Question for nurses from an aide

[kizeemimi]

I have been a hospital PCA for a year now and I can honestly say that I love my job. (Don't get me wrong, it has its moments!) The main thing I like is the interaction with the patients and feeling like Im doing something helpful. I am also a prenursing student, stating NS next fall and am excited to learn the critical thinking aspect of it and how to do more than I currently do. Anywho...my question is: As a nurse, do you feel that you still get much interaction with your patients? I notice many of the nurses that I work with are so busy that aside from passing meds and doing their assessments, they really don't have much time to spend with their patients. Sometimes there are patients who need a little more attention from them, but in general any extra time they have to spend charting. I am generally not a fan of generalizations and know this isnt the case with everyone, all of the time, but I just wondered how any of you felt.

Thanks! :)

[3PRN]

I loved working in the hospital. But when I started spending more time writing about the teaching I'd done than the actual teaching and more time writing about my interventions than the actual interventions, I moved to outpatient care. Now I spend my entire day "fixing" people. I see them from week to week and really get to know what makes them tick. I do an evaluation/assessment paper on their first visit, a treatment note after each visit, an occasional progress note to the MD, and a discharge note when they don't have to see me anymore. Shazzamm!

[Rob72, ASN, RN]

Not being able to spend time with patients was what sent me to research.

Made it fit me, more than less.

[Purple_Scrubs, BSN, RN]

Not being able to spend time with patients sent me to School Nursing :) Now after several years at my school I have developed relationships with the students, staff and community, and I have (generally) more time for health promotion and education. Some days it is all I can do to triage, "treat 'em and street 'em", but more days than not I am able to spend quality time with at least a few kiddos.

[kizeemimi]

Thanks so much for all the responses :) I guess it just depends on where you work. I currently work nights and float to all units except ICU/CCU and ER. Some nights I, too, am so busy that I can't spend time with the patients either but I really like when I can. I use to work in Inpatient Rehab and that gave me a LOT of interaction time, which was cool, but I see so much more medical stuff now, so Im learning a lot.

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

I would say even for the hospital it depends completely on what floor you are on. I work in a staffing pool and go all over this is what I see/do

NICU--barely leave my baby's side. Even if I have 3 of them, often all of them are close together. Gives lots of opportunities for teaching the parents

ER--More chaotic. I do feel like the environment is very different, as if I am not building relationships but am trying to hurry up and discharge them or get them to the floor.

Med-surg--I have anywhere from 4-5 pts. On day shift I can be busier, but I am still able spend time with my pts. Once I finish passing AM meds I have more time to focus on individual pt needs. I have been known, especially on nights when it is generally slower, to be found on onc sitting beside a pt as she cries.

Step-down/IMC-- Have anywhere from 3-5 pts (depends if there are step-down status or med-surg status). Pts on these floors are generally sicker, so I feel like I am in the room much more frequently.

Peds--I have anywhere from 3-5pts. Peds only seems to have a nurse's aide about half the time, so I'm in there changing babies, doing vital signs, etc along with my RN stuff. Lots of times for family education

PACU-- A lot like ER. I feel like I am treating them, stabilizing them, and hurry up and get them to the floor. But you typically only have 1-3pts so you do have alot of time to address their individual needs.

[Guttercat, ASN, RN]

Not being able to spend time with patients was what sent me to critical care units.

If I ever end up back on "the floor" it will most likely be back in ICU (if I can get in after so many years out).

I shudder at the thought of all day having my head buried in either an Accudose, or a chart taking 10 minutes to "prove" I did something that takes 30 seconds to do in actuality. That is not patient care, and I did not go to college to use my mind and problem solve for patients, only to end up as a trained monkey.