Pulled from orientation to be a tech???

CHATSDALE · Feb 20, 2007

this sometimes happens but should not happen again the next day.. if they are short on techs again in morning explain that you did it and should not be your turn again

Jules A, MSN · Feb 20, 2007

It sounds like you made the best of a bad situation and showed good team work. Its a shame the shift went so bad but its over now and I think you looked very good to the nurse manager. Pat yourself on the back, you took the high road and I agree that next time you should just smile sweetly and say "sorry, but I did it last time its someone elses turn."

neneRN, BSN, RN · Feb 20, 2007

No, I don't think this is acceptable at all; when you're on orientation, you should not be counted in staffing numbers....if you would not have been there, they would have made attempts to call someone in. When I have call ins, I would never consider using an orientee as staff, whether as a nurse OR as a tech. Sounds like management needs to be more proactive on staffing issues, not just take the easiest solution.

nurse4theplanet, RN · Feb 20, 2007

I totally agree with neneRN!

You are in orientation to train you how to be a nurse. Each experience with your preceptor is precious time to perfect your skills and competencies...which you missed out on! Are they going to allocate another day of orientation for you since you missed one? It may seem like one day is not that many, but lets face it, most nurse orientations are too short anyway...

I think that they took advantage of you because it was easier than finding another solution. This is not appropriate.

I know how you feel about saying no. You are the new guy at the bottom of the totem pole, you know? You are still in orientation, so it's not like you could have taken pt's on your own. I also understand that it would have been horrible if you had refused, only to have all the other nurses on the unit suffer...not good for newly forming working relationships.

I am so sorry it happened to you. Discuss it with the nurse manager. Tell her that you don't mind helping out, but it places you in a difficult position. It pulls you from your learning experiences. Discuss some other options that could have been available to avoid this situation and ask if she will pass them down to the charge nurses.

TigerGalLE, BSN, RN · Feb 20, 2007

I'm glad y'all are supporting me. I just don't want to be their solution to staffing problems in the future. But I didn't want to sound like I was whining either. I did what I had to do.. Lets hope this doesn't happen again...

MT RN · Feb 20, 2007

The charge nurse just looked at me and asked me if this was ok... What was I going to say? NO?

Yes, that's EXACTLY what you should have said...NO!!...You're a nurse now, you're not a tech anymore, and it's not your place to fill in when your floor is short staffed. They should have floated another tech to your floor or just run short.

GIRN · Feb 20, 2007

I can see why you were upset. Your job title has changed to RN but they demoted you to fit their needs...! You, along with everyone else on the floor, could have helped out but to take a day of orientation away from you alone, to work as a Tech, was unfair. It's good to be a team player but sometimes you just have to stand your ground and speak up for yourself. Sounds like you handled it well and if it happens again, you'll be ready to politely say, "No...I'm an RN now and you'll need to either find another Tech to work tonight or ask ALL the RN's to pitch in." Good Luck!

All_Smiles_RN · Feb 20, 2007

when they asked if this was okay, you could have said no it's not. i realize this is only one instance, but don't become their doormat.

NurseyBaby'05, BSN, RN · Feb 20, 2007

I'm going to go against popular consensus here. If they were going to pull from staffing within your floor, you should be first. Since you are still orienting with a preceptor, you're not included in the staffing numbers. If they had pulled a nurse with an assignment, those of you remaining would have had to absorb her patients. It could have put the whole floor @ dangerous nurse to pt. ratios.

That being said, using you as a tech cannot be a long-term solution. You did it once to help out; which is fine, but not again. They can pull a tech from another floor or keep the nurses ratios down if one is not available. Also, your orientation should be extended to make up for anytime you have lost due to staffing changes.

RNSuzq1, RN · Feb 20, 2007

Hi Tiger,

Both hospitals I've been at have ended up using RN's as "Tech's" in a pinch. Since orientation is usually not very long, I can understand you not wanting to waste a day of it. At my current hospital, I'm not sure what the problem is - either they can't find enough "NA's" to hire or they purposely under-staff them, maybe to save money..

They always have several on days, but nights, they usually let one go about 11pm, some nights we don't have any "NA's" or a Secretary - makes for a very busy night... We all pitch in, help each other out, and just make due the best we can when there's not enough staff. If Mgmt. doesn't like the way things are being done - they need to hire more people....

So when I got to work today I went into the conferance room to receive report as usual. Well the charge nurse came in and mentioned that 2 patient care technicians called in and there would only be 3 techs today. Which is bad for a full 36 bed medical unit...
I continued waiting for my part of report. (we tape)
Then another nurse comes in (who is not in charge)... And says "well they just can't do it with three".... and looks at me and says... go get report from the techs you are just going to have to be a tech today...
She didn't consult the charge nurse or anything.. and this nurse was not my preceptor.. The charge nurse just looked at me and asked me if this was ok... What was I going to say? NO? So I just said it was fine and went out and got report.
Soo I gave up an orientation day to be a tech for 12 hours.. It hurt my feeling and made me mad. The nurse manager who came in at 8:00 ended up apologizing to me for having to be a tech... But what is up with this? Has this ever happened to anyone?
PS... It was the worst day ever!!! One patient was very hateful to me all day and cussed at me and called me horrible names just for trying to help him eat and get his brief changed.. And another patient's family was horrible to me as well.. I just smiled and did the best I could...
I just feel my 12 hours could of been spent learning new things and not being a tech???

NurseLatteDNP, MSN, DNP, RN · Feb 20, 2007

Were you a Tech in that hospital before you graduated? Maybe that's why they are still seing you as a tech. I think one time is OK, but I would refuse any other time.

Sometimes our hospitals have an RN be a Tech, if we have a full floor (35) and we don't have any techs. But our RN's volunteer to do it to help out the staff, nobody made them.