Why is it all the other depts in the healthcare facility immediately notify the nurse of things that are not their job, but really aren't the nurses job either.
For example, we had a new admit whose telephone did not work. On admission I switched out the phones, still didn't work, must be something wrong with the line so I put i a work order for the faulty phone. New admission complained about the phone to everyone who walked into the room.
Got a PT waiting at the nurses station after I had been doing a 15 minute dressing change in a room. She had also been calling my phone while I was in the room.
"Your new admit is mad his phone doesn't work. Why didn't you pick up your phone?"
Me "I was doing a sterile dressing change" She gives clueless look. "Yes I know all about the phone"
Her "Well, did you try to switch out the phone"
Me "Yes, still didn't work so I put in a work order"
Her "Did you call x at x number? He's the one you need to call"
Me "If you knew who to call I wonder why you didn't do it yourself"
Other "I'll Tell the Nurse" issues,
Patient wheeling along the hallway has lost her croc shoe. It's about seven feet behind her. However, rather than giving the patient the shoe, it seems the nurse MUST be notified so she can do it.
People who don't have batteries in their remote controls. Nurses station doesn't have batteries,(we are not to be trusted with batteries, just lives and narcotics) so the reception desk has them. However, these people know this, the nurse MUST be notified so she can go and get a battery. People would rather hang around the nurses station doing nothing waiting for me to come back so I can walk the 40 yards to get it from the receptionist.
I think it goes back to perception of the nursing role. As I've said before, most people have no idea of what our educational background is and therefore see us as just a step above housekeeping. Many see us as waitresses, similar to an airlines host or hostess role. Yes, they see us manipulating equipment and bringing in medicine, but they have no idea of the MEANING behind the tasks. So it seems perfectly appropriate to them to ask us to pick up shoes, fix the tv, etc. The sad fact is that it's not just the patients who have no idea of the complexity and sheer intelligence needed for our role--other disciplines have no idea either, so they push stuff off on the "servant nurse." (And, yes, some are just lazy,)
Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
This is an EXCELLENT thread! I have residents that call to ask me what the 'plan' is for a patient, what they should do, how to write a referral and say that they were told to ask the nurse.
Lost and found items? Take them to the nurse. Once, I was outside with my coat on (but people were able to see my uniform) and a person walked up to me showing me a lost lab referral slip saying "You know what to do with this..." I mean, I am a block away from the hospital and am off duty! We take messages, get coffee, get paper for the copy machines, we are the baker, the barber, the candlestick makers. Insulting...really.
Ah, thanks for venting with me, I feel so much better now. :)
The other thing that bugs me is how we keep having inservices about how everyone is responsible for spills or customer service. Yet how many times have you ever seen anyone outside nursing or housekeeping wiping up a spilled drink?
Most complaints about things outside nursings control start with "I told the nurse my TV didn't work, yet nothing was done until the day after"
Oh, and Southern Bee Girl, we kept having power outages in the summer. The big screen TV in the living room didn't work. I, according to a family member was meant to find an extension cord that I could plug into a red socket in someones room.
Yessir! I'll just unplug someones IV pump and get right on that one!
pretty soon they're going to have to issue us magic wands along with our I'd badges
What? You mean I don't really have a magic wand??
I had someone threaten to sign themselves out if I didn't get the cable TV working again. I told them go for it. They stayed.
We have a new phone system for our pts that does not work well. Of course, who do they call? The nurse. We tell them that we have nothing to do with the phones and to call the number posted in their room. Natuarlly, they don't want to be bothered contacting the people actually responsible for the phones. Much easier to complain to the nurse and wait for the magic want to come out!
Heres another one -
I had recommened my eye doctor the one of our PTs who was looking for one. Friday, she comes up to me and says "do you know Dr K's number off the top of your head'. I"m like- "well, no. Look it up. " (she had the phone book in her hand!). Well, she couldn't find it. So I took the phone book, found the number in about 1 minute and handed it back to her. Honestly - how do some people get dressed and out the door some mornings??
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
one of the advantages of working on night shift is that less of this goes on because there are less people around to deal in this behavior and hopefully the patients are taking a break from complaining except for issues involved with being unable to sleep.
and since there are fewer visitors around, there are fewer problems to be complained about ("my roommate's visitors are too loud/looking at me/eating burger king and i'm nauseated/hogging the bathroom," etc.) and also fewer people to do the complaining ("mom's glasses are dirty/dad's blanket is wrinkled/aunt hilda needs a glass of water right now and that pitcher isn't fresh/the bathroom light is too bright").
I swear to God, when my kid gets old enough, I'm going back to nites. No administration, few visitors, PT/OT, Secretaries with big gobs, housekeeping telling me what I need to clean up because it isn't their job...............
Yep, just me and the patients......................:)
I know. I know. I've dealt with families who seem to think nurses are valet parking attendants, too.
And Activities Departments who come with myriad items for residents, dump them at the Nurses Station with a cursory verbal "The red one is for Mrs. So-and-so, and either the blue or the green one is for Mr. Such-and-such, a couple of them are for Whosiewhatsits. They need to be marked" over their shoulders while walking away.
A spill on the floor? Get the nurse, of course... especially if it's food or a beverage spilled. That's our specialty!
Want information about something that happened to a resident a while back on my day off and there's nothing in the chart about it and no I don't know if there was ever an incident report done and no I don't know who was involved or if it was someone in Nursing or another department and I've not heard anything about it at all until this very moment when you decided to nail me to the cross because you need to address it and clarify it and get it solved NOW?? I'm your girl... apparently.
Can't find a chart? Get the nurse.
Wrong meal tray served in the dining room? Get the nurse.
Bathroom light burned out? Get the nurse.
Can't open the window? Get the nurse.
Is there a "Caution - Wet Floor!" sign in your way? Is the vending machine in the lounge out of Coke Zero? Did the pencil sharpener break the lead off? Need an envelope? Some clothing items haven't come back from laundry yet, and it's already been all day? By God, you'd better get the nurse!
I totally agree with all these posts. I barely have time to do patient care and I am asked to do all of these non-essential nursing items. It just takes away from the limoted time we have for health concerns.
All of the other departments I work with are completely helpless also. It burns my rearend.
My shortened phrase for what everyone is saying is this:
"The Nurse's job is to do anything and everything that everyone one else either cannot or will not do".
Exceptions would be that some things nurses won't do; social work will. I cringe at some of the things social work is asked to handle, and thank my stars they are there, even if it is just business hours.
I think it is so stupid when they ask what time the doctor will be here...you tell them that docs rounds at different times and could give then a guesstimate answer....only then to have them repeat the question five more times....."oh wait,,,,let me get my crystal ball I have hiding in my locker"....you are in a hospital....the doc will be here,,,,and if he does not come,,,believe that we will get him/her here because casemanagement is hounding us on a D/C time.......lets all say it again "let me get the nurse" LOL:yeah:
I feel the same way. I'm a nurse not a construction worker, maintnance man, cook, secretary or plumber. I have been called for so many things beyond my control.
maxthecat
243 Posts
I think it goes back to perception of the nursing role. As I've said before, most people have no idea of what our educational background is and therefore see us as just a step above housekeeping. Many see us as waitresses, similar to an airlines host or hostess role. Yes, they see us manipulating equipment and bringing in medicine, but they have no idea of the MEANING behind the tasks. So it seems perfectly appropriate to them to ask us to pick up shoes, fix the tv, etc. The sad fact is that it's not just the patients who have no idea of the complexity and sheer intelligence needed for our role--other disciplines have no idea either, so they push stuff off on the "servant nurse." (And, yes, some are just lazy,)