My office is at the opposite end of the unit, away from the nurse's station. My daily routine is to spend the mornings on the unit, rounding with doctors, helping with care, and talking to patients. I spend the afternoons in my office doing paperwork and administrative tasks. The hospital is remodeling the floor above ours, and I needed to move out of my office for a few weeks because of the noise and dirt directly above me. My office is now temporarily in a small storage area right behind the nurse's desk. Some of the staff must have forgotten I was there, because this is the conversation that took place. (Some details have been changed to protect the innocent. And HIPAA)
CNA: Can you look at the IV in 412? It keeps beeping.
RN: That's not my patient.
Me, coming out of the office: Did you just tell her that's not my patient when she asked for help?
RN: NO
CNA: Yes she did.
ME: Go take care of the IV then come into my office
So we had the talk about teamwork, respect, integrity, and putting patients first. Of course she said she was sorry, she had been distracted, this is not her normal behavior. I warned her that this was unacceptable, and I did not want to hear this type of thing again. Then about an hour later, another conversation between the same two staff.
RN: I was just in 411. She needs a bedpan. Go put her on.
CNA: OK
Me, coming out of my office: Did you just tell her to go put a patient on a bedpan when you were in the room?
RN: NO
CNA: Yes
ME: Go put her on the bedpan yourself, then come into my office.
I usually dislike writing staff up, but this girl really deserved it.
