I was wondering if anyone else has any "pet peeves" at work. Things that slightly irritate you, or things that irritate you a LOT. Things that do not benefit the work flow/productivity in any way whatsoever, or things that just make your job harder than it already is
1) Alarms. I find them slightly irritating. Especially when a pump alarm is going off, and everyone in the hall except me acts completely oblivious to it. Maybe they need to have mandatory hearing tests prior to becoming an RN?
2) People who answer call lights from the nursing station. Worse, when they don't follow up on them. Actually, it drives me nuts when people answer them from the nursing station period. Especially when the pt's room is right across the hall from the nursing station!! I think this is a holdover from my nursing home days when the call light system didn't allow you to pick up from the nursing station.
3) When patients don't have fresh water in their room . Nothing worse than going to pass meds, hand the patient the pills, and find that their water cup is empty
4) Aides that are nursing students that literally spend more time talking than actually working. Listening to them talk about what an awesome nurse they are or won't shut up about the nursing job they're going to get after they graduate makes me wanna punch babies, trip an old lady, or kick my dog. Guess what? If you're not coming to work on our unit then I don't really care if you're going to the ER, ICU, NICU, Labor + Delivery, or wherever else. Good for you!!! Until you graduate you're still an aide so Shut up and go get to work!!!
I'll think of some more but those are the three off the top of my head.
Specializes in Plastics. General Surgery. ITU. Oncology.
I'm in Oncology. Night shifters who expect ALL the chemos to be up and running despite the fact that only 2 chemo givers may have been on the Late shift and there may have been 19 regimes to start.
"What's the IV level?" Uhm, there is a pump in the room attached to the litre bag and patient. It will beep when there is less than 50mls left to infuse. The ones hung by gravity have at least 300 left when we do our last rounds.
Specializes in Trauma Surgery, Nursing Management.
Didn't read thru all the posts, but my #1 pet peeve is hearing this:
"We are so happy to have each and every one of you working for our hospital. We could not do what we do everyday without you. The nurses are an integral part of making our hospital a success. We concentrate on hiring nurses with exceptional skills and your hard work is evidenced by our high ranking in the Top 100 hospitals in America. Furthermore, our Press Gainey reports have risen and our customer service skills are top notch. Thank you all for showing America that we ARE THE BEST! However, we are still struggling with budget cuts, as you well know since we could not offer raises last year. We will not be offering raises again this year. But there is an ice cream social on the veranda next week to celebrate your accomplishments!"
1. Cleaning up after coworkers who leave their meal trays, cups, syringe wrappers,etc ALL OVER THE UNIT! I have to spend 15-20min after they've left cleaning up after them which begs the question, who cleans up after them at home? I've put up a sign before, "your mother doesn't work here, please clean up after yourself!!
2. Cardizem/Insulin/Dopamine gtts that are EMPTY as SOON as I get out of report! We mix our own drips where I work and certain nurses are ALWAYS leaving the bags empty!! COMMON COURTESY PEOPLE!
3. Would it KILL some of you to restock the IV start kit basket?? Night shift isn't the ONLY shift that uses it yet I'm one of the few RN's on the floor who restock it on a regular basis!
4. I'm glad you completed and passed your EMT training but that STILL does NOT make you an RN!!
5. Could you at least TRY to straighten up the patient rooms? Linen shouldn't be strewn about the room. And hey if you've filled up the trash basket how about EMPTYING IT?? The houskeeping fairy leaves the buidling at 10pm!!
6. I just LOVE coming into a mess of tangled IV tubing, monitor wires, vent tubing, Suction tubing, etc. Have some pride in your work ladies!!
7. If a piece of equipment is broken...FILL out the maintenance request form and TAKE IT DOWN TO the maintenance dept!! The fix-it fairy does not swing by the ICU once a shift! We have to deliver it ourselves if we want something fixed!
Ugh..I could go on...I swear I work with some of the LAZIEST nurses ever!
Coming to work and finding one of my patients with their tube feeding turned off and no O2 on. I ask the other nurse about it and she says the patient was sating at 95% on RA. I go and check the patient and her sat is 78%.
CNAs who decide on their own to turn a feeding pump off "because it is beeping". Maybe it is beeping for a reason!
Family members that expect you to jump everytime their Dad or Mom farts. Sorry I have another patient in respiratory distress....you will have to wait a few mins.
Nurses/CNAs/etc. who carry their cell phones on them at all times and don't even put it on silent.
When PT or OT take my patient to another floor without asking if they got their am meds first.
Poi Dog
1,134 Posts
Asking if I want to work on my day off. No thanks. I would rather get my wisdom teeth yanked without any anesthesia.
Coworkers who speak.