"Thats not my patient"

barefootlady, ADN, RN · Apr 20, 2003

Thank You, CindyLou, I too am very frustrated with nursing today and the amount of needless paperwork, double charting, and rude people and lazy coworkers. Like you I would lo9ve to find something else to do. I have a boss that has so little floor experience it is scary. A charge nurse who NEVER takes a patient assignment, even when we have unexpected call-ins or bad weather. I am working for a for profit hospital and hope to be out of there in 6 months. No, I don't say that is not my patient to families unless they need specific infomation, but to coworkers and others I do. I have my own patients and job to do and can't be "supernurse" to the floor.

karbyr · Apr 20, 2003

I agree, is not okay to say 'thats not my patient', and most of the time can answer the question or request, but also agree there are times it needs to be said in a different manner with an appropriate question to meet the need of the person asking, "i don't know, but so and so would, or let me see.........depends on who what and when (aka, what am I in the middle of).........regarding an aide who tells you 'thats not my patient', EXCUSE me, who is her direct supervisor, YOU are, tell her, 'it is for right now' and get her assistance.........if there is not a darn good reason for her to refuse, write her up if she refuses......do get her side..............and/or, send her to find that person ASAP, as in " okay, then I need you to drop everything and go get this patients aide RIGHT NOW", she will get tired of doing that and just give you a hand........some aides need to be taught this as were not properly oriented to a team work atmosphere..........

also, agree with the aide here who said nurse states its not my job thats what aides are for.............this nurse needs a 're-education'.............if I have to ask an aide to do something that I was right there, but couldn't for whatever reason, I start it with an apology, "I am sorry, so and so needs such and such and I can't do it right now......otherwise, I need to do it. Aides are a valuable member of the healthcare team and not 'below' anyone, even if they are supervised by us. A good aide is priceless...........

and I have always found that knowing I am willing to help them with 'their' work when I am able, has made all but the 'hardest cases' appreciative and willing to help me with mine if needed. The 'hard cases' need to be written up to remind them of what they are there for..........sorry, off on a tangent again..........do agree their are times nursing has to say 'that's not my job', and one of them is during any staff meeting, especially w/ management.............

nadia562002 · May 3, 2003

I just finished my rotation at a small community hospital. We have both long term care patients and acute hospital patients. As a student nurse at the end of my nursing educatiion, I was put in charge of all the acute patients. (Thats usually 2-3 patients) From time to time, I would be asked to give a med or care for some of the long term care patients. THis did not bother me at all. There are times when you should refer people to the appropriate nurse for accurate information but otherwise why not help out? After all, this is a service industry.

nialloh, RN · May 3, 2003

A lot of nurses seem to forget that an aide's dutys are a part of nursing dutys. They are a small part, but a part none the less. I think that is why it's the first thing you do in nursing school. I don't blame aides who get upset at nurses who pull that. I work well with my aides, and hope they let me know if I do it myself. It's a better work atmosphere if you pull together.

mattsmom81 · May 4, 2003

If I see the CNA is reading the paper and I'm running behind with my med passes, I see nothing wrong in calling her to assist a slow moving patient to the bathroom.

The primary nurse is the most knowledgable person to problem solve for his/her patients...so I have no problem notifying them.

If I see a patient in distress that needs immediate attention I will always lend a hand. But I don't have to stop MY work and be running constantly behind just because I feel I must own every little task that can be delegated. We're talking prioritizing here. Learning to delegate is a skill new nurses must learn.

When I was a young and naive nurse I let other people overutilize my time and energy. No more. We also mustn't enable the poor workers by doing their work FOR them, IMHO.

PJRNC2 · May 4, 2003

It is difficult to just "step into a room and help" when a family member asks for help. Years and years ago there were posted somethings (it has been over 20 years and I forgot what they were called) on the wall above the patients head of bed. It gave activity-OOB, OOB with assist. BED REST, No HOB ELEVATION ect. and the diet- REG Low Na, ice chips only, NPO ECT. the any fluid restriction, then another that was very important that really needs to be brought back. If the pt. was hard of hearing, visually impaired , ect.I've been away from direct'bed side nursing for many years but some things should be good sense- PUT the patients Tray table were they can reach it- with their phone water and kleenex- and if the patient can not use their right side don't put it there - this sometimes is the fault of the houskeeping when they mop- but if housekeeping could refer to a common communiction board that was kept current this would decrease some of the patients frustrations enough of my spouting- in the old days when we walked down the hall we looked into every room we could just incase someone could not call for help and would be frantically trying to get someone's attention! or find someone trying to escape over the end of the bed! Realy enough now-I'm stopping.

Mkue · May 4, 2003

Originally posted by mattsmom81
The primary nurse is the most knowledgable person to problem solve for his/her patients...so I have no problem notifying them.

My thoughts exactly. :)

ShortFuse_LPN, LPN · May 4, 2003

Originally posted by PJRNC2
It is difficult to just "step into a room and help" when a family member asks for help. Years and years ago there were posted somethings (it has been over 20 years and I forgot what they were called) on the wall above the patients head of bed. It gave activity-OOB, OOB with assist. BED REST, No HOB ELEVATION ect. and the diet- REG Low Na, ice chips only, NPO ECT. the any fluid restriction, then another that was very important that really needs to be brought back. If the pt. was hard of hearing, visually impaired , ect.I've been away from direct'bed side nursing for many years but some things should be good sense- PUT the patients Tray table were they can reach it- with their phone water and kleenex- and if the patient can not use their right side don't put it there - this sometimes is the fault of the houskeeping when they mop- but if housekeeping could refer to a common communiction board that was kept current this would decrease some of the patients frustrations enough of my spouting- in the old days when we walked down the hall we looked into every room we could just incase someone could not call for help and would be frantically trying to get someone's attention! or find someone trying to escape over the end of the bed! Realy enough now-I'm stopping.

We had signs similar to these 4 yrs ago when I worked in a hospital. They were very handy, however, with the new confidentiality laws these are no longer allowed.

linda christie · May 4, 2003

I trained in the British Forces and i never heard this saying before probably due to the fact that you would not have dared. Anyway just to say hi i am a virgin to both computer and site.!

Token Male · May 8, 2003

Welcome Scotland and greetings from Australia.

All the clients in the Unit are 'mine' in my opinion but I cannot look after all 30 all at once; so it really irks me to be attending to the care of some TEAM (?) members patients and then find them sitting in the Nurse station talking. It may be coincidence but often these same nurses are the ones who 'accidently' leave their pager on the desk of the N. station so they do not know they are wanted.

Our medical staff know to check the allocation book for the responsible person so hone straight in so the phrase "Not my patient" doesn't get used but the attitude sure does.

ksanti · May 8, 2003

I was working charge this weekend and had a nac tell me she was only responsable for the food trays on the cart. and not the residents who did't get a tray. That the nac who had the resident was responable (who by the way was in dinning room and had no way of knowing that resident didnt get a tray) so the nac called my DON to complain about how unfair I was. I wrote her up and she was a no call no show the next night. This nac has plans to go to nursing school.

luvbug · May 8, 2003

"that isn't my patient" Doesn't this just give you a feeling of fire in your stomach? It seems that no one wants to go "above and beyond" anymore. It's not just that, though. I just wonder why people can't be slightly more polite and just offer to take a minute to help somebody out. Next thing you know, the person that you asked to help you will need somebody to help THEM, and they may just end up getting a taste of their own medicine, no pun intended:D

I don't have that problem much where I work now, but I have come across it more times than necessary in other jobs. I guess I am just a person who likes to help people out whenever possible. Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful day-no matter what you're doing;)