Janis Noone

I guess I cannot keep from tossing my own opinion out there too... When reading the horrors of nurses having to "make up" a weekend callin and especially the part about having to do any shift or place needed all I can think about is how we are designing our very own nursing shortage! How long would it take if I were the daughter, niece (or son or nephew), or friend of a person who lives under these "rules" to decide I really do not want to be a nurse? How long would it take me if I were subject to these rules to find something else? It seems like management who promote policies such as this have no real leadership skill and have their rules to hide behind. Why can't they deal effectively with the abusers? Why do they need policies to deal with a situation that is caused by a small few but punishes the rest? I also find it ironic that as nurses we can be so full of punishment and so easy to forget how to reward those who do well. I thought we were a caring profession. If a staff is treated badly and is not cared for I can also see why they would not care if the manager had to work all week (do they really believe what the manager does all week is work anyway?) and then has to come in to fill a staff spot. To make it even more obvious that they do not care for the manager they even give her the worst assignment...hello, I'd say the writing is on the wall. Maybe those in leadership positions need to plan better for contingencies such as illness, communicate better with their staff, and find a small bit of creativity to work out problems rather than resort to punishment of all. I personally would be mixing drinks in a local bar or waiting tables at a truckstop rather than work for those who treat their staff this poorly. Managers in nursing are going to have to remember that they are managing professionals and not greeters at the local WalMart. Poor management and lack of leadership may be the demise of nursing. It certainly would run me right out the door!

One of the things you can do if you are interested in this type of work is to offer to be involved in existing teams. Ask to "shadow" a person at your organization for a day perhaps to see what they do. Also check locally at colleges for classes they might offer from the management arena in team building, project management, or performance improvement. One of the most valuable skills right now is experience with statistical process control....a bit "mathy" but if you are so inclined you would be an asset to any PI/QI program. Also, get experience working with Excel if you do not have it right now. General computer skills are vital but working with charts and data in Excel are a big part of the job. Also valuable is a working knowledge of using PowerPoint. I know this is alot but if you even have some of the skills that I have identified you stand a good chance of getting a job in this arena. Jan

Only an RN can administer blood products in our system facilities. You may want to check the current AABB (American Assoc of Blood Banks) for transfusion guidelines. Most follow their recs for vs at the time blood is hung, 15 min later, and at the end of the transfusion. An RN checks the blood with another licensed person who can be an LPN, med tech from lab, etc. We also have someone stay in attendance during the first 15 minutes as this is the time inwhich the most severe reactions occur. This person in attendance must watch for wheezing, trouble breathing, hives, coughing, urticaria, etc but need not be an RN. May even be a family member so long as instructions are given and the person is deemed reliable by the RN.