Nursing Rant: Am I wrong?

[Gurlonthesun]

I work on a subacute unit of a Rehab/Longterm Care facility that is split into what we call the "Hall" and the "Wing". On a normal day we have two floor nurses with around 12 patients each. Yesterday (as usual) our building was short staffed and nurses from our unit had to float to a different unit leaving one regular nurse (me) and our nurse manager who had to take a side. I regularly work the "Hall" and know those patients. Our nurse manager never takes the floor so she knows none of the patients. The "Hall" is slightly less acute (just based on patient placement - sometimes the "Hall" is more acute) so my nurse manager decided she was taking the "Hall". The "Hall" has 1 trach and 1 G-tube this week. The "Wing" has 3 trachs and 5 G-tubes. According to the nurse manager she isn't "comfortable with the acuity of the patients on the wing." First: I do not get to refuse the "Wing" because I am uncomfortable with the acuity of the patients. In the words of my friend Kristin I have to "Suck it up buttercup" and do my job! Second: She is the NURSE MANAGER! The person we are supposed to be able to go to if we have a question/problem/issue with a patient and need help. If you aren't comfortable with the acuity of the patients in your unit you do not belong in a position of managing the nurses who work in that unit. I personally think that was a cop out on her part because she wanted the easier assignment. FINE. But don't feed me a line of BS about not being comfortable because quite honestly, if you aren't comfortable with our patients then you are useless to me if I need backup or run into an issue.

[guest64485]

I've always admired the managers who will step up and help the staff out by taking patients as needed/those that work PRN on the floor. By doing this they can better understand the issues their staff face & advocate for them and their patients. Unfortunately, this is a rarity.

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

Looks like yet another hit and run by a new poster. We must be in between semesters.

[RIRed]

I have the same type of set-up at my facility...long hall and short. Depending on admissions and discharges, the acuity on one side may be much higher than the other. It just happens that way.

Be grateful you have a manager who will work the floor, no matter which assignment. I know I am!