BlueLightRN

How do you manage disrespect from medical assistants who are older than you or have more tenure at a place than you do? As in, ignoring you when you speak to them, arguing anytime you ask them to do something, or practicing as if they were a nurse despite obvious lack of knowledge and professionalism. Also, doing inappropriate things at work that waste time and aren't work related. I'm supposed to supervise them, not the other way around and I'm tired of the attitude. I can't discipline someone without backup from my manager but the MA acts like I accosted her just asking her to please room patients or call a patient and schedule an appointment or something.

Where I live the apartment market rent is about as high as the mortgage on my husband and I's house. I could afford a house alone but it wouldn't be as nice or in as good a neighborhood, or I could live in a cheaper (aka more in a bad neighborhood) apartment alone too. Together we have a decent income for this area so we have a nice house.

You didn't search in it to get information, and yes, it is technically a HIPAA violation but they will be able to tell you were only in the chart 2 seconds and you weren't being malicious and I doubt you'll get in trouble. You are human and electronic charting causes those mishaps, I mean who doesn't accidentally type a number or name slightly wrong once in a while? HIPAA is for protection of privacy which you weren't purposely trying to invade.

In LTC it depends on the patient specifically. I could have maybe a max of 20 if they were walky-talky, non-fall risks, etc. If they're needy or have machines or are a fall risk, have to be toileted by staff, max of 10. When I worked LTC though they stuck us with 50 and all were almost fulls. It was hell.

That's so true and very good advice. Thank you!

LOL well I guess you're right haha

Unfortunately I think my manager is on the way out too, none of the upper management is happy with her because she has no ability to crack down on bad behavior and lets crazy stuff happen with no discipline. :/

Interesting. I've never heard that that kind of program even exists!

Is there someone that the oncoming nurse can call to get new meds immediately? If not, then the nurse who left the meds elsewhere needs to be trained or disciplined, it's not the other nurse's fault.

If the patient comes up to the front desk and says "I have a question" or "My medicine" or "I was wondering" the lazy useless secretary automatically says, oh, hold on, you have to talk to the nurse about that" and calls me. I'm like, well who is it? so I can look at the chart and see if there are any notes. She's like "I don't know, just come see" or what do they need? "I dunno, something about medicine or they have a question." It's so pitiful how lazy she is. Doesn't want to be bothered.

I know the office charges for INR fingersticks because of the supplies, same for DM fingersticks or for pregnancy tests or NSTs. They charge for supplies and the service, but not for the nurse's time. However, 99.9999999% of our patients have no insurance or medicaid though so really it's all free.

It is a toxic workplace and I am trying to get out. Only RN, least senior employee though, every other nurse is an LPN there and they treat me like I am an idiot yet don't know why potassium is given with lasix...

MS programs do not prepare you for nurse licensure. You'll probably have to do another BS in nursing. If you don't have the basics you can't be a good MS nurse for research/management, etc. A nurse who can't/could never have worked the floor is a nurse who in my opinion is not much use to anyone. I wish you good luck though!

I worked in a LTC ALF facility and had to do this a few times. D/C patients still had full vials of insulin in the fridge, unopened. Pharmacy wasn't delivering any meds for new admit for 10 more hours and the new admit needed insulin. I switched out the printed labels for the vials when the new one came in the morning so when meds did finally go back or were disposed the new vial was labelled for the d/c patient and the old vial was given to the admit. Yeah it can be dangerous if the med exposed the other patient to bacteria or something, and it could be fraud if you take and don't replace meds paid for by insurance mcare/mcaid for one patient and use them for another but the REAL problem here is that YOUR FACILITY LEAVES NURSES TO CARE FOR PATIENTS WITHOUT THE MEDS THE PATIENT NEEDS. It's not the nurse who needs disciplined here, it's you and your facility.

My time is worth nothing I guess. I just am so tired. Tired of running. Tired of questions that the secretary could answer, and tired of requests I can't oblige.