night shift LPN woes

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I'm an RN supervisor on night shift at a LTC facility. Recently, an LPN moved to 11-7 from the 3-11 shift. At my facility, night shift has one nurse and one CNA per hall. So of course, nurses have to answer bells (oh the horror), as the CNAs cannot be everywhere at once. Apparently, nurses don't typically do this on the other shift for some reason.

Anyway, with every other nurse I've had come to my shift it has only been necessary for me to tell them a few times to answer a bell. This particular LPN though has not gotten the picture, even though I have told her several times that night shift works differently and that when she is not busy she must help answer bells, particularly when someone is on lunch break.

I don't want to be "mean" about it, so how do I get her to get off her butt at the nurses station???

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Specializes in Peds, School Nurse, clinical instructor.

Formulate a written action plan and have her sign it. That way there will be no confusion on what the expectations are. If she doesn't follow it, start the disciplinary process.

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

I agree with BSYRN. Set expectations for this nurse. We all answer lights where I work...I'm the DNS and I NEVER walk past a light that's going off. Tell her you expect she will be answering lights unless she is busy busy with the med pass or an emergency.

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Specializes in Wound Care, LTC, Sub-Acute, Vents.

it is everyone's responsibility to answer call bells. as a supervisor, i hope you answer the bell as well and set the example.

you should talk to this nurse and must be direct with her. tell her she needs to answer the bells when she is not doing anything or when she sees the light goes off.

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I absolutely answer bells. One of the first things my staff learned about me when I started at this facility is that I answer bells. I don't expect anything out of them that I wouldn't do myself. It was an adjustment for the LPNs who had been there for a while, but they all got on board. One problem is consistency. The RN who works on my nights off does not answer bells, nor does she expect the other nurses to do so either. talk about frustrating!

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I answer bells unless I am swamped and even then I expect to be asked for help if an LPN or Tech needs me for my patient. I would say give it one more chance something like "I need you to answer call bells. I Have noticed that on xyz occasion, you are not doing this part of your job. Can we work this out together or do we need to bring it to the attention of (unit manager, supervisor, whomever) to work this out?" If that doesn't spark a fire under that nurses butt, time to get some back up.

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Would you be as concerned if it was an RN vs a LPN not answering bells?

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Would you be as concerned if it was an RN vs a LPN not answering bells?

Absolutely. Everyone should be answering them

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Specializes in LPN.

Night shift takes a while to get used to. New routines, more patients, more paperwork. Getting used to a new sleep schedule. Cut her a little slack for a while.

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Specializes in LTC.
Absolutely. Everyone should be answering them

Hah I wish it was that way where I work. I have no problem answering call bells. Sometimes I don't see it go off and I could be standing right near it like duh! .. I have been there 2 years I have not seen 1 RN answer a call light. My supervisor will go find the CNA.. and tell them.. no matter what they are doing. A couple weeks ago I was helping a CNA change a resident because she helped me with a difficult treatment(You scratch my back I scratch yours :p) .. the supervisor comes in the room and says to the CNA (Not to me) "you have 3 call lights going off".. I said back as she was walking out the room.. "Do you mind getting one of them for her?" not to be sarcastic or rude.. but.. we obviously had our hands full and can't get to them right now.

Nothing agaisnt RNs at all.. they work(well some of them) very hard where I work.. I just wish we had that "Everybody answers call lights" spirit.

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Specializes in ED/ICU/TELEMETRY/LTC.
Night shift takes a while to get used to. New routines, more patients, more paperwork. Getting used to a new sleep schedule. Cut her a little slack for a while.

Isn't answering a call bell one of the first duties you learn, even in nursing school? Routines and paperwork are things that can be postponed. Sleep schedule is not an issue at work. It's not about the nurse, or the aide,it's about the resident. Answer the bell.

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Sometimes LPN, RN, CNA, Tech doesn't matter, sometimes you just can't. I am learning to say no sometimes when that is the case, I always say the truth which is "I really WANT to help you, but I can't."...But if I can, which is about 75% of the time, I will help anyone, my patient or not, doesn't matter. If I see a light I go in to the room, even if I have to say I am sorry, you have to wait a moment for YOUR nurse. But a lot of times it's something simple like fixing an IV or getting someone off a bed pan. Again, if I can, I always do. There is no excuse for repeatedly ignoring call bells.

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