jannecdote

When I worked nights in our LTAC med/surg, we got 8 to 9 patients each with usually one or two RN's. A staff RN demanded safe harbor one night, stating she was unable to provide adequate care under the circumstances. She got laughed at and ridiculed by administration (behind her back, of course--and I am just stating what I heard, by the way). She actually got into trouble over that one because they said if other nurses could handle it so could she and safe harbor was not an option under the circumstances.

True story. A morbidly obese woman who had died was being transported to the morgue or funeral home via ambulance here in the city. While going over a busy overpass, the back doors somehow opened and the body fell out onto the highway. I have always wondered what was in the minds of the people who happened to be driving behind the ambulance when this happened.

I became an LPN because it was faster and cheaper than going the RN route and then I let one thing or another come up and never finished getting my RN. I regret not having the extra money, but I enjoy being a nurse, I am content where I am and I know that I am a good nurse irregardless. I have always been a follower and not a leader and I know that I am an asset to the RN's I work with. They know they can count on me when they ask for any help. And I don't suffer any inferiority complexes over it.

Here's what happened to me this past weekend. My CNA and I had a patient whose family had complained to management, administration, etc. about the quality of care Mr. X had been getting. When I came on duty Friday, the social worker was there trying to straighten out some lingering customer service issues with the wife. I thought, okay, I'll have this patient the entire weekend because they know I will bend over backwards to make this man as comfortable as possible. I told the CNA to make sure Mr. X was turned every two hours (explaining the above scenario to her). All went well until Sunday. During rounds he told me that he was hurting really bad,"I think I've been in this position too long". I asked him if he was being turned often enough by the CNA and he frowned. He also asked to have perineal care given because he was itching down there. I went to get pain meds, asked the CNA to make sure she turned him and to give him perineal care. ( I personally had turned him several times myself and attended to various needs during the shift.) She told me that she had just done it an hour before and walked away in a huff. When I went back into the room he said that "she just handed me the washcloth" and stood there. He was not a happy camper. I could see that this might be leading to more complaints to administration, so I spoke with the supervisor, the CNA, etc and documented that the patient had full BUE ROM and could clean himself and to see the flowsheet for turning (every two hours). I just wanted to nip any future problems in the bud and didn't think much else about it. This is a Rehab floor by the way. But, the CNA got royally upset thinking I had reported her to the supervisor and had documented something bad about her so she went into the patient's room and asked the patient why did he report her to the nurse for these things. I was appalled!!!! Then he asked to speak with me because he told her that he hadn't said anything. Sheesh. I told the CNA I could not believe she confronted the patient like that--and she had taken an Amazon of another CNA in there with her when she did it. If I was the patient, I would have been scared to death. I showed the CNA what I had documented. It did not reflect bad on her at all. I spoke with the supervisor again and told her I was not going back into that room--shift was almost over. He was either going to call me a liar or yell at me for repeating what he said and I wasn't going to be the fall guy. And, I was not going to call him a liar even if he has been a difficult patient. It just made me so angry that this CNA had to make things much more difficult. Shift was almost over, all she had to do was turn him in a timely manner and keep him clean and dry. After it was all said and done, I wish I would have reported her because what she did was not professional at all and reflected badly on the both of us. If I could go back and do it again, I would have handled the situation differently.

My question is, if she told the husband the day before that she was going to sacrifice the baby to God, why did he leave her alone with the baby? If psychosis is present or thought to be present, and in light of previous incidents here in Texas involving psychotic mothers, why in heaven's name didn't the spouse or other loved ones step in and protect this innocent life? It's better to be safe than sorry. My kids were telling me about the news story and I was so upset that I couldn't even read about it until the next day. I was so overwhelmed by grief at the thought of another child's life being taken in such a hideous manner.

I was very idealistic when I first got out of school and wanted to make a difference in the lives of others. After so many years, I can truthfully say that it is just another job to me but one that brings a bigger paycheck. I will probably do it until I retire. There are still some days that bring me lots of satisfaction--like when I catch changes in a patient's status and help avert an impending problem--so I am not totally burnt out with nursing. I even think it was my destiny because no matter what I did prior to nursing I kept getting steered back into the nursing field. And here I am. :rotfl:

This makes me wonder now about where I work. Our night supervisor was telling us about a nurse that was stopped as he was about to leave because he had a Vicodin in his pocket. He said he had forgotten it was there. When us nurses asked how management knew he had it, she just smiled and shrugged her shoulders. Maybe we have a camera in our med room?!! I will have to check the clock.

Glad to hear that Mattsmom. I hadn't had opportunity to speak with my supervisor yet and was thinking about this thread yesterday. Good luck.:)

omg!! if i had been the nurse who did this, i think it would have ended my nursing career--i would have died on the spot.:uhoh21:

Team nursing sucks if the people on your team are lazy and you have to pick up the slack. I did it once 10 years ago. The RN was unit coordinator and stayed at the desk, made us aware of new orders, made rounds with the docs. Usually had 10 or 11 patients. Even though I'm an LPN, I was usually team leader, other LPN passed meds, and a CNA. I assessed the patients and the RN would come behind and sign after me. I worked my tail end off. The LPN would pass meds and nothing else. I would be starting foleys, IV's, address changes in patient's status, assist patient's on the bedpan when the CNA was busy elsewhere, etc. Responsible for all the charting and signing off new orders, making sure they were all carried out. Busy med/surg floor. It was a horrible experience and I wouldn't wish it on anybody. As far as co-workers go, it's like a box of chocolates. You never know who you're gonna get.

Interesting thread. When and if the BON addresses the situation I hope someone posts an update here. I would really like to know the outcome of the whole thing.

If you possibly can, try not to focus too much on making a mistake during clinicals because the more you focus on it, the more your anxiety is going to build and the harder you try not to make a mistake that's when it happens. Just focus on what you need to do, ask the instructor for help, be receptive to any communications from her and pray, pray, pray. My heart goes out to you. Hang in there and good luck.

I agree.

Unusual occurence here. Got a call from the supervisor last night warning any nurses going outside the hospital to be on the lookout for a guy who was approaching people asking for needles and drugs. Drug seeker..mmm...ya think?

I work with a supervisor who inserts PICC lines--DFW area (Arlington). Would you like me to fish around for some info? She has been a nurse around here forever, so I am assuming she picked up the PICC skills around here somewhere.