perturbed by "Personal Inservice"

[NurseNinaFla]

I am quite perturbed to say the least,I along with several other nurses were given a "Personal Inservice"

regarding failing to follow procedure and false documentation...here's the story...

Recently on our unit we began using a device called a wander-guard..it is a bracelet that is attached to the residents arm,if they try to go out of one of the main doors an alarm will sound

Ok several of the residents were fitted with wander-guards and the 3-11 nurse told me briefly about the wander-guard just what I explained above and when I asked how do I know if the wander-guard is functioning?

The answer was it will alert the nurses (on another unit,same unit fire alarm board is on) and they will call and let you know..end of inservice!...so the TAR now has a sign off that the wander-guard is on and functioning

something to that effect..well guess what? over the weekend a resident with a wander-guard gets out and is found near a pond on the facility(during the day time,and I was not there..not the issue,I assure you when I am on duty I check every alarm on every patient personally..not lazy,not a slacker...well come Tuesday morning I am told by the unit manager that I am getting a personal inservice (next thing to a write up)

for this whole ordeal..also Tuesday morning for the first time I am informed that there is a little device looks like a tv remote (somewhere in the building)that you check wander-guard with to see if it is functioning..all news to me!

Basically I am upset at the whole lack of communication and professionalism by upper management to educate the staff and just start using new equipment etc..without communicating to the staff on all shifts effectively,I did write a statement explaining my side of the story...Opinions? Advice? just needed to vent! Grrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!

~Nina~

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

"Perturbed" - I love it!!! You have a legitimate gripe, and are obviously having to deal with seriously incompetent management staff.

Maybe you should suggest that they add "ESP' to your job description or supply you with a crystal ball so this type of event does not occur again.

[BEDPAN76]

Sounds like typical LTC BS. Crap like this happens all the time. The only advice I can offer is to laugh it off and be glad YOU weren't on duty when that resident eloped. I've always seen the wanderguards placed on ankles. Also, someone needs to monitor the batteries as I have known them to "die".

Communication issues can quickly ruin a decent job through NO FAULT of your own. Try not to let it get to you. In LTC, write-ups are usually a joke! We used to laugh later. And NEVER signed them....

Take care! :)

[scoochy]

There are numerous types of Wanderguards. In one facility where I worked, the night shift was responsible for checking the function of the wanderguard. The tester was a small device that you placed over the wanderguard apparatus. If the tester flashed green, the wanderguard was functioning; if it flashed red, well you know the deal..On this type of wanderguard, there was a "pin" on the side of it (just like a watch) that had to be completely pushed in, or the wanderguard would not function. If a resident went near a door that was outfitted with the wanderguard alarm system monitor, the alarm on the door would sound, provided the wanderguard was functional.

Sounds like the inservice you received was incomplete. There has to be a mechanism to test the function!

[oramar]

I think the advice not to sign anything is good advice.

[elkpark]

I don't see how you can possibly be held responsible for information that the administration did not properly, officially convey to you. Everywhere I've ever worked (not LTC), whenever there is new equipment or a new safety policy of any kind, nursing staff has to attend an inservice, be personally inserviced and checked off by a supervisor, or read the policy -- and sign a statement saying that you have received the necessary information/instruction to be able to implement the new equipment or policy appropriately. Only after that process was completed could you be held responsible for not propertly implementing the new policy or equipment. I would never be satisfied with just taking another nurse's word for it that "here's this new thingy and this is how it works" ...

Best wishes!

[CathyLew]

Im confused... a personal inservice? is the next thing to a write up?

Is everyone getting a personal inservice? Isn't it just management covering their @sses?

when we see people not following a policy, we give a one on one inservice.... make sure they have a chance to learn, aske questions. To CYA in case something happens down the road--you can show/prove that the staff was educated.

couldn't it possibly be a case of the wanderguard is something they noticed not everyone is educated on, so they are taking the steps to educate everyone, and doccument that they have been educated. Possibly as a corrective follow up to the problem of the resident escaping?

[NurseNinaFla]

Im confused... a personal inservice? is the next thing to a write up?

Is everyone getting a personal inservice? Isn't it just management covering their @sses?

when we see people not following a policy, we give a one on one inservice.... make sure they have a chance to learn, aske questions. To CYA in case something happens down the road--you can show/prove that the staff was educated.

couldn't it possibly be a case of the wanderguard is something they noticed not everyone is educated on, so they are taking the steps to educate everyone, and doccument that they have been educated. Possibly as a corrective follow up to the problem of the resident escaping?

Everyone got an inservice after the fact,I and several other Nurses recieved a personal inservice (next time it is a write up,because we failed to follow procedure and documented wanderguard was functioning...my Gripe is I was misinformed and a proper inservice was never implimented by management the whole thing was left to staff to inservice each other!

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

You are getting this so the facility, when State comes to survey, can complete the incident review with staff having been educated. It really isn;t about you but about getting their coverage ducks in a row.

I wouldn't take it personally. However, whenver a new technology is put into place I would stand pat and say, "I dn not know how to tell if this is working. Please demonstrate what has just been described."

[onetiredmomma]

Lack of sufficient communication haunts us all. It isn't just LTC, I have seen it all over and in all types of industries. I hope the next time you are informed by a co worker that there is something new you are responsible for you will immediately (I mean that day) contact your immediate supervisor and ask when you are going to be provided with the necessary tools to properly do your job. Document your call and the response you get.

[elkpark]

...my Gripe is I was misinformed and a proper inservice was never implimented by management the whole thing was left to staff to inservice each other!

You're right to gripe about that -- your administration's performance in this matter was irresponsible. I know (because I worked as a surveyor for several years) that acute care hospitals have rules/regs about the administration's responsibility to adequately educate staff about new equipment and safety policies, and if something goes wrong and the administration can't prove that they provided the necessary information about the new equipment or procedure to the individual staff person, it's their fault and not the individual staff person's (of course, it's the responsibility of the individual staff member to not use equipment if you don't know for sure how to use it correctly, and request (insist) that you be properly educated) -- I'm sure there's some similar expectation/requirement for LTC ...

[NurseNinaFla]

Thank You ElkPark (and everyone else) for the feedback..another lesson learned and yes in the future I will insist on an "official" inservice..much to the annoyance of uppermanagement I'm sure!