ShockMe

I am sorry you are confused. I have already told you my job. Please stop asking for personal details. That is NOT what this topic is about. If you continue to prod for irrelevant and personal information I will have to report you.

Okay, let's take it down a notch. I understand that YOU have had a pt gasping for air, but that is not at all any of the situations I've whitnessed. *Army Medic* here, I know what an emergency/urgency is, like the one you are describing. There is a nurse I am working with tonight who refused to clean her pts up and she's been sitting at the desk playing a candycrush-like game on the hospital computer. Another nurse tonight took a pt to the BSC, found the CNA (doing vitals), asked her to dump it because "its really gross." Then she came back to the nurses station and shot the breeze with another nurse from another floor. I feel like you have some personal background with CNAs who don't help you. And I am sorry if that is your situation. I came to this forum to get some advice on how to remedy this situation. The need for better pt care and the battle between RNs and CNAs. How have your hospitals, LTCs, rehab facilities tried to conqure this issue?

You are correct, the person saying that is a Vice President.

Okay, nobody is gasping for air. That person's comment was far off base. Communication is fine at this hospital, everybody has locators. By refusing I mean, REFUSING. I see nurses REFUSING to help the CNA change their total pt, telling them to go get another CNA. I see nurses calling out from the room for a CNA to toilet that pt they are in the room with. I am not assuming anything. The nurses I see and hear doing these things are habitually doing this. Sure, we all have rough nights. We all fall behind. But I take issue when I see the same nurses using CNAs to toilet/clean their pts over and over again. I get it, it ain't glamorous. But pts are here because they are sick. They can't do for themselves so we do for them, we are "nursing them" back to health. Right?

I am not sure if this is in the right topic... I have been working with an increasing amount of nurses who FLAT OUT REFUSE to change or toilet their patients. Is this a thing? Do your hospitals have policies or guidance on this topic? I've brought this up to a few people unofficially and one answer I got was (from a VP) "the nurse may be too busy and you just don't know it." My thought is "If you know they are soiled or ask them to toilet them, why are they taking the time to find a CNA and not just doing it?" Years ago someone was talking to a group and the toileting issue came up (different hospital) and this person asked us rhetorically how WE would feel if our nurse was in the room and we were soiled and they would not change us? Or if we asked to go to the toilet and they walk out and send in a CNA? I know I would feel pretty small. Suggestions, comments, HELP...? Anything?

Thank you BlueBolt. I appreciate the realness.

I am a worry wart and want to be perfect at ALL THE THINGS even though I am not. Example: I suck at chemistry and stats. So my dream is to go into the anesthesia field to be challenged and because I have a desire to know ALL THE THINGS. I crave learning. One day after a tearful night of 350 week long chemistry question homework I emailed my prof and said "WHY am I not getting this?" His one line email back to me..."relax and allow yourself to immerse yourself in the chemistry and it will come to you." It never did come to me. So, am I doomed to fail CRNA school if I suck at stats and chem? What can I do to help myself so I can be successful if I make it into anesthesia school? -Shock

Thank you Jory. I know that reporting a tattoo is not my responsibility and that my job is not to play detective. However, your "third/fourth" points....yes...and I don't want to get into any detail. But yes, based on what the PT said to me my obligation did not just stop at a tattoo. Its so difficult being general in this forum because nurses think of everything analytically! There is more to this story but I am not putting it all out here for the world to see. You all have answered my question thoroughly and educated me to be better next time. Thank you all!

The reason for the visit had to be reported to the police. The PT was tight lipped about the situation -of course- so there was nothing in the chart about the events leading up to the visit or details/Hx about the PT. Eventually I got something out of the PT and those details combined with the tattoo and reason for the visit were all suspicious. I didn't know my legal responsibility in that situation.

Thank you for your reply. :) Yes the police had to be notified. The PTs type of tattoo is a gang tatt that they all have- not just here where I live- everywhere this gang has territory. And there are many variations of the tattoo, I didn't get specific about it. Anyway, my husband would not have any part in that case or with any of the people involved so I am not worried about him being able to identify my PT.

Okay I know HIPAA is an exhausted topic but I would appreciate some input on this matter. Had a PT who had a questionable tattoo (and the reason for the visit also indicated suspicion) so I asked my husband who works in law enforcement what the tattoo meant. He asked a specific question about the tattoo and I said I didn't know because I didn't pay close attention. My husband said that it is gang affiliated and depending on the specifics it would determine which gang. Later on I told a co worker that I asked my husband about what the tattoo meant. I had asked her if we have any legal obligation to chart or contact anyone about what the PT said about the situation that occurred and our suspicion to warrant the hospital visit (the PT had said some things to me that I wasn't sure if I should/needed to chart). She said that IF the cops are investigating and find out that I talked to my husband about the tattoo that I could lose my license. Why am I so worked up about this? Do I have a reason to be worked up???