no one will return the favor and HELP OUT

[chenoaspirit]

My days in a nutshell...

I have a routine down at work. By noon, I have assessed, passed meds, and charted initial diagnoses. Then that leaves me to procede with my day on schedule with some "down time" here and there. When I have down time, I always pitch in and help others, whether it be helping the CN take off orders, place patients, etc. OR I will help my fellow nurses catch up by passing their meds, starting their IVs, etc. Well, due to the economy, we have changed our nurse:patient ratio so now we have more patients than before which leaves my routine thrown off and Im "behind" all day long. Today, one nurse ended up with only 2 patients mid-day and she would NOT help me get caught up. I had a blood transfusion going, Lovenox teaching, trach care, etc. At the end of the day, all my fellow nurses had gone home and I was still at work charting and calculating I/O's. Everyone, just something to keep in mind...if others are willing to help you, please return the favor when you have the time/opportunity and you seem they are drowning.

I just dont feel right sitting while others are behind schedule, but I just dont want to help people who wont help me when I need it. What do you think?

[patrick1rn, MSN, RN, NP]

Then change your routine. If others are getting out on time, you should to. Learn to adjust. Find out what you are doing wrong, that you can not get your work done on time. Dont go to your boss, he or she will only hear one thing... That you can not do your job.

[cook1043]

I agree with VirgoRn, helping without any strings attached. Actually, I prefer that others do not start my IVs or give my meds etc. sometimes that in itself puts me behind, but if several hours into my shift I feel that I am drowning and my patients care is being neglected, I certainly would let the charge nurse know that, because that is putting you and your patients at risk.

[lpnflorida]

My mornings are spent concentrating on what I need to get done to meet the needs of my assigned patients and the documentation which goes with it. My afternoons are then freer to assist anyone else who needs help whatever that might be while continuing to meet my own patients needs.

Prioritizing what needs to be done based on your assignment and then assisting others as they need has worked for me. I do try and be mindful if I am done with my major morning med pass and I see another nurse is not yet finished I will offer to help them with their pass.

I love helping others, but I will not do it to the detriment of my own patients. Anyone's patient who is in crisis takes precidenct.

It is a delicate balance.

[eriksoln, BSN, RN]

My mornings are spent concentrating on what I need to get done to meet the needs of my assigned patients and the documentation which goes with it. My afternoons are then freer to assist anyone else who needs help whatever that might be while continuing to meet my own patients needs.

Prioritizing what needs to be done based on your assignment and then assisting others as they need has worked for me. I do try and be mindful if I am done with my major morning med pass and I see another nurse is not yet finished I will offer to help them with their pass.

I love helping others, but I will not do it to the detriment of my own patients. Anyone's patient who is in crisis takes precidenct.

It is a delicate balance.

I like how you put that, its better than how I do anyway. Thats how I feel, being a part of the team is not optional, you will see a sudden end come to your career if you cant work with the other nurses. But, dont have your good nature abused either.

[Batman24]

It's terrible that one nurse has 2 patients and another nurse has a full load. I couldn't imagine one of my fellow nurses making excuses and sitting on their asses when another one of us was drowning. I'm lucky because we just don't do that.

I would be much more selective in who you help from here on out. If they don't help you I wouldn't help them. I wouldn't reward their lazy behavior. Unfortunately there are some that take advantage of others kind ways and you might fall into this category. Draw better boundaries. And if the CN isn't giving out fair assignments that should be addressed as well as if the same nurses are always sitting and not helping out. An inservice on team work might help.

[ayla2004, ASN, RN]

I am a firm avodcate of team work, been bailed out by others in the past. Team work includes assiting my or anpther nurses support worker(cna) when at all possible I have however said no to another nurse when hased to do something. Why because i felt thqat i nede to check on my patients that my charting was current as i get very stressed if i feel i may miss something. I'm 4 months a RN and spent the first 3 months getting strssed and anxiopus and i can't priotize or time manage if this takes over me. So i know my triggers which are feeling jobs aren't done and like if at all possible to keep to a plan, to help anopther nurse and not to lsiten to my own body is just not workth it. Because if i did miss soemthing the other nurses wouldn't stand up and say it was my fault would they.

[RN1982]

I have a routine too. When I come in and get report on my patients, I see them, do their assessments, chart, tidy my rooms then I go around and ask everyone if they need anything with any of their patients, if not then I sit down or see what else there is to do in my patients' rooms. Please pull her aside and speak with her and say "Hey, I was really busy this day and you had two patients I would have appreciated some help"....or you can talk with your manager. If you are busy and falling behind, don't make yourself available all the time to help.

[patrick1rn, MSN, RN, NP]

It is theraputic for me to post to this blog at this moment in time:

Tonight in the MICU, I find out I have two patients. One pt died and the family said good bye at 630 pm, my shift started at 730 pm. The day shift nurse with his orientee left for me to bring the body down to the morgue. I understand that. The family had to say their goodbyes.

My other patient came at 710 pm from PACU. He crashed down their. Only with a small PIV and a art line. So I proceed to insert a 20 g PIV because I dont know what really is going on with this pt. He had a Total Hip done.

I prepare to take my patient down to the morgue. I have to get the cart and stuff. I am looking around, as if no one bothered to notice I have a morgue cart. We never go to the morgue alone. The Charge RN comes in to help. I drop of my patient to the morgue and this makes me 1st admit again.

I get my 2nd patient about an HR later who is a bad DKA. Bear in mind now, only the charge nurse helps me to admit this patient. When we get admits, we all jump in to do something. I appreciate her help.

Of course one nurse in particular does not lend a hand, she has a patient who is stable who could go to the step down unit.

Later on tonight now we have only the code bed, every nurse has a full load, but the nurse with a walkie talkie patient is reluctant to give her patient up saying that he might have to go back the nipride. Total BS because he is taking oral BP meds now. ANd her comment to transferring her patient to the other side is that somoene is going to have to take 3 patients. Instead of stepping up to the plate , transferring her patient, after the Charge nurse told her that her patient can go, telling the charge RN to ask the MD which patient we can transfer to the other unit.

I took the high road, didnt complain about getting 2 admissions in a row, and every other time someone gets an admission, people help. This other RN has two easy patients for the ICU setting.

Some nights are slow, some nights are busy, I guess i have noticed that this particular RN has a problem helping others. It is not the first time I noticed it.