Nurses Being Made to Tech?

[westieluv]

Does your clinic force nurses to work as techs when you are short staffed? I'm not talking about putting a patient on or taking one off once in a while, that's no big deal, but actually scheduling nurses for tech shifts?

I am so frustrated with this practice! Our nurses have been leaving over it, and it really doesn't seem fair to make nurses work as techs. I mean, techs can't work as nurses and fill in and do a nurse's work, and the nurses don't do it often enough to feel comfortable and/or competent, especially with patients who are very difficult to cannulate or are very picky about who puts them on.

Thoughts?

[MMAnurse]

I can tech as well as i nurse. Lead by example:)

[shamrick24]

In my unit of 20 beds, we used to run a bay of 10 patients with 2 techs and a nurse. Now that we've lost two techs and there is no thought from management to replace them, we scrounge to make ends meet. Lately, more than likely due to the lack of wage's for techs from this particular company, only nurses have been filling in the gap. It's not unusual for a nurse to have 5 patients of her own and be expected to assess 5 more. It's hard to get all your nurse stuff done, especially correctly. Not to mention, no one's ever trained the nurses to make bicarb or acid.

The techs we have left get snippy when we dont' realize things like diasafe testing days. In the past that is not something nurses were required to keep up with. Course everyone is a little snippy as we have been working short for a long time now. It's no unusual to have 4 people working 19 patients, or to have 1 nurse and 1 tech for 5 catheters and 3 sticks.

That being said, I work as a tech all the time, and I make it my business to be able to do anything they can. Mostly because if I don't they start telling me how, I couldn't do my job without them, and how they have seniority over me. Ha ha... No.

[GeauxNursing]

We tried to stay away from this unless it was absolutely necessary. I think it all depends on where you are. Here in DFW, there are so many techs, we can always call to another clinic and find coverage. The RNs have occasionally taken a bay in dire situations. If it is last minute, the RN will take a bay and our Fa would come in to be the med nurse.

[i luv boot camp]

Hmm if a davita FA they are most likely not an RN and cannot do direct patient care!

[ComeTogether, LPN]

Can't see why this would be a problem. All the tasks of a CNA/TECH are also nursing tasks that aren't done as frequently when you're working as a RN. Plus, I think it's good for nurses to work a few shifts as a tech every once in awhile so they can see how freaking hard it can be. ;-)

[bobcat68]

it is why I ended up leaving a profession that I loved. Was nurse on 25 station unit, would end up running a pod, medicating, assessing, problem solving and generally running myself to death. I ended up making poor decisions because I never stopped. Loved the job, if we had a 16 station unit where I live I would go back in a heartbeat.

[jolbabe]

I wouldnt stay there if I had to do that often. I am a nurse and former technician. I loved my tech job but as a nurse dont want to have a full pod and do my nursing work. I wouldnt mind it once in a while but if it was a regular thing id be aggravated. Its physically more strenuous being a tech. I know I did it for ten years. I dont mind having a two patient assignment with my nursing job. I even wind up putting on 4 or five more patients throughout the day to help but I would not want a four patient assignment for three shifts as nurse.