I'm a new nurse, in my job for just a year now working on a med/surg floor. Being older than my co-workers and having previous work history, I tend to be more adamant about some of the rules and ways things should run.
My most experienced co-worker ( on this shift) has 20 months experience due to the high turnover here: 100% at 2 years is the current according to recruitment.
Anyway, I was made charge a couple nights ago and things were just insane as usual. We were running short 1 nurse and we were getting slammed with admits. 5 in the first hour plus an AMA and an irate family to deal with because day shift had neglected to tell them they could'nt leave until the pt urinated - pulled their cath @ 1900.
I had 5 patients: one with SaO2 @ 63%, one getting 2 units PRBC's with Lasix and fluid overload and one with 9/10 pain and we were out of meds as usual.
My co-workers were in a similar bind with their crazy night.
The Unit secretary calls and says I'm getting an admit. I said it was wrong and the assignment sheet was made up differently, she told me that too bad I was getting it anyway the House Supervisor wanted that room.
I called the House Sup and refused saying we were completely overwhelmed and would not accept the pt. His response was to tell ER to put the pt in the room and I would call later for report.
In other words they dumped the pt and left! Further they never even told me the pt was there. I got really pissed and I even called the NM at home. Understand, Admin is only on duty here 0730- 1530 , we have NO admin here on nights weekends or holidays.
The NM's answer was I don't have enough time management and everybody runs short and we all have to deal with it.
As to having no meds from pharmacy - a regular issue here - she said that I need to address the issue and I should also confront the Unit Secretary to tell them they don't assign duties.
It's always the answer here: Deal with it & You do something about it.
The last year has been entirely like this: 5 & 6 hours to get meds from pharmacy, no stock of different doses so we have to give 6 or 12 pills for a dose, we spent two days over memorial days with no tylenol because we were out of stock and the always standard answer from Admin that we need to deal with it.
Anyway, I'm bad, I got really mad and threw a chart at the desk and was rude to the house supervisor.
Now I'm not afraid of firing, after all they've had staffers threaten homicide and they don't get dismissed, but I am afraid for my licence and the likelihood of bad references for a new job.
Recently they gave poor reviews to two staffers to keep them here and they were very blunt to them saying that they didn't need to leave so they would not get positive evals.
I do have a foot in the door at an agency for various PRN & contract work. Should I cut and run? Give notice and go?
Is it like this everywhere? The hospitals I did clinicals at in school sure seemed better.
As for my hospital considering the meds (peeled out of its packaging) that has been dropped on the floor as waste, RN Dude, 'course we do. But to drop a sealed one, or a sealed vial, we don't see it as a waste. Well, we may have different hospital protocols eh?
Med-surg is traditionally a high-turnover area, but the stats you quoted are ridiculous even by the standards of today. That high a turnover rate should tell you something.
I've had pretty much all of the experiences you've had (almost) but never ever on the same night, and when anything like ANY of it occurs, there's apologies from the house supervisor, unit manager, whomever is around to try to get us through it. I've had a patient arrive in a room and no one tell me he was there for an hour; the chart had been dumped on the desk by an orderly and when that happened, there was HELL to pay on that end (NOT ours).
What you're experiencing is beyond anything you should expect to deal with....ok, we all get occasional nights from hell (especially in MS; as Ray Fokker said, we're usually hideously understaffed, too). But in your shoes, well....I'd be turning in my resignation so fast they would wonder what that breeze that blew through HR was!
I think we've all had nights like that once in awhile.
But I won't put up with it if it's more often than once in awhile or if my Admin doesn't back me up. Somebody has to protect those patients and the only leverage we nurses have is to quit.
I also would've written to Risk Management about the patient being dumped on you without report. Very dangerous. Anything could've happened.
Are you implying that your hospital doesn't consider drpped meds waste?!
I'm sure given the chronic shortages that plague some hospitals in poor nations no, they don't. And don't you find it telling that his friend has been pocketing and keeping the "wasted" Tylenol?
Specializes in Trauma,ER,CCU/OHU/Nsg Ed/Nsg Research.
The ER shouldn't have given you the pt without report. That is dumping. I would write a incident report/redfrom/occurance report or whatever your job calls it everytime you are shortstaffed.
This is patient abandonment on the ER's part. You did not establish a relationship with this patient by taking report. You could report this house supervisor and the ER nurse to the BON for this.
I'm sure given the chronic shortages that plague some hospitals in poor nations no, they don't. And don't you find it telling that his friend has been pocketing and keeping the "wasted" Tylenol?
And how is dropping a pill that is still sealed in it's packaging considered waste???? The medication isn't getting contaminated at all if it's still sealed in it's blister pack! And if something is considered "waste"- it means just that, it needs to be wasted, not pocketed & given to friends, even if it is just Tylenol, keeping wasted meds is theft.
And how is dropping a pill that is still sealed in it's packaging considered waste???? The medication isn't getting contaminated at all if it's still sealed in it's blister pack! And if something is considered "waste"- it means just that, it needs to be wasted, not pocketed & given to friends, even if it is just Tylenol, keeping wasted meds is theft.
Oh, for goodness' sake. Something dropped in a blister pack isn't wasted. And if a Tylenol falls on the ground and someone much thriftier than I keeps it are you going to turn them in? How about someone going through your trash? Personally, I have other things to do with my time.
Oh my God!!! Those of you who deal with this on a consistent basis are heroes!! That sounds absolutely horrendous!
Not only should you get out, you should move to MN and be a nurse. We have a very strong Union here and are treated extremely well. Unions may be scary to some people, but let me tell you, it gives one person power in the face of unfair situations like you described.
Your post has made me feel extremely fortunate about where I work.
That sense of powerlessness that you describe would make me crazy. If someone dumped a pt without report, I would have to make certain that the responsible parties were held to account.
What is your institution doing about hiring? How about travelers? The whole situation is ripe for litigation. Very scary stuff.
Oh, for goodness' sake. Something dropped in a blister pack isn't wasted.
Uh, that's just what I said... The OP stated that her friend gave her medication that had been wasted at his place of employment, but that the medication was still sealed in it's original package.
And if a Tylenol falls on the ground and someone much thriftier than I keeps it are you going to turn them in? How about someone going through your trash? Personally, I have other things to do with my time.
Pocketing medication that is supposed to be wasted is not being thrifty, it's stealing.
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ricemilk
30 Posts
As for my hospital considering the meds (peeled out of its packaging) that has been dropped on the floor as waste, RN Dude, 'course we do. But to drop a sealed one, or a sealed vial, we don't see it as a waste. Well, we may have different hospital protocols eh?