Nurse not seeming to care

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Specializes in Med Surg, Hospice.

I worked with this nurse on Thursday and yesterday. I don't get assigned to her often. Thursday, she rode my butt about the stupidest things. (Did you get them water, did you this, did you that, etc.... YES, I did them.) Thursday afternoon, I'm walking down the hall after punching out and she calls me back to the desk... I'm over half of a hallway away to ask me if I charted I's & O's on a patient. I charted 2 urines in the morning, one at 10:00 and one at 11:00, and then charted end of shift urine and BM. These were in the computer before noon (with the exeption of end of shift I&O). So why was this done when she could have very easily looked in the chart.

Yesterday, same patient. I charted the urines. The patient had two BM's. One was early in the morning, and I changed his bed and cleaned him up. There was blood in the stool, so I put the sheets in a linen bag and left them in the bathroom. I told the nurse there was fresh blood in his stool, a lot of bright red, and I saved the sheets for her to look at. An hour later, I brought the patient more water and I noticed he had had another BM. I got another bed change and cleaned him up and changed his bed. More blood in the stool. Bright red and quite a bit. Again, I changed the bed and put the sheets in a linen bag in the bathroom. Again, I told the nurse about the second BM and I saved the sheets.

Found out at the end of the shift that she didn't even go look at them. The 3-11 PCT was hauling them out of the bathroom as I was leaving. I explained to her why they were there. She told me that the nurse never looked at them.

Was I wrong to just leave them? Or was I concerned over nothing? I feel badly about this because I always take the linen out as soon as I'm done giving baths/changing the beds. I'm so frustrated by this...

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Specializes in subacute/ltc.

Kylee,

You were absolutely correct to bring it to the attention of the nurse. I would be dead in the water without the excellent observations of the aides with whom I work. The blood can mean a myriad of things and warrants an assessment. You did the right thing.

Tres

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, Hospice.
Kylee,

You were absolutely correct to bring it to the attention of the nurse. I would be dead in the water without the excellent observations of the aides with whom I work. The blood can mean a myriad of things and warrants an assessment. You did the right thing.

Tres

DITTO! I wish there were more assistants like you!

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Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.
Was I wrong to just leave them? Or was I concerned over nothing? I feel badly about this because I always take the linen out as soon as I'm done giving baths/changing the beds. I'm so frustrated by this...

You did exactly right. I hope the nurse followed up? :mad:

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Specializes in Med Surg, Hospice.

As far as I know, she didn't follow up, but she could have and I just don't know about it. She just seems very obsessed about the more mundane things (like did I pass the water, did I do I's & O's) and more indifferent toward something that I thought was important. I know it could be something not serious (like if the patient has hemorrhoids), but it could also be something very serious (that I know nothing about).

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You seem like a caring person and healthcare worker. I hope that if I ever am in hospital someone like you will be there to take care of me. I have known nurses who ignored what their aides had to say and rued the day. Just hope no one gets hurt.

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Specializes in Med/Surge, Private Duty Peds.
:up: good for you, i wish i had aides that were as thoughtful and caring as you are. keep up the great work and yes you did the right thing!!
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Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.

I always appreciated my aides that let me know things like that when I worked med surg. I really hope she followed up on it. You told her like you were supposed to.

I would love to work with a aide like you. You truly care about the patients.

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Specializes in LTC, office.

I can only hope she simply forgot and wasn't blowing you, and the patient, off. You did absolutely the right thing and I hope your patient is fine.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Med-Surg..

Please don't stop being caring, she should be glad she works with someone like you. Also, she should have gone and looked at this person.

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Specializes in Women's Health, Oncology.

Make sure you document what you saw and what you did (report it to the RN).

You did exactly the right thing, just make sure you cover you butt by documenting the blood on the sheets and that you brought it to the nurses attention.

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Specializes in Behavioral Health, Show Biz.

:yeah:

You're a great healthcare worker and a gift/blessing to any patient.

Wish there were more like you.

The nurse on the other hand...

we can do without.

Her work ethic grosses me out!:o

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