mad about it! She told the other nurse that i was charge and that I shouldve dealt with it.....ummm...no....i dont feel like its my place ...charge or not....to go handle every tiny thing that comes up with other assignments when they are right there and are able to do it. It just ticked me OFF!!!!!!!!!!! This is how it is to just sum it up....when each of us is assigned to our halls...those are the pts we are responsible for directly (unless there is an emergency)...thats who each of us is to deal with appropriately and safely. I dont ask another nurse to go deal with my aggravating families or my complaining pts...I do it myself. What bugs me is that some of these nurses take absolutely NO initiative to do ANYTHING except to pass stupid stuff on to someone else. In the past few months I have stopped doing all their orders..when they get handed to me ...I hand them right off to whichever nurse that pt belongs to, I wont do their consult sheets, I wont do their assessments, I dont remind them to do their monthly summaries or skin checks every day....I dont send back the meds that are expired or d/c'd anymore (3rd is supposed to do that)... I am not a babysitter! I shouldnt have to tell someone to do their work esp a nurse who KNOWS to do it. Ive heard this line so many times " I didnt know I was supposed to do that" when its stuff theyve done a hundred times! I think they say that as a way to try and get it passed to me. ..I am soooo sick of it...I made up my mind that I wasnt going to be their rug anymore and I cant even believe Ive done it this long without caving in and just doing it. Somethings gotta give here. Was I wrong to tell her to go deal with HER own patient?Is it wrong of me to give them their pts orders to do themselves? In my way of thinking....I dont see how their lack of wortk ethics and slackness can come back on me since Im not actually assigned to any of their pts. I could be wrong but I have been under the impression that when you take an assignment you take that responsibility to those pts because you can handle it and its safe for you to participate. I wouldnt take an unsafe assignment...Id go home first. Or am I just way off on my thinking here?????? i could see how it would be my place to take care of their junk IF I wasnt already on a med cart doing exactly what they do and then some....the day RN doesnt do any meds....she does all the desk work, rounds w/ the md, md orders, consults and orders from other md's when theyve been to an appt, labs, wound measuring etc etc etc....She goes nonstop working that desk plus dealing with ALL the families and the staff and mgmt plus the pharmacy and the hospitals and the nonstop ringing phones! It just irks me....and aside from all that....I dont get one extra red cent for doing any kind of "charge" work nor have I ever gotten a thank you..not one time. Im over my limit with their bull!

[kat7ap]

When I worked in LTC, each nurse was "charge" of her own set of residents. There was an ADON there during the day to oversee things, but other than that each nurse was responsible for his/her stuff. I would be fed up if I were you.

[sasha2lady]

yes...I am truly fed up with this! they might have a surprise coming to them. I went to 2 more places today to put in applications...and finally i got a bite! One place interviewed me and wants me to come back for a 2nd interview and a drug test...and the other place had already called me and left a msg on my machine at home wanting me to come for an interview also next week. If I can get something part time...im going to take it and cut my days back where Im at now. i got my paycheck today...pitiful. Since theyve done all the cutbacks with our hours and then so many of our staff is leaving ....I cannot manage my bills with such a pay cut. I have to make it up. If I end up getting on at a place and like it ...I may even consider going full time in January if its a good fit of course. I really have no choice at the moment but to look for something else. However...I had a thought that really motivated me to look....If I end up being the only full time nurse with 2 prns....what happens if someone on 3rd calls in? Id be stuck all the time doing it.....nope...I did that all year last year...I WILL NOT do it again. The prns dont think that staying over applies to them...i would vote that it should apply more so than to me since Im only off 8 days a month! Im hoping that when I go to the 2 interviews that one can offer me a weekend spot on 2nd ...I will then tell my boss that I will work monday thru thursday...be off on fridays and then work those weekends at job number 2. Sigh....Ill be glad when my husband gets through his truck driving school so he can get on the road and make more money than me...then 2 jobs will be hx for me.

[WingsEarned21, LPN, RN]

I hope your hubby can make that kinda money .My hubby did it for a while and there was no money and he was gone from his family for a week at a time.They cut our pay also where I am.I am used to doing my own tx's and orders and Dr. rounds so it was an adjustment for me when I started where I am and have a supervisor that handles calling the Dr. and orders and problems with sick pt's.I wouldn't do all their work too.We have too much to handle on our own assignments as it is.I do try to help out if I have time.Good luck with your interviews.

[sasha2lady]

This is true...to have him away for weeks at a time wouldnt really bother me b/c he gets on my nerves lol....alot! I do everything at the house myself anyway....take care of the baby...do all the laundry, cleaning, taking trash off, yard work etc..plus work full time. My DON isnt willing to work w/ me on my schedule so...Im going to just have to work opposite w/ends at the part time job....hopefully its a good fit and I can go full time .....Im ready for a change. I am hoping that my hubby will find a decent driving job by the end of the year also. I went to my interviews ..both were good...and the best part was that they have people that have to come in if the next shift cant be covered! I thought that was wonderful..esp since Id be like 40 mins from my house.