Weaverd11

I think I will have to talk to management about that. They like us to follow our own spoken policy which is why they are adamant about leaving assigning to us, but when nothing is written and someone new comes along to challenge it... you're right. No leg to stand on. I was trained and taught this like many of the techs before me and we all understood that its just courtesy. Its hard enough being a tech and having a lot of patients. its even harder to have 24 different patients within 2 days. Like another poster said, written policies have to be put in place for people that can't respect their coworkers. What I hear from the senior tech, is that it has been this way for many, many years and only now is it becoming a problem because some techs want to be seen as 'dominant'. Anyways, I will talk to management and get something figured out. In my mind, you can't bend a policy to work when you want to keep your patients and then bend it again to get them back. Our PCT meeting was about a month ago, but we were talking about updating the policy for float/pull techs, this would definitely be something to add.

I haven't checked back in a couple of days. One Ironic comment I saw was this: 1. Set a unit policy on how the assignment is done. For example, "If a tech was here the previous day, that tech will be assigned to the same hall as the previous day. If neither tech was here there previous day, the assignment is made by the techs when they arrive for their shifts" etc. It sounds like now there is no guarantee that any tech will get their assignment back, so if the techs want this to always happen, a policy needs to be put in writing." ^^^That IS our policy. Unwritten, but spoken. Our entire Tech team has gone to management and the Charges, even the Secretaries about the assignments. If you were there the night before, you get the same patients. Period. LCN's and head manager understand that this has been a policy between techs for a very long time and tell us that there is no issue because (for the most part) we respect each other and understand the 'rules'. We are told that the night tech has to let the secretaries know who had which side. The problem arises when a tech comes in at 11pm and doesn't know who left at 7pm. Its not necessarily which hall is 'easiest' at all, I don't mind working. My problem was that since that IS our policy, I felt like she was wrong. If no one was here the day prior, we just pick a side. For some reason, some techs have sides that they prefer which is perfectly fine to when no one was here the day before. I was on time, I wouldn't call being in the bathroom late. I'm upset about the lack of courtesy since she knows how things are supposed to go here. She worked the hall earlier in the week and had the same assignment ALL 4 days due to the SAME policy she fought to me about. Since things were starting to get loud, I decided to drop it but thats just not how things go here. Later that day she asked me to cover a shift for her and keeps asking me every other day. I'm the only person who would swap because she was feuding with the other 2 techs about multiple issues .She now gets upset and calls me 'petty' for not covering for her anymore. (I would regularly swap shifts with her since I didn't have class this summer.) I remain professional with her but tension seems to keep rising because I will no longer entertain her when she wants to chit chat as well as not go out of my way to cover her shifts like I used to.

She has come a few minutes late before and I switched halls, understanding that it is the way we work as techs. Techs usually will wait about 5 - 10 minutes to give report so the other person can get their census' printed and other information for the day. Also, I might add that I arrived to work at 6:45am, but I could not clock in until 6:53. I normally eat a quick breakfast in that time, with no issue. We recently changed our time clock policy so there is a line waiting at the clock. Hence, the 6:55. I normally am ready on the floor by 7 sharp, if not before. Since our hospital is so large, I take a shuttle into work so my daily schedule is pretty much the same. This day I had to go to the bathroom and normally, a couple of minutes is never an issue. Which adds to the confusion. I truly am not trying to make an immature stand. Just trying to get different points of view on the issue. I don't want to talk about it at work because I don't like the idea of adding/starting drama. The interaction bothers me because we are very lax on our unit. If you clock in and get your report before 7:30, all is well. I asked the night tech her opinion after the fact (she is the most senior and respected tech on the unit), she said she could see both sides but it wasn't a battle worth fighting. Since the other tech wanted to fight about it, she said it was best I let it go and move on. But I have also gotten advice to stand up for myself and to not be so timid, which seems to contradict. Sorry this situation seems draining.

The shift 'ends' at 7, but we are not able to clock out until 7:23 at the earliest. That leaves us with roughly 20-30 minutes for report.

Arrived at 6:45 Clocked in at 6:55 (earliest is 6:53) Came for report 7:03 Night tech can't clock out until 7:23 Our unit runs from 7a-730p*

Hello! I'm new to AN. I always come here for advice on school (currently getting my BSN), financial aid, and how to work/go to school at the same time. So the situation is this: I work in an ICU as a Procedure Tech. We basically have some similar functions of being a regular PCT as well as a mixed bag of tricks with setting up a sterile field/assisting the physicians with procedures. We are the brainchild of a Surg. Tech and an Aide. Our ICU is 24 beds, 2 halls. We have a hall that has 1-12 and the other 13-24. During dayshift we will staff 1 tech for each hall. I had to work 4 days in a row, but on my first day I had to come in to work and pick the side that wasn't already "taken". Normally this side is already chosen by the person who is preceding me/finishing working their days in a row. No problem. On my second day in, I clocked in around 6:55am (we work 7a-7p) and had to go to the bathroom. By the time I went to put my lunch away, finished in the bathroom, and made it to my station to get report from the night tech, it was 7:03am. The night tech was just starting to give report to the tech that was only coming in for one day. I mentioned that I was here the day before and that it was my 2 out of 4. The other day tech then goes into a rant on how she had this side earlier in the week and I was late so she was taking this side again. I listen to her and again say, "You weren't here yesterday and this is my second day out of 4. Since you are only here for today you should take the other side so that way I don't have to keep flipping patients." She starts to raise her voice and says "No, absolutely not. You were late and I'm already here. I don't mean to be a you know what but no. Not today, I'm keeping these patients because I was here earlier in the week." I felt myself starting to get upset because I'm generally a pretty easy going person. The night tech sat there between us and said "I'll let you guys figure it out." I decided to just go to the other side and switch back on my third day. This incident happened about a week ago but it still upsets me to think about. I've been here about a year and shes a little newer than me. In our unit, the LCN's don't assign us, we assign ourselves. In a years time, there have been flubs with communication where I/others have had to flip sides last minute before the shift starts. There have also been times when, in the beginning of report, someone will show up a little late... but the general understanding is that the person before you/staying longer gets to keep their patients. Now my question to you all is... what should I have done different? Part of me feels like I should have stood my ground and kept the side. The other part of me says it wasn't worth the yelling match she was making it into, and my day ended up fine. The part that upsets me is being concerned with this happening again. Since I gave up once, I feel like I've lost all future discussions on the issue with her. I mentioned it again a couple of days ago, and tried explaining that out of respect, you let the returning tech keep their side. She responded "Yeah, unless you're late. Soo...." It has bothered me since. Thank you guys for your advice, Dani.