After yesterdays extra month of suspension for some silly hair debackle I thought I was making my trail by fire and all.
Today i worked 10 hours and my "home" big unit with the same manager and listen to this. I was schedualed for 12 hours, so after working an 8, then covering for someone who was gonna be late, I thought I was gone. Then the friendly and cool charge nurse says goodby and I comment about being able to do another 2 hours. So she calls (to help me) staffing and finds out there is a sitter position at my normal assigned unit. So cool, I thought that would be a ttl of 13 that day and i can use the money.
When I arrived, the charge nurse there was very dissappointed with me arriving because it meant the agency nurse she is obviously tight with had to leave. She actually didn't believe me, and had to call herself and didn't believe me that I was going to sit there for 3 hours. I just walked away and ate a sandwich and then come back and the charge nurse said "oh"
The PT's are in a double room. Now I have been in precarious situations, but this one guy took both the nurse and her friend agency CNA both to keep down. the guy was 94 and had a line coming out of his neck. He was calming down when I took over, and the other PT (91) who I sat with weeks ago was quiet, and his family was there.
All of a sudden, the quiet guy starts jumping that he has to go to the bathroom (by this time his family has long gone). Calling and shouting out, so I rushed to him to help him. He was in a terrible position to do anything, but I adjusted him and he voided okay. Meanwhile, the other PT, the really hard one, has successfully pult out the IV from his neck. The solution is dripping out, and this was my first time someone pult and IV out on me.
I told the charge nurse, who moaned about her friend being in there all day and nothing happening. She came in the room and made another deragatory comment about me not watching him. I explained the other guy needed help, and he pult it out quickly, but she mentioned again the other CNA had no trouble.. Now I am getting nervous because of this additude, and rightfully so.
Long story shorter, my relieving CNA, who had 12 years health care experience she said, got right on the phone and called staffing and reported the situation and said she wasn't going to be held responsible for the situation. She didn't think of talking to the charge-nurse? It's like , she called staffing and made a disclaimer with authority.
I have to be at work tomorrow at 6am, and i got off at 8pm and now it's 10p.
I shoulda just left when I had the chance, and a nice nurse tried to help me and directed me into hell. To top it off, this charge nurse says she all ready called our manager and reported that i was inapproprately conversing with the PT when I said to him that he was getting me in trouble for pulling the IV out. At that point, if he would have felt guilty and relaxed, it would be a good thing. I said it once or twice, to get him to calm down, and because I was really feeling like s%ht after the charge nurse wouldn't help me. I am once again consumed with grief and anger and education, because now I lernt from the other CNA what to do. You can't get help if you are a CNA from and RN. This CNA didn't consider the RN in the loop at all. The CNA called staffing and just told the truth about the situation as she saw it. Every room has a phone. That makes so much sense, and now i feel like and idiot savant for not calling staffing as soon as I know something is wrong, or situations turn against a CNA.
I guess I am used to crazy and confused patients pulling things out, the only difference is I call the resident to either reinsert or just to let him/her know. As an RN in ICU we see it all and I don't think it could be avoided, I personally was trying to hold a restrained patient from pulling out a swan line, this elderly man in his 80's sat up kicked me with his legs and pulled his swan out. Did I mention the resident was on the other side of the bed trying to stop this also, sometimes things just happen and you can't stop it. Well at least the MD witnessed how insane this patient was and instead of 0.5mg of Haldol he Ordered 2mg to start and when the senior resident showed up he ordered another 2mg IV. I would love to have a CNA sit with some of the patients I had and in no way would I blame you. S--t happens and you just deal with it the best you can. Hang in there!!!
Whenever I have a confused pt with many lines I INSIST that the sitter be 1:1. If this is not possible due to staffing I document the need for 1:1 and why it isn't provided. Sh--t happens, especially with confused, sick pts. Many times a sitter can handle 2:1 but you have to look at each pt individually...
Mario, don't feel bad...at least you weren't sleeping or reading a book when the TLC was pulled..THEN I'd be ticked. You were helping another pt...YOU WERE DOING YOUR JOB and very well I might add, even if your hospital doesn't appreciate your efforts.
I agree with Nurse Dennie...you have sitters so you don't have to resort to physical restraints.
Hope everything irons out soon! You've had enough wrinkles in your new career.
Mario, I had a pt once that gave me a big smile, yanked out his cental line that was SUTURED in, then he WAVED the thing at me !!! And I was standing at the bedside!!! Explain that one to the surgeon!!! Mario, what I want to tell you is that not only does stuff happen, somestimes the pts are like two-year-olds, they can be EXTEMELY fast, andf you simply can't be everywhere at once. I hope you have a better day, let us know how you are doing, hugs, zudy
Mario, are you having so many good experiences at this place that you can tolerate all the cattiness we're reading about??
