"Please call me, there are issues with you..."

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B · Jul 6, 2012

That is the most unprofessional message I have ever heard. I would call back, and ask to meet in person. I would be crystal clear that despite your best intentions in time management, and your prioritizing skills, you find it near impossible to do it all yourself. And no one should expect that you should, with 54 patients and 2 aides. Unless they want to hire someone else to do all of the cleaning and restocking part of it. Even then, meds and treatments and trachcare and ua's and orders.....makes my head spin. Awful situation.

BrandonLPN, LPN · Jul 7, 2012

When I worked nights I restocked the med cart and supplies when I had the chance. Key phrase there "had the chance". And I would be a little insulted to be told it was "my" job to file papers. You're a licensed nurse! Isn't there a secretary? Stuff like this was always at the bottom of my list. Heck, some nights it didn't even *make* the list!

JZ_RN · Jul 7, 2012

The only "issue" I see here is the dangerous under-staffing and overworking of a nurse and 2 aides.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Jul 7, 2012

Ah, the dreaded "issues" discussion. Or, as some of my past managers have said, "We have a few concerns.......":uhoh21: Words to strike terror in the heart of any nurse!

You have my sympathies, NurseCard. Hope you can find a better job soon, as you are horribly over-worked and under-staffed. :hug:

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Jul 7, 2012

Wish I had a solution for your woes with your DON...I agree that I hope you can get the heck out of there fast.

As far as coming back home to the dark side, have you tried psych nursing via agency/registry? Agencies that handle psych are out there--I was recruited by one who saw my resume in indeed.com and I'm now happily working for them. Search around and see what you can find: you have nothing to lose.

Art_Vandelay · Jul 7, 2012

Ah, the irony of it being labeled your "issue" when the actual issue is horrible staffing. I worked in SNF/LTC and I witnessed nurses cutting corners all the time just so it wasn't "their issue." Filing? Sheesh. Stocking was my last priority. What kept my patients safe and my nursing license valid was always at the top of the list. Management is quick to label it your issue when they don't want to staff adequately.

allnurses Guide · Jul 7, 2012

Wish I had a solution for your woes with your DON...I agree that I hope you can get the heck out of there fast.
As far as coming back home to the dark side, have you tried psych nursing via agency/registry? Agencies that handle psych are out there--I was recruited by one who saw my resume in indeed.com and I'm now happily working for them. Search around and see what you can find: you have nothing to lose.

Actually, I do currently work for a state facility, via an agency. For a good while, that was all I was doing, but the facility is now fully staffed and so they just don't need us agency folk as much. Hence, had to go ahead and find a new job.

Thanks for your replies. The cart stocking and cleaning is something I don't HAVE to do... actually let me take that back; us 11-7 nurses ARE given a CLEANING LIST. Every night we are supposed to clean something different. I've pretty much ignored it; I wipe the tops of the med carts real nice and that's about it. I know how busy the 7-3 nurses are, so I do try to have their carts stocked.

The filing... yes I've been told by a couple of nurses that we are supposed to be filing stuff. When we change over the mars at the end of the month, we are supposed to, in the subsequent days, file the old ones. TARS too. At another LTC that I worked at, the Unit Coordinator did the filing. And called the MD's during the days, and took off orders, and many other things. Our Unit Manager at my new facility, as far as I can tell, does NONE of that, or very little. I really don't know WHAT she does, other than go to morning meeting, write down a bunch of things to follow up on, and then gives that to the unit nurses to take care of. I think she also does like, monthly skin audits or something like that. I really couldn't tell you what else she does. I do know that the other day she dropped a resident onto the commode, he bruised his back, and she didn't report it. THe day shift nurse for that hall reported it the next day, and the manager got peeved about it.

But that's neither here nor there; other than not helping out where she's probably supposed to, the poor staffing is not her fault. I don't know who's fault it is; I assume corporate.

*sigh* this job pays well, but it's not worth it I don't think. I'm looking for something else.

LockportRN · Jul 7, 2012

Or a person that works in medical records?

Burlshoe114 · Jul 7, 2012

I will never work in LTC again. This is "normal" practice for these facilities, and it is why so many of them get "busted" by the state for elder abuse, lack of proper care, etc. This is also why elders fight denture and nail to stay out of them! :-)

If you want to go into psych, you can. Are you open to relocating? You will need to be willing to reside in a larger city, because this is where the larger facilities are, and where the majority of people with psych issues tend to gravitate to. (ie - Where the jobs are)

Go on Monster.com and start applying. You will eventually need a MSN, though, just to give you a head's up....

Good luck!

caliotter3 · Jul 7, 2012

At my LTC facility, the house supervisor took care of the MARs and other paperwork at end of month, as well as any other "paperwork". She knew the floor nurses had more important things to deal with.

aslack00 · Jul 7, 2012

I also work in long-term care but evening shift. The first facility I worked at had staffing like this. I don't know if they even had to do THAT much on midnights but either way extra extra stuff like stocking, cleaning, filing paper work geesh! I agree with another person that is IF you have time. Even then I see people cut corners in LTC all the time. No one wants to hear a message like that. I would say even if you do not have your issues resolved with this facility you should find another job, someplace with better staffing even if not psych.

"Please call me, there are *issues* with you..."

"Please call me, there are issues with you..."