So just a little funny scenario. I'm currently in nursing school. 2nd semester in an RN program. 3 weeks ago, I had a fellow student talk about how she wants to get a new job while in school. I had suggested becoming a PCT. I explained how it builds confidence in caring for others and building basic skills you need as a nurse. I even stated how I've learned so much.
You know what her response was? " I don't want to wipe BUTTS all day!" I listed out everything I did. "But all's you do is wipe butts."
Fast forward to last week. My fellow classmate and friend (who is also a PCT) was able to do an ECG without any problems. Aforementioned classmate asked, "Where did you learn how to do that!?" My friend responds with, "PCTs don't JUST wipe butts!"
Has anyone else had similar experiences in clinical? I find it frustrating when students believe they never have to give a bed bath or clean up after a bowel prep disaster once they have RN in their title. I also find it funny when these same darn students ask for help on simple things like changing linens and bathing after insulting my current job.
Yes! This drives me crazy too! I wanna say-"it took you longer to try and find someone to put your patient on a bed pan than it would have taken you to do it yourself." I always say in most cases the best nurses I work with are the ones that were previously techs. In regards to your post-that is hilarious and I love your friends comeback!
PCTs or PCAs need to always remember that while we RNs CAN clean up after a patient and make beds, it is not our ONLY duty. That's why we delegate. When I ask you to help a patient to the restroom it's because I have 4-5 other patients. 3 are pressing the call light for their meds, 1 is vomiting all over the floor, all of them have their meds due, the pyxis is missing a patient's vanco which we can't give anyway because a peak and trough wasn't done on time. So now, I have to do all of this, plus draw a vanco level, and hope to God I can get 2 minutes to chart something. We're supposed to be a team. Had a PCA give me a HUGE attitude when I asked her to help move a patient to the chair while I was swamped. "Can't you do THAT!?" My response: "Yes, I CAN, however you CANNOT do MY job, so I cannot delegate MY responsibilities to you and you are DEFINITELY not going to ADD to my overflowing list. So do your job or I will speak to the NM." Don't roll your eyes to the nurse who's trying not to drown and give attitude because she asked you to help a patient to the restroom. Come on now.
I totally understand-you have your duties and are busy as well. I always try to give the benefit of the doubt. But when it's the same nurses that are consistently unable to help and seem to have enough time to be chilling out in the break room numerous times a day-there is something wrong. Luckily the majority of the nurses I work with understand and help out when they are able to.
Yes one of my current class mates had to take someone to the BSC and made the reply after that she cant wait to be Nurse so she doesn't have to do that. Since 5/8 of our clinical group are CNA we kindly explain to her that your CNA is not always available. They cant be two places at once they may be in the middle of helping another patient and you will still have to get up and take them to the rest room.
yes and as a PCT I tend to have 2 to 3 times as many patients. If a patient needs to use the bathroom right now, coming to the other end of the floor while I am with a fall risk patient on the toilet to tell me that I need to toilet a patient is a little ridiculous. If a nurse asks for help I am 100% happy to help out. However, when a nurse CONSISTENTLY gives me patients to put on the toilet when I clearly state, "I am with this patient now, I don't think I can at this moment" it's irritating and unrealistic as I am not the only one who has the capability to do this. The nurse may have A LOT of **** to do, however I easily have 10 to 15 (one night even 20!) patients to bathe, toilet, ambulate, etc myself.
Here's another example. I had a SEVERELY obese patient that took 3 to 4 people to boost. I was trying to collect 2 other people to boost and the patient's ASSIGNED NURSE walked by. I kindly ask if she would help me and the other floor PCT boost. It literally takes 30 seconds. I had a grown woman, professional nurse, throw A FIT in front of a patient and her family because I needed help taking care of HER ASSIGNED PATIENT. Literally, she took her anger out on me because she had "better things to do" than to boost this patient. IT took 30 seconds.
My problem is that there's way too many nurses and nursing students who stick their nose up to basic care. A PCT with 10 to 15 patients is NOT going to be able to toilet 3 people at once, especially if one is a fall risk. At the end of the day, it is the nurse's responsibility to ensure that the patient is well taken care of. If a patient needs to go to the bathroom or needs repositioning right that second, you need to stop being lazy and do it instead of spending 10 minutes hunting down an already swamped aide to do it.
Also, my other problem is that nursing students think that they will always have some sort of aide to do that job for them. Which is NOT true. If my floor is short an aide or PCT, the nurses get put to "aide only" status and help out with basic care. The sad part is, many of them who are delegating these tasks don't know how to do it themselves. Which is embarrassing and annoying. Many of the larger hospitals in my area are phasing out PCTs and aides. They're opting for smaller nurse to patient ratios, and the nurses are doing basic care along with meds, etc.
AMEN!!!! Even on my unit, some nurses refuse to even do that, even if they aren't busy. It's like,if you aren't busy, you see me in a room with another fall risk patient tolieting that patient, and answer the call light and ask if I went to the room you just answered the light for, you can just as well do it too. And you have a trainee who can do it too if she's not busy.
Stephanie_C
6 Posts
Yes! This drives me crazy too! I wanna say-"it took you longer to try and find someone to put your patient on a bed pan than it would have taken you to do it yourself." I always say in most cases the best nurses I work with are the ones that were previously techs. In regards to your post-that is hilarious and I love your friends comeback!