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:

Specializes in school RN, CNA Instructor, M/S.

I would love to know what is going on with this! KatieUSA what happened!!!

Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.

Katieusa...please post the location and name of this hospital...want to make sure I do not apply for job there...

I would be sitting down to chart...I would be charting and collaborating with other disciplines as needed and not on an arbitrary schedule. If my pt or a visitor "perceived" that I was doing nothing, I would politely correct their wrong thinking. (something tells me this "perception" is in the minds of the upper management).

I would likely be fired.

Specializes in Utilization Management.

That is awful. Please tell us you're not working at a Magnet hospital. If you are, you can also complain to the Magnet credentialling folks.

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
katieusa...please post the location and name of this hospital...want to make sure i do not apply for job there...

i would be sitting down to chart...i would be charting and collaborating with other disciplines as needed and not on an arbitrary schedule. if my pt or a visitor "perceived" that i was doing nothing, i would politely correct their wrong thinking. (something tells me this "perception" is in the minds of the upper management).

i would likely be fired.

i'm too old to stand for 12 hours -- plus i have back issues and knee issues. believe me, i'd be sitting down to chart. but i'm with the op -- any unit that treats their nursing staff that way is somewhere i don't want to work. i'd be voting with my feet, too.

Forget writing to the BON, I'd be contacting your local Labor Board! There's gotta be a string of infractions that could be found pretty easily if this is sitting right on the surface.

Please post the name of this hospital to shame them. Write a letter to the local tv news etc. do something. They are probably able to enforce this because of the bad economy.

Specializes in being a Credible Source.

That is one of the silliest damn things I've ever heard.

That rule was NOT implemented by anybody who knows the first thing about workplace efficiency.

I'm more and more of the opinion that hospitals should be hiring process engineers out of production facilities who actually KNOW how to measure efficiency.

Your (soon-to-be-former!!) management are a bunch of idiots.

We have only one hospital in our area. We live in a rural area. The hospital is notoriously bad for patient care and treatment of their employees. They also have the no sitting policy. We went there for clinicals a couple of months ago and there is no resting whatsoever. When the girls (and some guys) got caught up on their work, they just kind of stood around in the halls or snuck into patient rooms to sit. The charting is computerized AND the charting computers are either mounted on the wall (at standing height) or are mounted on stands (at standing height) so the charting is done standing up as well.

I just thought it was absolutely ridiculous that the employees are expected to stand for a 12.5 hour shift and never sit down to rest their legs, feet, and backs.

This particular hospital also utilizes employee "spies" for things like hand washing. Of course hand washing is of the utmost importance but I have heard so many stories of these "spies" falsely reporting their co-workers whom they didn't like. I know of a couple who were actually fired based on one person's word even when other employees vouched for them.

The whole situation is bizarre.

Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.

Katieusa - WHAT???!!!!! That is the craziest thing I have EVER heard. Talk about ridiculous. I don't know how I missed this thread until now. This makes me mad just reading about it. I certainly hope that the powers that be have been reported to someone, ANYONE who can take care of it. That is almost inhumane. I would not be working there. A job that treats employees like that - how will they treat an employee when you have injuries or illnesses that could be related to standing on your feet for 12 plus hours on your feet.

I am assuming these same jerks do get to sit down, probably a good bit of their workdays. Doesn't seem very fair to me.

Anne, RNC :down::down:

Specializes in med-surg.

That is ridiculous! I would do the same thing you are doing...putting in my notice and getting the heck out of there!

Specializes in being a Credible Source.

It's too bad that everybody can't just agree to IGNORE this stupid policy.

Abusive workplace practices are precisely what engendered the unions in the first place... and stories like this show why they're still relevant.

Specializes in Rehab, Med Surg, Home Care.

Can see your frustration here; this kind of stuff could only work if the patients' time is similarly regulated: Rooms 203-212; toileting only between 9 and 9:30; no longer than 6 minutes in the bathroom please. Call lights only to be used every 2 hours, from the hour to 20 min after...please save requests for PRN medication until scheduled RN rounds and 15 min per day will be allotted for answering family questions on a first come first served basis.

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