Professional dilemma

[gdc67]

I work as an agency nurse in UK as a PACU or recovery nurse. Most hospitals have a policy that we are not allowed to give ANY intravenous medication to our patients with or without a skills certificate. I do not have the certificate but have been a nurse since 1986 and at the present hospital I have been giving IV medication until recently when we were told to follow the policy and refrain from IV meds.

My patient was vomiting and I left a student with the patient after reassuring her and located the Dr who ordered an IV anti emetic which I gave. The patient seemed sensitive to the drug which I stopped and when back to tell him and he ordered an IM anti emetic which I also gave and it helped.

A few days later my manager shows me a letter from a colleague, who had an intubated patient BEHIND a closed screen, that detailed me giving IV medication fully knowing that it was against the rules. I was a bit annoyed and shocked at the idea that someone would feel the need to forget that nursing is a caring profession and it is OK to be vindictive towards co workers. A few days before the letter came up, another patient was vomiting and very distressed and it took about 5minutes of running around for them to find someone with a IV certificate to give when we were all very skilled AND capable to do and in the end they dragged an anaesthetist out of theatre to give the IV dose.

A professional and personal dilemma....any views appreciated

[misswoosie]

it's odd isn't that the misswoosie is out of step with the people who have current UK experience.

the fact is that 'Doctors Orders' do not exist in the UK , because unlike the US or the deep dark past It genuinely is a team effort where the team comes up with a plan and the tema implements that plan , where even those Doctors who consider themselves prima inter pares are now finding it increasingly difficult to continue to misbehave ...

Why do you state I am out of touch and comment on practice in the US and use a phrase like the dark ages?

Maybe you can clarify this?

And to XB9S not sure why we have suddenly moved onto working as a team but will say that as Clinical Lecture Practitioner in stroke I am supremely aware of the need for team working and the function of the MDT .

We actually had care plans and care pathways .

No one has made any comment on the scenario that might have been if the OP hadn't given the drug. I thought it would be a good discussion point , but rather than do that members would rather make disparaging , unfounded personal comments

[gdc67]

The NHS is full of staff who are out to bully, backstab and tell tale on their co workers. It was a shock for me when i walked into my first placement as an agency nurse and saw ARE YOU BEING BULLIED posters everywhere.

It is accepted practice and so the agency nurse or student does not complain as the one needs the job and the other needs to finish the placement. Any complaint is directed away from the full time staff.

The onus is on to make your co workers day as miserable as ever and so little regard is given to high pateint care as I always maintain how can you care for a patient when you do not like your co workers. The private nurse def has one up where the patient always comes first and the Dr expects you to do that rather than have a disgruntled patient who will not recommend his services. But that is a different issue.

I could have taken over and extubated my co workers patient who was behind a screen but all i wanted was to make my patient feel better and did not disregard the policy intentionally. This is the first time someone has complained about my nursing care and without patting my own back I am the least person to be reported on bad practice or patient care. But there is always going to be an exception to the rule.

All i did was mention I am S African and then the country and character assassination began by certain people.

That it came from the UK was not unexpected. But just forget it. Off to work I go and thax for the supporting comments...enjoy the day and shift.

[ZippyGBR, BSN, RN]

GDC have you considered that the problem may lay with you ?

There's been no character asassination based on your nationality , it was you that first raised the issue of nationality and of hours of work, i fail to see the relevance of this to the discussion ...

[ZippyGBR, BSN, RN]

duplicated post

[sirI, MSN, APRN, NP]

Closed for time out.