In my ER, I think one of the worst problems we have is getting the patients up to the floor. I totally understand if there are no beds, there is nothing that anyone can do about that. However, I am sick of hearing the excuses "I cant take report the bed isnt washed", "the nurse is on break". The nurse is on break all night long when I call (I would like a transfer to that floor please), and you know damn well when you take report that the patient isnt going up right away, so by the time we get them up the bed is done.
Last night I couldnt believe my ears.
First I had the written/faxed report HAND DELIVERED to the floor because they claim thier fax is broken, and then 3 hours later when I finally got the patient rep to find out what was going on they told us "the room smells so I cant take report or the patient". Finally we got the patient rep up to the room along with 3 other people to find out if the room really did stink. It didnt. Its now approaching 6 am, and they wont take report after that. I understand not wanting to take report at 6, but if you put it off all night long, and its now 6 than tough $hit in my book. You could have done this much earlier.
I am sick of every night having to spend hours of time trying to get this patient up to the room. Faxing, calling, ect. Its ridiculous. Nurses blame the housekeeping staff, (which sometimes it is, but more often than not it isnt) and it seems that nobody is held accountable. I am sure if they did something like made the housekeeping staff supervisor notify the nurse supervisor whenever the bed is ready that this would put pressure on the nurses and call them out when they try to make excuses. in most other hospital the floors must take report even if the nurse is on break, she/he has someone covering for them, its not like there is no-one there.
