Not allowed to SIT during 12 hour shift and MORE

Specialties Med-Surg

Published

I have had it.

On the premise that we must get our scores up, we are now given assigned charting times, one time per shift , must chart in a break room (this never works because our assigned charting times are when our patients are needing help, getting new admits, others are at lunch, etc.). We are not allowed to sit down to chart at the station at any time. We are told to "Get up and get moving" if we do sit down and chart. If we are sitting, we are told that it is "percieved" that we are not doing anything. So we are totally on our feet for 12 hours and then end up staying over to chart. We are not allowed to manage our own time and chart when we have the opportunity to. If another nurse, lab tech, or RT or someone stops and communicates with us about our pt. at the nurses station, we are told to get moving, we are being "percieved" as not doing anything. I am fed up with not being allowed to do my job. The last few days would have been really good days at work. But this situation ruined them. I am so angry and frustrated. I have already turned in my notice and others will soon follow. They will be losing good nurses. No efforts to communicate the level of stress that these rules are adding to the job are listened to. So, "percieve this"...I am outa here.

And if my next job is like this, I will be gone from there too! I WILL NOT be treated like a child any longer. I am an educated professional and I take great care of my patients. I am done with the scripts, being told when to sit or stand, and all the other garbage that does not help patients or employees. And I mean, DONE.

Had to vent.:mad:

The HCAPS thing is what is coming down the line on us right now. The way our manager is saying things are going to happen is that if the patient doesnt perceive that we "always" are friendly, "always" explain their meds, "always" kiss their a$$#@ basically, that we won't get paid. That is the part I just cannot fathom, is how in the world can it be even legal to do that? That is to me, like walking into McDonalds and saying that I didnt perceive that the staff were friendly enough to me, so give me my burger for free!

The HCAPS thing is what is coming down the line on us right now. The way our manager is saying things are going to happen is that if the patient doesnt perceive that we "always" are friendly, "always" explain their meds, "always" kiss their a$$#@ basically, that we won't get paid. That is the part I just cannot fathom, is how in the world can it be even legal to do that? That is to me, like walking into McDonalds and saying that I didnt perceive that the staff were friendly enough to me, so give me my burger for free!

What a crock. I'm a second year nursing student and I just can't imagine not being able to sit down for an entire 12 hours! :eek::eek::eek:

Get yourself some good shoes, you're gonna need them....seriously, it's not getting any better. I had hoped to find a ray of encouragement that there might be some solutions out there that aren't going to lead to me having to cause problems for myself in my current job, but the more I am reading on others' experiences, the less hope I have

Specializes in Medical/Surgical.
Just to let everyone know, I am 2 months into my new job, learning new things, and SITTING DOWN TO CHART. I am glad I made the change. From what I hear, things are pretty much the same at my old place of employment. And I am not sorry I left. I took a pay cut to leave, and I am not sorry about that either. Some things are more important than money. I did have a dream a few nights ago that my old manager offered me tons of money to come back, and I just smiled and said "No thanks". Feels good to know I made the best decision for me.

AMEN SISTER!!!!!!! :yeah:Currently in the same situation. LUCKILY I am putting in my 2 weeks very soon for a new position. My hospital was the same way, great place until they got whacko over HCAHPS....:uhoh3:

Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.

We have them as well, but the scores aren't taken to that extreme! That is just nuts.

That just seems ridiculous. Aren't we supposed to chart in the moment?

Specializes in med surg, icu.

Sorry folks, but all the above it too hard to believe and too scary to believe. I want to believe this but I am going to try to research. How can management make someone stand all day? Are there no chairs available? I would go into my patients room, and after assessing them, sit on a chair next to them and chat a bit. That way the patient felt good and my feet felt good then on to the next patient. just a thought. Leaving a job is a bit scary for me at this point.

Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

It sounded like a typical "solution" by a non-nurse (or nurse who long ago forgot what it's like to do the job) . . .they assigned "charting time" without input from the nurse, which was to be done in a break room some distance away from the action so family would not see a nurse (gasp!!!) sitting and nobody covering their patients.

I can't imagine what it would be like to work somewhere that allowed nurses to be shooed out of a chair and told to "get up and get moving". I think that might be the thing that brought the courage to give the "middle-finger salute" and a really dramatic exit (they say daydreaming reduces stress :)) I really need to get out of the mindset that every healthcare facility in the county is begging for nurses, though!

I still have a hard time believing this. This ought to have been in the local news. I do say that we have lots of chairs at work and most of them are chairs that are not far from being tossed in the trash bin. We get the worst of the worst.

One of the wards that i floated to has actually removed all the chairs and desks from the ward, well apart from the ward clerks computer desk and chair. The nurses have to chart standing up and only at the end of their shift.

However the chairs in the sisters office are still there and are used all day long by the sisters, heaven forbid that they have to stand.

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