"If you're not doing anything..."

[Anna Flaxis]

Two patients in the department, neither critically ill- three nurses present. I've just discharged my patient, turned over the room, and now am sitting down to check my work related email after having been away for five weeks.

Other nurse walks up behind me and says "Hey Stargazer, could you fax this paper for me if you're not doing anything? I've been so busy I haven't had the time."

Clearly, I *am* doing something- checking my work related email after a long absence is a reasonable thing to do on the clock if I have the time, and I have the time right now. She has *one* patient who is not very sick, and she is most definitely NOT drowning.

How would you respond?

[T-Bird78]

For a fax? Yeah, no problem, it's about 30 seconds. More time consuming problem? Let them know you're in the middle of something and you'll get to it in just a minute.

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

Again, it wasn't really about the fax. It was a pretty obvious power trip, in my mind. I guess you had to be there.

And yes, you got me- I am such a lazy slacker who has no concept of teamwork that I stayed late 2 out of my last 3 shifts, and the traveler hugged me when I left and said she wished she could work with me every night.

I did send the fax, by the way, after I finished what I was doing (and yes, in the time she took to come pester me, she could have easily sent it herself).

I just thought it was an interesting interaction, and wondered how others might have handled it. Thank you for your answers!

[Stephalump]

Yeah, it might be one of those "had to be there" things. Tone and history has everything to do with how I would perceive the question.