Samurai15

LovingLife123 , I thought I was clustering care, but you gave me a different prospective, I would typical do 1 -2 assessments after report. Try to chart those assessments and then start my med. pass, and complete the other 3 assessments during the med pass. I have noticed some nurses would start their med. pass during their first assessment. Charting during COVID, charting is continued as normal, on PCU we chart 1 full assessment , and a focus assessment every 4 hours , we chart on pain even if the patient pain level is 0 it is to be chart along with safety checks, drains, tubes, IV/ access devices every 2 hours. ( That's the mandatory minimum amount of chart).

Hello Brownelfin, I also feel that I may be "doing to much" compared to my coworkers. I feel when I was being trained , they painted this perfect scenario of how they do all of their assessments at this and this , and stop , take their lunch because they are not worried about things that are "not acute or non-urgent" they say it " can wait". But when I try to wait to address an "non-urgent matter" like getting a patient a drink or they want their meds "now", then I get called on the phone a lot until its done. I feel that I am trying to work on the level of an "unrealistic expectation" that was spoken to me during training. But lately , I have asked some coworkers , what they are doing , how they manage to leave on time,,, Some have stated that they take the time to chart in between patients, and they may skip a round and chart. .... I have seen a nurse draw all the meds for the day on a patient.... So I say this to say, there is nothing wrong with you, you just not taking shortcuts, you help patients when you can. I just like you , will take a patient to the bathroom , but I'll call a CNA if one is working, and ask if they can come relief me from the room. Where I work , we have to wait in the room until the patient is finished with the bathroom, unless the patient is independent. But overall , I have had some days of feel regret but I also have days that I am grateful that I choose nursing. I think stress of the work day , and the work environment can make someone rethink why nursing? But I do notice there is longevity in certain nurse specialties such as ICU, hospice, OR, etc.

Thank you everyone for the hope and encouragement !

Hello, I need some guidance. I work on a progressive care unit, a typical nurse to patient ratio is 4 to 5; take care of COVID patients as well, constantly short staff, which may be the norm for most places. This is my first job as a RN. I work days. Most days we have 1 CNA or no CNAs at all, therefore we are excepted to do holistic nursing care and hourly rounding. Even the days we have CNAs I find my self doing a lot of my own patient care because the CNAs are busy with another patient which is understandable. The max CNAs we could have is 2 and still the same issue, the unit is busy. There are moments that almost all of my patients are requesting me at the same time, and in those situations, I prioritize and , ask for help from the charge nurse, and sometimes they cannot help. I feel that the type of patient load I am frequently assigned contains high fall risks patient getting out the bed (room located away from the nursing station), isolations rooms, total care patients, and borderline critical patients; all in one team assignment. I never find time to sit in chart, I try charting as I go. I try to start my med pass a little early around 8:30. I never find myself leaving work on time. I am clocking out about 45 to 1 hour late because I need to finish charting. Someone times nursing tasks such as pass meds, because it patient was admitted to the floor about 10 minutes before the next shift comes in, or patients coming back from surgery / procedures less than 30 minutes before the next shift. I have notice , it seems like I am the only one from my shift that doesn't leave work by 1930. I have asked for advice from other colleagues but I am told try to get all of your assessments in by 8 or 8:30, I have found that to be impossible because I am constantly interrupted and I have to completed half of my assessments during my med pass. I have notice everyone else taking time and sitting to chart frequently( CNAs and nurses). I am constantly getting called on our phones because this patient needs this or that, or this department need to talk to me, or this family member wants to speak to me, or this family at the bedside and wants to speak with you. I am sure everyone else it have a similar experience with the phones too. When it is time to give report from the next shift , some nurses I give report to it'll take about 20 to 30 minutes. And the same thing when I get report from them in the morning. Overall I feel no matter what I do , I can never leave work by 7:30 or before. I need advice on time management?