old nurse with a new job

Altra, BSN, RN · Jul 18, 2008

Just wanted to say thanks for all you do! :)

Smokey9283 · Jul 18, 2008

I hope that they are able to schedule that day with RT soon, I know that I would feel uncomfortable around vent care, esp since I havn't done it since nursing school. At the hospital I work at, all the nursing staff does baths/showers RN, LPNs and CNAs.

jrbl77, RN · Jul 18, 2008

I have been told by the charge nurse that the na are responsible for the baths. the rn's have 4 pts, some on tele and may be a vent. we do all our own med orders and call all our own consults to mds. The other day a pt asked me for a roll of toliet paper, she had an order for bedrest with bedside commode. When I asked my co workers where i could find a roll- no extra roll in the bathroom, they looked at me like i had 2 heads and the na said to me- we have never had any body ask for that before. I was told I don't have any idea. i ended up calling housekeeping and finally found a roll for the pt. When the same pt had to go off the floor for a test, i was told to fine a stool and have her climb onto the stretcher. She had a prior siezure and was not to get out of bed. I ended up helping the transporter while the na sat at the desk and gossiped with the other na. can you see my frustration? :banghead:

chase4myheart · Jul 18, 2008

I have been told by the charge nurse that the na are responsible for the baths. the rn's have 4 pts, some on tele and may be a vent. we do all our own med orders and call all our own consults to mds. The other day a pt asked me for a roll of toliet paper, she had an order for bedrest with bedside commode. When I asked my co workers where i could find a roll- no extra roll in the bathroom, they looked at me like i had 2 heads and the na said to me- we have never had any body ask for that before. I was told I don't have any idea. i ended up calling housekeeping and finally found a roll for the pt. When the same pt had to go off the floor for a test, i was told to fine a stool and have her climb onto the stretcher. She had a prior siezure and was not to get out of bed. I ended up helping the transporter while the na sat at the desk and gossiped with the other na. can you see my frustration?

You are the nurse. The aides are working under you. If you see that they aren't doing their job, write them up. You have that authority. It also shows a paper trail so that management can take disciplinary action. I can almost guarantee that after one or two aides are written up, that the others will see that you aren't going to accept any slack and conditions will improve. You are your patient's advocate. If you see that your aides aren't giving them the care they need then it's up to you to make sure that they do. If they are busy with another patient that's one thing, but if they are sitting at the nurses station reading or gossiping then that is lazziness and I have zero tolerance for that.

cupcake25 · Jul 18, 2008

I am sorry to tell you that this is the way nursing is these days. There are so many lazy nurses and techs these days it is unbelievable. I find if you want something done right then do it yourself. Team nursing went out the window years ago. Health care in this country is a disaster.

snowfreeze, BSN, RN · Jul 18, 2008

Humm, a facility that has you caring for vent patients and has not oriented you to that yet? Sounds liike a place that runs on a shoestring. If you like the job (place, hours etc) then maybe you could get involved in fixing some of the problems you are seeing right now. Sounds like there is not proper orientation of new employees. I also suspect that no one is held accountable for things not getting done. A few places I worked at in the past had these issues and they closed eventually. All the problems seem to trickle down from the top, bad adminstration breeds bad management and hires and allows bad nursing etc. Do some research if this is a problem only on your unit or is it facility wide too?

locolorenzo22, BSN, RN · Jul 18, 2008

see, that's why techs in general get a bad name....not all of us are lazy. Speaking as a new grad RN who worked for 2.5 years as a CNA, I would die, rather than not get my work done...but that's life. Some people don't have that work ethic. I would write up those aides for not getting their work done, and insobordination towards you. They don't have to like it, they just have to do it! And although, NAs may be responsible for the bath...my feeling is that if you DO have the chance...you could do it. Baths are the basic level of nursing....and I would never be above it. But, don't let those techs walk over you...you need to delegate and be the authority....GL, you can do it!

RNBelle · Jul 19, 2008

I have learned that if you dont like something, you have to speak up. And keep fussing until someone listens. I started a new job as a supervisor and it has been hard when confronting issues. But after doing it, it gets easier and the people that work under me know my expectations and know i will handle the problem appropriately if i do not approve of their work.