Outta Line........

[hbncns35]

What a day!!! I get 9 patients and 3 different nurses. I'm an Extern, PCT or whatever you wanna call me. I had the middle hallway which included the nurses station so I was spread out. I started at one end of the hallway and proceeded to get everyone washed up, changed and beds made. After I had a good handle on one end of the hallway I went to do a quick check on the other end. Looked like 59 went for a test so I asked Nurse "B" where he went and when he would be back. I got a "Who wants to know?" I said " I do." So I knew at this point he would be gone for awhile and I could concentrate on someone else. 63's daughter pulled me in and had me help her change the bed at least three times over 1.5 hrs while we kept her upright in a chair. She was semi-alert. So most of my time was spent with her. Halfway thru I checked on 59 and he was back so I went in there, got him washed, changed his gown and his top sheet (he would not let me change his bottom sheets, he did not want to roll over - two infected fistulas in either arm) I tried to sweet talk him but he wouldn't budge or roll over. So I got him comfy and went back to 63. I passed Nurse B and asked if she needed anything and she said "just get 59 comfortable" I replied that it had already been done. So 63 wanted to get back in bed- did that- went and drew bld on 67, changed 68, put 58 on bedpan, changed 60, and then to my surprise got accosted in the hallway by Nurse B.

She ranted and vented on me saying that she was so embarrased that 59's bottom sheet and pad were not changed, yelling at me saying that the family had to see it and the doctor was there as well. She said That is unacceptable- you were supposed to get him comfy!!!!! I looked at her and mentioned that he would not let me and she kept ranting...I figured if I tried to do anymore explaining then it would just be an argument. So I said nothing while she pounced on me, then when I thought she was finished, I said, OK and walked off. (Whatever!!! I'm thinking)

As far as I'm concerned I did make him comfy and did my best to get those sheets but he was yelling at me to get away. If she saw the sheets needed to be changed then she should have taken it upon herself to change them.

Doesn't she know we all help each other out? I couldn't get to him in her required time frame but I did make him comfy.

Any nurse that thinks it is beneath her/him to change a bed should go back to nursing school..............Oh that's the tech's job............Sometimes you gotta help out- she knew I was busy with 8 other patients. Get a grip on your emotions...............Geesh.................I let her throw her weight around and when I did not respond the way she expected, she gave up and later was civil to me..............Give me a Break!!!!HB:madface:

[javanurse2000, BSN, RN]

...Next time a patient refuses to have anything done, treatment, bed or gown change, meal, etc, always DOCUMENT it in the nursing notes. This is of course after you have encouraged the activity. But pts. have a right to refuse treatment, etc. Document, and quote the pt. if possible...pt refused to have bottom sheet changed, "I don't want to be bothered now with that, do it when I am in the bathroom". BTW, I think you are doing well, juggling all those pts!

I agree! Also would like to add that with any nurse (but especially with nurse B) let them know when any patient refuses care as soon as possible. At my facility, if a patient refuses a care then the nurse has to also make an attempt at giving whatever that particular care is. As far as nurse B's behavior...definately, out of line

[chadash]

I agree! Also would like to add that with any nurse (but especially with nurse B) let them know when any patient refuses care as soon as possible. At my facility, if a patient refuses a care then the nurse has to also make an attempt at giving whatever that particular care is. As far as nurse B's behavior...definately, out of line

Yep, sounds like the nurse had an attitude from the getgo...

[FroggysMom]

How awful for you and how awful for nurses in general. We (as nurses) like to talk the talk --- "work together", "respect us and each other", "everyone on the patient care team is valuable" --- but do we walk the walk? Unfortunately, not always. It may have been a 'bad day' for this nurse, but I am less tolerant that I should be in this regard. Harsh words sometimes have unexpected consequences. Harsh words can change peoples feelings, their self-respect, and in some cases entire lives. I'd venture a guess we have had harsh words hurled at all of us at one time or another and they hurt worst when they are undeserved.

