Sitting out another station

[Anon143]

I work in a very small facility. One side is Rehab and another is SNF. I work in rehab but I sit in SNF. it's literally 20 steps away from where I sit at (I do charting, documented, ect) I do my rounds every 1 or 1 1/2 hour & I've never had an incident or code happen to a patient where I was not around to catch & assist with. The DSD has an issue and tells me that I can't leave my area or else she would write me up. I'm confused and I told her what was the issue I'd be being on the other side? She didn't have a reason, only that she didn't want me there. I do not want confrontation so I just listen and sit where my patients are at. My question is, in a facility (especially one as small as this one) is it wrong for me to sit anywhere I please??

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

Is there a compelling reason for you to want to sit on the other side to chart? I can see it if your chosen charting area is in a good line of sight for call lights and hearing and if there is no central area for charting on the side you are actually assigned to that offers that. You could legitimately offer that as a patient safety concern if that is the case. Unless you have a really good reason to be charting off your unit though you really should physically be on the unit you are assigned to work.

[Orca, ADN, ASN, RN]

Like others, I see it as an exercise in futility to fight over charting on someone else's unit. Taking it to the DON or corporate makes no sense either.

[TessLJ]

Why do you prefer to sit in the SNF unit instead of the rehab unit? I'd recommend consulting with your facility's corporate guidelines, but it seems to me that you would be expected to be present and available to patients, visitors, and other employees in the unit to which you were assigned, with the exception being breaks and lunch. If you're not at the rehab station, do visitors automatically know where to find you, sitting in the SNF unit? Also, while it may be 20 steps away, is there a door between the 2 units? If so, then yes, you definitely need to stay in your own unit.