nursing tasks that you do the least because you are too busy

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To me, it's assisting a patient to AMBULATE. I often find myself with so much crap on my plate throughout my shift that ambulating a patient gets the least priority.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Out of all the tasks that come to mind, I find myself forgetting to perform oral care. Although we have CNAs and PCTs, I'm sure they also forget the oral care at times.

Ah, the joys of working at a chronically understaffed hospital...

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Men patients tend to look a little scruffy from lack of shaving after a couple of days. Shaves are down the priority list sometimes.

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Specializes in ER.

I haven't done a back rub since nursing school.

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Specializes in ICU.

Agree with the shaving. And enough time to provide emotional support and company to the patient- of course I do this but I wish I could spend more time on this.

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Specializes in Public Health.

Baths and showers. Especially since pts don't want to get up and shower at 1 am. But that is when I have the most time to do the little things.

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Oral care, range of motion sometimes, shaving if on the care plan. We were supposed to do weekly skin checks and document them when I worked in a LTC facility. I felt so pleased when one of the nursing assistants made the comment that she noticed that I was the only nurse that actually did them! One of the few times I have ever been complimented and I remember that to this day.

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Specializes in ER.

Shaving with our hospital razors is a blood sport, so I rarely try it. If I do, I warn the patient first, and give them a goatee approach so they can decide to quit halfway through and still look edgy and cool.

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Specializes in Anesthesia, ICU, PCU.

Ambulating, IS, oral care, shaving.. check all. Our unit functions really well as a team and still we leave at the end of the day feeling like we didn't do anything for our patients. Staffing is a joke across this whole field, and nobody with the clout to change that cares about the patients.

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Ambulate, IS, reminding pts not on a vent to do oral care,etc. Luckily others in the unit help out PT, OT, RT.

Dear Lord yes about the shaving. I'm terrified I'll cut someone. Since quite a few of my puts are on blood thinners or have low platelets I don't even go there

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Specializes in UR/PA, Hematology/Oncology, Med Surg, Psych.

Really me too. But I remember one time recently that honestly made me tear up. Had a very thin, elderly, anxious fellow as a patient. Patient was having back pain and nothing in my nursing orificenal was helping. Not sure what made me do it, but I reached over, grabbed some lotion and just sat with him gently massaging his back. He was so, so grateful and I could feel and visibly see him calm down and relax. Helped him tremendously and he was able to sleep. I thought d***, human tough really is so amazing. Hate not really having time to do these simple nursing tasks we were taught in school. Especially with our elderly, or long-term ill patients.

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