OB nurse working Med/Surg

[lmjm4]

I have been a nurse for 5 1/2 years, I spent the 1st 6 months out of school working Med/Surg and then transfered to OB. I love OB but census has been low so I offered to pick up extra shifts on the Med/Surg floor. I was very up front with Med/Surg management and let them know that I am very comfortable with surgical pts and not comfortable with medical pts and that I would need help with things like peg tube management or chest tubes and such just because it has been years. I was assured that I would mainly have surgical pts and would have a charge nurse to help with anything that was unfamilliar. So far that has not been the case. The last day I worked Med/Surg I had 3 pts on isolation that were also total care and one had a peg tube and feeding to manage. No one was available to help. My other 2 pts were pretty straight forward thankfully. Can anyone suggest any resources that would be helpfull? Is there a certain way that I should ask others for help? When I asked the charge nurse for help she asked if it was hard to work for a change, I replied by stating that I could tell that she was too busy to help and that I would find someone else. I'm sure that for a seasoned Med/Surg nurse this more likely than not sounds like a cakewalk but I haven't done this in a long time. I really want to do a good job and give my pts the care that they deserve. Any replies are greatly appreciated, Thanks.

[americanlatina313]

wow, sounds like the charge nurse just wanted to take advantage of the extra hands, and didn't care about the pt. there are plenty of resources to learn about peg tubes & such, especially on the internet. but if i were you, i wouldn't take that type of treatment ever again. you're there for them, so they should be there for you. that's what teamwork is all about.

[mamiekay]

I've been a nurse for a year on a med/surg floor. I figured out pretty quickly which charge nurses not to ask, and which other RN's not to ask for help. Unfortunately, it sounds like you're being taken advantage of. Figure out who to ask for help (usually one of the other floor nurses rather than the charge). I usually start my request with something like, "I need to do this and I've never done it before..." or "I'm still not comfortable with this. Can you watch/help/demonstrate" or whatever I need. Most of the other nurses on my floor are pretty great about helping out. Keep asking.

[MiaLyse, APRN]

>

That's sad. I'm sorry you experienced that. She shouldn't be a charge nurse with that attitude, IMO. ugh

[LuvofNursing, BSN, MSN, RN]

I whole-heartedly agree with MickyB. The Charge nurse should set an example. What a horrible leader she is being. I would hate to see how that floor runs.

[RN813]

I would have asked for appropriate orientation if I hadn't worked med/surg in 5 years. As a med/surg nurse I wouldn't be permitted to work OB.