what the.... pt abandonment?

[diddywah]

Dont know if this is the correct forum for this posting, but am gonna give it a shot.

What in your opinion constitutes pt abandonment? How does your unit deal with shift report?

Ya see, my sister works at a small hospital, and it seems that there is no set time to clock in and recieve report. The nurses just wander in and sometimes it is 0830 before they get out of report.

During this report they have to answer call lights and deliver pt care to ppl who may or may not be a part of their assignment.

The previous shift clocks out at 0708 so there is no one assuming

pt care. No one has really accepted their assignment because report has not even begun yet !!!!!!! I feel this is abandonment by the previous shift, but her administration just poo-poo's her complaints regarding contnuity of care...

The breakfast trays have arrived and they are just getting out of report. They pass trays and try to work in a few assessments but there are pts to be fed. The CNA's have creative scheduling and come to work at 0830, but when sis asks them to help feed pts they tell her that THEY have to eat their breakfast first.

She is frequently floated to another unit in the hospital where report is recieved at the desk. This is an acute care area...visitors and others are walking around the desk area, and some family members have been known to lurk around corners to listen to report.:stone The phone rings constantly, the call lights are going off and unless certain night nurses are working,the responsibility for these pts falls on those who have not completed report yet. There is total lack of support from management and she is frustrated and angry that no one feels this is an abandonment issue...

Doctors complain that none of the nurses know what is going on because they are so late getting out of report.

I have told her to look for another place of employment. She is looking seriously but until she is hired elsewhere,she is still gonna be frustrated with this situation. She has followed the chain of command with her concerns and they have reacted in a very hositile manner...even suggested counseling for anger management. I hope she finds another job soon...I find this situation unaceptable and very unprofessional...

I shall await your opinions...looking for other's opinions and input...does this sort of thing take place where you work???

Yall take care,ya hear????

Oh yeah...forgot to add that my sis always reports to work at 0640,the appropriate time to clock in and is ready for report at 0645...we have had this obsession with being on time all of our professional lives..ingrained by " old school " training. There just seems to be a total lack of respect at that little hole in the wall.

OK...will really go now !!!!

[nightingale, RN]

I moved this thread to the General Discussion Board.

I edited the title too. Please refrain from posting, particularly in the title, words that look like strong and vulgar language.

[KARRN3]

I CAN'T IMAGINE THR FRUSTRATION THAT YOUR SISTER'S FEELING. IT SOUNDS LIKE TOTAL LACK OF SUPPORT ALL THE WAY AROUND.MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO CALL THE BOARD OF NURSING IN HER STATE BECAUSE WHAT YOU DESCRIBE IS UNSAFE FOR PATIENTS. I THINK THE BOARD WILL SUPPORT HER AND CAN INTERVENE ON HER BEHALF. GOOD LUCK.

[Youda]

Are you saying that patients have no nurse on duty? That the off-going shift goes home before a relief shows up? If so, then there is definitely abandonment here. Management sounds like they are supporting the nurses who've been there for awhile, no matter what they're doing. This kind of "clique" is going to be hard to break into, and I'd bet that your sister will always be "the problem" or the "scapegoat" for as long as she's there. Those things are so entrenched, I doubt that she could change it by herself, so she's probably doing the best thing possible: getting out. By the way, after my dog had surgery, and when I kennel her, she's never left unattended.

[hoolahan, ASN, RN]

Who is checking fasting BS and giving insulins????

This is a horrible "system!!"

I would seriously consider calling Jacho, have them come in one day during report at the desk. That is such a violation of confidentiality.

We used to give report at the desk, but not in front of all visitors. Or, sometimes we gave report in ICU in front of our own pt, they liked it, nothing to hide, but for people to lurk around to hear, that is just not good!!!

[renerian, BSN, RN]

We were not required to be on the floor more than 30 minutes after end of shift and that was the rareity. We taped report and would never give report at the desk....confidentiality. Aides eating first hehehe that is funny. Seems disorganized. As long as one shift or the other cares for the patients during report time it is okay but seems like no one is watching the ship??

renerian

[diddywah]

Sis got her 6 month eval yesterday and was told to seek anger management and also critisized for not being a more "cohesive team member"...I told her that in my opinion there is no team there..yes they are a clique...mostly home town ppl who have never worked anywhere else,who have never experienced a true "team" at work. THey have never seen the likes of professional discipline because even the DON has no self discipline...she caters to her good old girls because she also has never worked anywhere else and has no idea what directing a nursing staff is all about... complaints to her about the way things are done are met with "thats the way it has always been" ...

