nurses leaving the floor

[The Bell Jar]

Well this is just #965,543,384,932 of annoying and innapropriate things that happen at my job.I was in the middle of doing something for pt A when pt B needed something,and it had been a while since it was requested.Since I was in the middle of something with pt A I ask where Nurse X is since she has pt B assigned to this nurse.

Turns out Nurse X,Nurse Y,and Nurse Z went to a banquet.I guess management came through and found favorites and asked if they wanted to go.I was in a pts room (you know,actually working,so I didnt know about any of this). These nurses also did not receive awards,or were they 'specifically' invited as guests since it was technically open to any nurse.They were given a normal pt load that day and it was never mentioned that any of us would get to go to the banquet.

Maybe I am just testy but how is it fair that they get to go and sit at an awards banquet while I have to take care of their pt load and mine.

Also nobody ever told me,until I 'found out.' Am I over-reacting?Things like this take place on a daily basis.

[caliotter3]

I don't think you're necessarily overreacting. If this happens often enough, anyone who is habitually left out would notice and feel slighted. You might want to mention this to your manager and let her know that the next time something comes up, you can be found in a patient room, working. You could also suggest that they have a sign up sheet at the desk, with times and coverage, so that all can participate, both at the event and in covering the floor. We worked night shift and complained to our supervisor that we were left out of everything. She brought this up to TPTB and they started making half efforts to include nights. Nobody will take action unless someone speaks up.

[GrumpyRN63, ADN, RN]

Not over reacting, I'd be ******, and let my NM how I felt, their pts were basically abandoned, how long were they gone?

[showbizrn]

:nuke:

hey

i say

give you at least

a heads-up

about being

off-the-floor.

this way you know

your caseload

will be more.

it's professional courtesy and patient safety to inform your co-workers when you are leaving the unit.

your co-workers gave you the slip this time.

my :

don't let it be a next time:smokin:

take care.

[The Bell Jar]

They were gone around 2 hrs that I know of.

For related situations,we have tried a sign up sheet so it was documented who did what,and when-so there could be 'fairness'.There was a lot of huffing and puffing and certain nurses didnt like the sign up sheets and neither did management.So they stopped using them.

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

I would have been annoyed. What I was wondering is WHEN they slipped out without you knowing, and HOW LONG was everyone else aware of this banquet?? Yes, this does compromise patient safety!

[The Bell Jar]

Well they left while I was in someones room.Also I have known about this for a week.I really didnt think much of going because I knew I had to work and had a full pt load that day.It really never crossed my mind to just leave the floor and pts.I guess its not abandonment since management knew?

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

Well they left while I was in someones room.Also I have known about this for a week.I really didnt think much of going because I knew I had to work and had a full pt load that day.It really never crossed my mind to just leave the floor and pts.I guess its not abandonment since management knew?

Yeah, I would say that since management is not going to report them, it would not be abandonment, I guess. But, they SURE abandoned you. Sucks.

[LesMonsterRN, ADN, RN]

There should've been more advance notice of who was going, when they would be gone and who would cover their patients before they left the floor. That was poor planning on the nurse managers' parts. I would've been upset, too.

[Scrubby]

I would write this up as an incident report if the nurses who left did not handover the patients. And no it isn't fair to dump their patients onto the nurses who weren't invited either.

[maolin]

So, let me get this right....you were left to oversee the other nurses' patients while they attended this event, but you weren't even aware they were going to be gone...and for 2 hours?!?! I'm assuming they didn't give you a report on their assignments when they went either? Or have a way to contacting them while they were off the floor? Smacks of abandonment to me....not cool!

Management may not report it as abandonment...but can't you report it directly to the BON? Even anonymously? I'd consider other options...this isn't a safe practice environment.

[Laught3r]

This issue is not about fairness. It is about patient safety. How many patients were on the floor? How many staff were left on the floor? Is this a hospital or LTC facility? Either way a nurse cannot leave their patients without reporting to another nurse about their patients. I would write a little memo to the DON about this unsafe practice.