In words spoken at another time, but still meaningful, "Can't we all just get along?"

I hope you let this one slip off of you, and continue to do the good work that you do.

As for me, I will take from this post a warning to myself, that bad days do not excuse rude or unfeeling behavior.

[NHNurseMan]

i was a cna for 3 years before becoming a nurse so i do totally understand. i do believe we all are a team and i am not above toileting/changing/cleaning any patient!! but some nurse's especially ones who were never cna's either think it is not their job or really don't know how to do those things (or feel confident doing those things) because really that is not what they focus on in nursing school! i also agree that you have to communicate maybe even over communicate with your team members. sorry you were "chewed out". maybe you can explain the situation at another time when you all aren't so busy and she is in a better frame of mind because you will have to work with her again. keep your head up sounds like you are doing a terrific job :)

oh my you hit a nerve on the whole nurse's who were never cnas/lnas. i work with a nurse that never worked as an aide. she often will literally hunt down an aide to do some sort of grunt work (you know bedpan, assist to commode, change adult diaper), now i understand if you are in the middle of something, but she will actually walk the halls looking for an aide and tell them that 402 needs......gawd it so peeves me.

she took the cake recently though. i was standing at the station with other nurses and the new grad came out of a room and sheepishly said to one of the nurses at the station "403 needs her colostomy emptied"....the nurse looked at her and said "well i guess you should empty it.". well to my surprise new grad was clueless as to how to do this, and when offered directions on how to empty/clean the appliance turned kind of pale and said "well could you do it this time and i'll watch?"

we all kind of laugher at this, but i am in my final semester of school and am mortified that i will be working on the floor with this flake, i really think she will kill someone with her ineptness.

that being said i have found that dealing with the bitchy bossy i can't/won't do that kind of work nurse, is to do what she needs me to do but not do the extras that i do for all the other nurses. may sound a little crappy, but i run all over the place for my nurses (in turn they teach me all sorts of stuff about assessment, tricks of the trade......last nite one of them told me about a trick to putting in a foley if your male patient has prostate enlargement problems:uhoh3: .....etc), the one that hunts me down.....well let's just say she usually has to find stuff for herself. don't get me wrong, i care for her patients (better than she does if you ask me..... :saint:) , but i don't do the extras for her, just her patients.

hope that the nurse in question in the op was just having a bad day and has since talked with the poster. i have had bad nights as an aide and gone to the nurse and appologised for being such a butthead:lol2:

kevin

[color=lime]rn may 2006 :smiley_aa :smiley_aa :smiley_aa :smiley_aa

[lpnstudentin2010, LPN]

at the hospital i am a patient at, the nurses get aids (or another nurse) to help them reposition a patient.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Tweety....

You know, technically I suppose you are correct but your post still makes me feel all creepy. With that... :kiss Friendly smooches!

We are ALL professionals when we are doing our job well. I don't like being referred to as a professional because I have a bit more college vs. a tech. Professionalism is in our attitude and action, not our education. Ever met a "professional" that is a total witch and couldn't care for her patient if her life depended on it? Is THAT a professional? She has the education, does that make her a professional?

While I fully realize you can correct me and technically be correct, this comment has always rubbed me the wrong way. We are ALL professionals if we behave as such. For ME, professionalism is in actions, not education. But again, you could easily debate this issue and win. Doesn't mean I have to like it or fully agree.

I see what you're saying. And I 100% agree that someone with a professional designation like RN can act totally unprofessional.

Maybe a better way for me to say it was "licensed personnel and unlicensed personnel need to communicate rather than make assumptions about what the other is doing or should be doing.". Better?

I've gotten the old "why couldn't you have made that bed while the patient was up" or "you could have done that yourself rather than coming down the hall and telling me to do it" thing from the CNA who presumed that I had the time, while I at the same time presumed she would do it. I certainly however would never yell.