I called the state board and they have yet to return my call...we shall see how much they poop when the good old girls from the board crack the whip on their proverbial hind ends...

My sis has already been labeled as the trouble maker...I only wish I worked there...they have no idea what is the true definition of "troublemaker"...hahahahahahaha!!!!!

Confidentiality is a joke there...they are due for an inspection from JCAOH later this year...think I WILL call them for an early visit...like 7 am when report is being given at the desk....

Thank yall for the responses....have instructed sis to get on her computer and register at allnurses...she will see that she has support from her true peers...

[KaroSnowQueen, RN]

This is SAD! I too have worked at a facility where the "old " workers did as they pleased and management supported them in their outrageous behaviors. My advice to her is to call the state, call whoever you can call, get them in hot water and for her to get another job ASAP.

She will not get accepted, she will not change things and if she does, they will resent her. There are times to know when to get out and say forget it, and this is probably one of them.

A place like this would tempt me to quit without notice, probably no one there would notice, the way it sounds!!!

[2MagnoliaTrees]

Sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen. If the facility won't change its procedure then she should be seriously looking for another place to work.

[KARRN3]

IF I WERE YOUR SISTER I WOULD CONSIDER THE TITLE OF TROUBLEMAKER A COMPLIMENT-IN THIS CASE IT MEANS A NURSE WITH A CONSCIENCE AND COURAGE TO STAND UP FOR HER PATIENTS. THESE OTHER NURSES AND ESPECIALLY THE DON SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES.GOOD FOR YOUR SISTER FOR NOT BEING PART OF THE PROBLEM.

[night owl]

I feel for your sister and she truely needs to get out of there. She needs anger management for trying to make a wrong right??? Is there something wrong with this senario?

I work in LTC and have a similar problem. The night shift leaves at 0800 and dayshift starts at 0730. When DS arrives the NS is still feeding (hopefully) and should finish feeding everyone, but usually there are one or two who haven't been fed. Now this is where it gets bad...If the dayshift finds someone who wasn't fed, they won't feed them because their rationale is, "They don't pay me enough to feed two meals." In my opinion this is abuse pure and simple. The Head nurse knows about it, but she sticks up for her day ppl. why? because she has to work with them for 8 hours and does not want to hear them complain so then it falls on the NS. Even if the trays are late in being delivered, the NS should stay over and feed their pts. All of the CNA's take vans(all ride together) to work which means that if they don't get outside in time they'll miss their ride home. Doesn't matter to the Head nurse she wants them fed and dayshift won't do NS work. This pizzes me off when the DS comes in at 0730 and stands around the nurses station until 0900 waiting for assignments drinking coffee and eating donuts when they could be feeding someone. Years ago when the CNA came on duty, they went to the units and started feeding with no questions asked and they got report later. Now a days it's so different and I haven't a clue why these attitudes have changed. "If it's not my pt, I'm not touching them." is the mentality of people today in my facility. Management knows, but are spineless to the fact. I used to stay after and feed those who weren't fed because I couldn't go home knowing our pts were very hungry. Did this for a while, but when I ask for overtime one day and they said, "Are you kidding?" Those pts should have been fed along time ago. I can't grant you overtime." Eat this is what I want to tell them...They are so callous and CHEAP! I still stay PRN and don't ask for overtime when it involves direct pt care because I still can't go home knowing someone had to stay hungry until 0100 when lunch arrives. Everyone says "you're crazy to stay if they don't pay you!" I say, "Well the man was hungry and no one would feed him!" Gives them something to ponder. That's OK though because they reep what they sow. Someday it'll be them...I so hope!

[RNConnieF]

This nuts!! Any nurse knows that 0700-1530 means that you arrive at 0645 to get report in order to be able to be NURSING at 0700. For the same reason 1500-2330 means 1445 and 2300-0730 means 2245. As for aids having to eat before they being the work day, home sounds like a good place for breakfast. McDonald's will do in a pinch if you eat in the car on the way in. Staffing is way out of compliance, I would file a complaint with JACHO on behalf of all the patients who go uncared for while staff has breakfast and gives report.