PamUK

We use a system called GRASP... t's great & I know it is available in the States (at a cost of course) Hope you find the link helpful http://www.graspinc.com/

Gosh... this thread really isn't focussing on the patients needs. I would have a fit if a nurse WOKE ME UP at 6am to give me bloody tablets! The routine of the floor/ward really needs to reorganise itself to the needs of the patient (including a decent nights sleep) and NOT to the needs ot the nursing staff or financial management needs. In my hospital, the patients are not disturbed for ANYTHING before 8am, unless it is urgent or absolutely necessary. Once you get this ethos embedded into your whole culture, its easy! You look back & think... what the hell where we thinking then???

I think it's becasue too many ppl want to increase their amount of postings so just put in their twopence worth!!! Even if it is irrelevant, inappropriate... whatever I've just been taken to 153 postings

IF you gave meds prepared by someone and this is standard pratice endorsed by the facility through policy & procedures, would there not be some sort of vicarious liabiltiy? For an act to be considered (vicarious liabilty) within the course of employment it must either be authorised or be so connected with an authorised act that it can be considered a mode, though an improper mode, of performing it. Not sure about the US systems, but I know that this would a serious consideration in the UK. Seems to me that this is endorsed, even if there are no written procedures, through common practice. Not saying that this practice is correct but by the mere fact that the "management" hasn't changed the practice means that they are vicariously liable... doesn't it?

I got £200 in gift vouchers when I had been there for 20 years, which was nice. Bought myself a good espresso/capuccino coffee maker. The worst, and we get them every Christmas, is a small, cheap, flimsy diary. We all throw them out immediately.

Home, even if there is no-one to look after me!

How about a nice minimalist "Thank You Card". Why do you feel the need to give someone a gift for doing their job?

I put together a Math calculator in Excel and it is now on the hospitals intranet for nurses to use if they are unsure. If anyone is interested, I am more than willing to share. Only thing is, the UK is entirely metric. I remember when I worked in the States in the late 70's, you were using some imperial. I had never heard of drams before I went there! Do you still use that as a measure? And quarts & gills is definately out on my calculator!

If they need turning, they are put on pressure beds to minimise the impact on the nurses backs. I dont work on the wards any more... got into the quality side of things... but will find out what nurses do exactly & let you know. Glad to hear you all have No Lift policies though!

Its about time you all had a "No lifting" policy. Its a disgrace the way some patients expect a nurse, even if they are similar weights, to lift them. We never lift patients. Have all sorts of devices to get them out of bed & up and about, but never, ever lift.

We have volunteers at my hospital but they are not allowed to do work that a paid member of staff should be doing. So they can't feed patients or help in any way with patient care and they cant do paperwork or admin duties... our unions would have a fit! But the type of work they do is directing or escorting visitors or going to the shop for a patient or providing patients with extra drinks (but aren't allowed to help them drink) They do not get in our way at all because they have a paid co-ordinator who will supervise them, especially at first until they know their limitations. I dont think I would like volunteers who helped with a paid persons job - too much responsibility if things go wrong because of what they have done. Having said all that, they do a brilliant job and our hospital wouldn't be without them.

I have never heard of aspirating for subq injections either & I have worked in quite a few hospitals in the UK and the USA. However, if it is your hospital's policy, then I guess you have to follow it for two main reasons: a) you wont place yourself in the position of being disciplined if someone was petty enough to do so (and I think that is a higher chance - nursing seems to have a lot of petty managers!) b) the hospital will take vicarious liability for your actions if you have followed their policy and there has been harm as a direct result of aspirating However, I cant see what harm aspirating could do. Just unnecessary. It would be interesting to ask pharmacy the rationale behind their thinking though. Let us know if you find out.

Can deal with vomit in any shape, form or smell. Its sputum I cant deal with EVER!

Someone PLEASE... put me out of my misery... how did the show end? Is the baby OK? Forget that... just read Asoldierswife05 posting in full. Big sigh of relief!

All the CNS nurses at my trust got band 7 and their manager an 8b.

My Trust has been foundation for about a year now. At a grass roots level, I cant see any difference but I think they (being the Board) have much more financial freedom. The Trust has to have a membership made up from patients & the public - anyone who is interested really. From the membership the Board of Govenors, is selected and they have the power to hire & fire the Chairman (& I think the Chief Exec) So basically, if the Board is incompetent or are not providing what the membership & local community want, it's bye-bye Chairman. There is also an independant regulator called Monitor who make sure that the trust is financially secure and well managed and have the power to intervene if standards fall. Thats how I understand it anyway!

