I swear to the heavens this is the absolute truth. I have done 18 years plus in critical care nursing and I thought I had seen it all. But! Oh no! I agreed to do recovery (one-on-one specialty). I don't want to identify the specialty because I know this new nurse is aware of this website.
My room was next to a new nurse - one year in another hospital and now 3 months in the one where I work. She arrived 20 minutes late and took report. I was in the middle of assessment and I hear loud music so I step out of my room to find the source. She has her MP3 hooked up to her speakers, the computer on some crazy website and she is dancing around the room!
During the course of the evening she showered me with how smart she is; how many times she has been written up for her attitude, and that given enough time, she will be either a CRNA or a PA or whatever her talent and her brains allow her. She is going places and we older experienced nurses will be waving to her in her parade.
To be fair, she helped me whenever I asked; I did the same for her. She is likeable but oh my god!!!!
An update - it's me!! Not them! Honest-to-God! The other night I worked with 3 other nurses and one wore her music ear phones ALL night! The other nurse (closest to me) had loud metal music coming from the computer at the end of the desks.
I completely agree with VivaRN! That is entirely unprofessional, and clearly shows a lack of work ethic. But then again, I also think that talking on your cell phone and watching movies on your ipod at work is ridiculous. And again with Viva, it might be the generation, but I too am only 24 and see a problem with this. I think there is more wrong there than just age! Someone needs to call that girl out and set her straight. I know if I behaved like that I would want someone to call me on it!
I'm glad i'm not the only one who feels it's unprofessional. I hate seeing people wearing earphones, using their cell phones for calls or texting, etc in our unit. I think it just looks very unprofessional to patients and families. We are there to be alert to changes in condition, alarms, and to treat them rapidly but I am not getting any backup from management on restricting the use of devices in the patient care areas.
Its not you, its her, and its not just her age! I am a new nurse, 1 year RN, 4 years LVN and in my 20's and I would never have my mp3 player on in a critical nursing environment. Not professional and I am just too busy trying to get everything done to listen to music and dance around. Wished I worked there! hehe.
An update - it's me!! Not them! Honest-to-God! The other night I worked with 3 other nurses and one wore her music ear phones ALL night! The other nurse (closest to me) had loud metal music coming from the computer at the end of the desks.
My God!!! What a world! What a world!:loveya:
This goes on in my unit...as does shopping, searching for a date and planning weddings.
I don't think the patients mind...most of them are on Diprivan and don't remember a thing... dance on? If nothing else it's kinda cute to watch girls being silly...
Specializes in Trauma ICU, Surgical ICU, Medical ICU.
I agree with other posters, how can you hear your alarms? If you arent that busy you should be using your time to help someone who is! We dont have speakers on our computers and no one would dare bring an ipod to work to use during their shift! Some nurses turn on the TV and listen to music quietly but only if their patients are completely snowed and all the pts around them are snowed. I could only imagine if she came to our unit and tried that she'd get knocked down quick lol! You just never know whos gonna walk in at night and see all that nonsense going on! I just seem to always be too busy to even think about having time for this stuff, and I am only 23! Oh well, to each their own I guess
OP - I don't mean to sound critical - but why didn't you tell her to stop? Sounds like she needs reminding that she works in a hospital, not a clothing store. For goodness sake, this kind of behavior would not be tolerated at a WllMart - why should it be tolerated in an ICU?
Specializes in ICU of all kinds, CVICU, Cath Lab, ER..
I have said things to those doing it and those in charge. It all comes back to poor management. I am told that "you must work it out among yourselves. I don't get involved in personality differences." Then, a memo is issued which disappears off the bulletin board within hours. It erodes morale faster than the incoming tide.
You're bringing back memories of my critical care rotation in school, I recall one of the nurses turning on the radio to a local rock station and blaring it quite loudly while providing some one-to-one care with a pt. I never had that particular pt, so I don't recall whether the pt was sedated or not, but I do know the pt never got any visitors, and ending up dying before the end of the rotation. Who knows, maybe the nurse brought the pt a last little bit of happiness?
I'm not saying that what your co-worker did was acceptable, it certainally did bother others, but if your ICU has a pod, she could close the doors on her pod when she's working with her pt. ICU's are depressing enough, I think a little "music therapy" every now and then might be nice. :)
I have said things to those doing it and those in charge. It all comes back to poor management. I am told that "you must work it out among yourselves. I don't get involved in personality differences." Then, a memo is issued which disappears off the bulletin board within hours. It erodes morale faster than the incoming tide.
Wow.
You are absolutely right, this is an issue of poor management. Clearly this is not a "personality difference."
On the flip side, having a mgr that is completely checked out means that you and your coworkers can give the offender some tough love. Why don't two or three of you sit her down and explain how things work in your ICU? As in "Here at General Hospital MICU we do not play music or wear headphones on duty. It makes the entire nursing staff look like spoiled children. So you may not do it."
The new person is acting like a child so treat her like one. You never know, it might do the trick.
Is there anyway you can anonymously write complaints such as incident reports? If not, I would pull her aside and tell her that her behavior is not appropriate. If your manager is not taking care of the issue, I would personally would go to whomever is above my manager and let them know what is going on. If not, here was my other idea. Write a letter stating that your relative was in that ICU and you were appalled at how the nurses wore headphones and played loud music and don't sign it.
nursebabygirl 08
116 Posts
How could they hear the pt it they called out?
What if there was a code?