pt assignment

[BlearnRN]

So the other day I started out with 2 pts. My floor is not a ICU, but is a small floor and census does go down from 18 pt to sometimes 9. Anyway I was given 2 pts and they both happen to be heavy assists - getting them out of bed can take 15 mins plus, unsteady gait. One (pt was getting q 2 hr vs and neuro checks -very slow to rise from bed to get to BR ) 2 (was in a lot of pain and did not want pain meds plus hallucinating,, takes pills one at a time, possible c-diff, does not want people to help him out of bed because it hurts to much -if you even looked like you were going to touch him he would say to not touch him. On top of these two pt, we did not have a PCT. So we had to do primary care. Then we had admits that we had to get vitals on, set up the rooms etc- luckily my admit was not a big deal---

Question #1 When asked by the charge nurse to take another admit, I said I could, but not right now, like in 15 minutes. So she said nevermind, I will get someone else to do it. So I followed her and said I could but it would be in 15 minutes, she said not to worry about it. So I am worried cause I have done this before. Am I suppose to just take them even if I am swamped? I don't want to be that nurse who says no too much.

Question # 2 The next day, I said something to the nurse giving me report about my previous day. She said that the charge nurse overnight was probably mad about one time we changed out assignments and it made the Pcts mad. ( We ended up pulling a PCT out of a sitter case on the floor and putting a RN in the room and the PCT was upset). Do I need to say something? Cause if that is the case, thats not right. But on the other hand she could have just made a bad assignment and this was just gossip.

[leslymill]

Q#1 Well you didn't say no, you said give me 15 minutes.Q#2 I don't know if I understand what your question was. Do you need to say something about the PCT and overnight charge being mad about shifting the sitter position. If that is it. I wouldn't unless you did the changing on your own. If a big deal is made out of it, you will probably find out about it