I hate to say this but there are just some bad people out there sometimes...who gang up and single out someone for their own amusement. The 'new guy/gal' makes an easy target.
Nobody deserves to be treated badly...you are learning and should be nurtured.... not emotionally abused by these inconsiderate, catty people. Find some good staff to hang with and bounce some ideas off them...is there anyone there you can trust? Maybe this place is not for you, maybe it is on a different shift/different crew.
Take care of yourself...life is too short to spend with people that aren't nice, IMO. (((HUGS)))
Mario, I hate that this is happening to you. I've had the fecal matter hit the fan more than once in my life...usually have had a number of good experiences to help me make it through. Even restrained patients pull Houdinis that I never expected to see.
Keeping positive thoughts flowing your way...
((((((((Mario))))))))
later,
Joy
May the nurse angels watch over you while you work.
Mario, I feel like you are my adopted son, so I am going to give you the same advice I would give one of my boys. Find a more supportive, friendlier place to work. There are some places that just do not seem to be very welcoming to new people. You are a kind, caring intelligent person. You appear to be very dedicated, and will someday make an excellent nurse. You can be an asset in the right environment, but the people in this place seem to be determined to beat you into the ground. Are there only a few male CNAs there. Maybe they just don't like male CNAs. Whatever the problem there, if you can find another place to work, I would not stay there. Just make sure you leave in a professional way. Give at least two weeks notice, and never say anything derogatory about your former employers or coworkers after you leave. That kind of thing can always come back to bite you on the a** later.:kiss
The others are right about patients pulling Houdinis. I have had patients pull out endo tubes, chest tubes, foley, a-lines, and pacemakers. Anyting you can put in, a patient can pull out, even with restraints on.
Talk about Houdinis...and it brings to mind this bil hip guy...back in the olden days, when they had hips in bed for 30 days!
They used to just roll them a half turn, from side to side, with a hip abductor in place. Well this guy would get up every darn time!! He wasn't confused preop, but was post op. This guy could get out of any restraint we put on him, and then put them in his pocket and come show them to you..;Chuckle! EVERYONE tried tying those things everyway but right...and a few mins later out he would come...with them in hi pocket...and a look that said...hummph...you didn't do a good of a job as you did...I'm bacckkkkkk! We never could keep him in bed, but he left without a problem! I guess he knew more than the doctors, as they no longer keep them in bed like that anymore...:chuckle
Now we who are supposed to be more experienced...in dealing with these pts, can't keep them from doing stuff..(including miss tatlle tale...cause I'm sure she has had someone do the same...or then again...maybe she just blamed someone else )...how are you supposed to ???
Mario, I feel like you are my adopted son, so I am going to give you the same advice I would give one of my boys. Find a more supportive, friendlier place to work. There are some places that just do not seem to be very welcoming to new people. You are a kind, caring intelligent person. You appear to be very dedicated, and will someday make an excellent nurse. You can be an asset in the right environment, but the people in this place seem to be determined to beat you into the ground. Are there only a few male CNAs there. Maybe they just don't like male CNAs. Whatever the problem there, if you can find another place to work, I would not stay there. Just make sure you leave in a professional way. Give at least two weeks notice, and never say anything derogatory about your former employers or coworkers after you leave. That kind of thing can always come back to bite you on the a** later.:kiss
I totally agree with everything you just wrote! I was asking myself the very same questions also!
look in the occupational outlook hand book on altavista.com search engine, there you will find all the occupations in the health care field from the top to the botttom and also other fields. It's a good orientation to find out what is out there and can direct you on the right path for you. There is a lot of alternatives where you can help people.... just a thought, I heate to see you going ..... every day...
Mario, what I want to tell you is that not only does stuff happen, somestimes the pts are like two-year-olds, they can be EXTEMELY fast, andf you simply can't be everywhere at once. I hope you have a better day, let us know how you are doing, hugs, zudy
OMG, Mario...I send you hugs and tugs over the
BadBird, BSN, RN
1,126 Posts
Mario,
I guess I am used to crazy and confused patients pulling things out, the only difference is I call the resident to either reinsert or just to let him/her know. As an RN in ICU we see it all and I don't think it could be avoided, I personally was trying to hold a restrained patient from pulling out a swan line, this elderly man in his 80's sat up kicked me with his legs and pulled his swan out. Did I mention the resident was on the other side of the bed trying to stop this also, sometimes things just happen and you can't stop it. Well at least the MD witnessed how insane this patient was and instead of 0.5mg of Haldol he Ordered 2mg to start and when the senior resident showed up he ordered another 2mg IV. I would love to have a CNA sit with some of the patients I had and in no way would I blame you. S--t happens and you just deal with it the best you can. Hang in there!!!