kl148

I just came off orientation at an LTC (15 days- originally 12, but I had to beg for 3 more). I mostly trained on the rehab floor and only 3 days on the long term floor. My first day on my own on the long term floor was Saturday and I'm completely overwhelmed. It's the weekend, so of course the ADON and DON aren't there. I have 20 patients and had only 1 aide for those 20 patients for most of the day due to callouts and no one to replace them. The blood pressure machine was completely busted and the other nurse from the other hall keeps the only thermometer on the unit in her locked cart which I had to beg her for (after I spent 20 minutes looking for another thermometer she swore we have). I asked this nurse if it would be fine to go to the other unit for a second to borrow their blood pressure machine but she said no, just do a manual. I go find the manual and this frail, elderly woman's blood pressure is so faint that I feel I don't hear much of anything (thankfully, the other nurse agreed to double check it for me). We use a paper mar and I'm very afraid to miss anything. Most of these people take an average of 7 meds each. The way it is setup is the med is listed in one column followed by the times in the next column (8,12,2,). Even after double checking, I look back sometimes and see that I missed one so I have to go back and give it. For 12 and 2 pms, I have to look through the entire MAR to see who gets what-- I wish the mar could be organized by times for each patient so I'm not constantly flipping through the whole book. I have to answer the phones and answer questions about things I have no clue about (like on what unit is someone's mom located), pass out meal trays, take patients to the bathrooms, do all the UDAS/ computer work due for that day....all of which I really don't mind if I had time to pass out medications and do treatments in the first place. Not to mention just getting people to take their meds is such a struggle. I'm afraid I'm going to make a mistake just because staffing is inadequate. If I have to ask the other nurse a question, I have to go hunt her down. I just feel like management threw me to the wolves.