I had it in 2002 and have never looked back. They predicted I would still need glasses for reading, but that was an age related thing that they couldn't do anything about! I just wanted to be able to see socially, so I took the plunge. Dunno what my vision was before or what it is now, but I do know I don't need glasses for driving or socially and only need them at the end of the day for reading, when I am tired. Never had any problems, not even dry eyes.

If you work in the NHS (or even if you dont), you really need to involve to your nurse manager about lifting and your occupational health nurse about your diabetes. Your nurse manager needs to stop you and your colleagues lifting manually. I'm sure there are at least guidelines (maybe even laws) out about this, so check it out. There are plenty of various devices out now to aid you with lifting... not cheap, but cheaper than a lawsuit. As far as your breaks go (or lack of them), again, your nurse manager should be making sure that you and your colleagues are taking them. As far as you are concerned, lack of breaks must be having a detrimental effect on your health, so involve both your occupational health nurse and nurse manager on this issue. It is unbelievable that nurses are treated in this way in this day and age.

In my hospital, they were introduced about 10 years ago, but have been around much longer than that. Have you thought about requesting this information directly from individual hospitals under Freedom of Information (FOI) Ask specificly if the hospital has 12 hour shifts, what year they were introduced and details of any drug errors that were considered a result of fatigue. If the hospital holds this information, they must give it to you and have 28 days to reply to your request. You can usually find an FOI request button on many hospitals websites. You don't have to identify yourself either. Hope this helps

I wont surprise you that I am in Quality Managment then!!! I love it too. Helping clinical staff to overcome the problems that impact on the bigger picture is great.

Is it routine practice at any time to expect nurses to return to work 8 hours after doing 2 twelve hour shifts?

What a luxury! Dont know if our computer bods are dumb or what, but they cannot stop spam for some unknown reason. I hate it. Everyone working in the NHS, including bedside nurses, can have an email address if they want one, which is great for communicating. Downside is all that spam. Grrr...

Nutrition is also high on the list. Very often food is put by the patient and no-one comes to help them cut or chop the food or even feed! The next idiot comes along & takes the tray away, thinking that the patient doesn't want it. Or at mealtimes, they will get a visit from the doctor/physio whoever. By the time they are done, their food has been removed. We have implemneted a few measures to overcome these issues. 1. Protected mealtimes. Everyone, visitors, doctors, the lot, are kicked out at mealtimes. No-one is allowed to enter re-enter the ward until it is over. 2. Nursing staff cannot take their own mealbreaks at these times. This allows "all hands on deck" 3. Patients who have difficulty with food are given red trays.... everyone else is yellow... so that they are easily identified 4 A probably the most important one. LEADERSHIP. Someone is designated to take control of the whole process for all patients. They have a duty to ensure visitors have left and that everyone is fed & watered by delegating as necessasry These measures work really well for us

First consult your hospitals policy for obtaining written consent, if that is not helpful, ask risk management or get advice from you union, professional or regulatory body. They must surely provide you with this level of support. Although I live in the UK, nurses and other allied health professionals are permitted to obtain written consent IF the doctor has delegated this task to them as an individual but the doctor is still accountable. The nurse is obligated to have knowledge of the procedure and be able to explain the benefits and risks to the patient and answer any questions they may have. At the end of the day, a signed consent form is not necesarily valid in a court of law (and this is the very reason we get consent forms signed - in case we end up trying to defend ourselves in court). An invalid consen t form would occur in circumstances were the patient could prove; 1 they were not given all of the relevant facts 2. they did not understand the facts 3. they were coerced in some way by another person (including family members) Dont know if this all helps!

I was in a similar situation many years ago. Although I had worked in LTC for a few years, I took this job working night shift in, what I thought was, a great facility. It was awful. We started getting the residents up at 4 am. We had to have them all up, washed and breakfasted by the time the day crew came in at 8. Four of us for, I think, 40 highly dependent residents. Absolutely inhumane. I had no qualms about telling the MAtron, when she arrived at 8:30 that I would not be returning for my 2nd shift and my reasons. Had there been a regulatory body for LTC, at the time, I would have called them too Hope you didn't go back.