Staying late to complete your work

Leah Peah · Dec 17, 2009

Hi Sunny!

No, your not alone in staying late after the shift just to finish your work. It happens to me every single day I work. Problem is, where I work they hugely frown on us staying late. In fact my ADON yesterday told me flat out to finish what I was currently on and then leave. "Corprate's watching us"! I objected as I had not MDS charted, nor Nurse Noted events of the day (and had 2 discharges). Then add to that we normally run 4 nurses where I work and got cut (low census) to 3 nurses. I am a thourough nurse, but never have time to finish ALL that is expected. It often leaves me feeling inadequate, and upset that I have not managed my time more wisely. I'm told on a constant basis "just do your best", but I sure feel in this job that my best is never enough. There is nothing in this world I love more than making people feel better, and making them smile, and on a good day (full staff, no call-off, no census cuts), I leave feeling proud, and satisfied with my choice to be a nurse, trouble is...those days are so few and far between that it truly makes me question my career choice.

I see other nurses I work with looking through e-mails, making personal calls, surfing the web, even taking our allowed half hour lunches (what's that?)...and I think "what am I doing wrong that I am STILL not done"? It truly for me is a frustrating scenario that I end up feeling so inadequate about. I know my patients have been given everything, and often then some that they need or want. I just don't know where to cut corners, and I too often wonder what the others are doing, or not doing that maybe I should be so as to finish my work.

We give them Lasix, then what tell them to wait for a CNA? We have them sitting in the Dining Room for an hour before a meal, then what? tell them they have to wait for someone to take them to the bathroom after coffee and a meal? How can a good nurse walk away from a Pt. who needs that kind of help? and yet how do you help them and still make time for calling hospital's for the H&P they never sent on a new admission? Or finding out when, or if they received their vaccines? I just don't know. I get so disheartened sometimes...this is not the type of nursing I imagined when I chose to be a nurse, and yet everyday there is no time...makes me really sad as all I want, and most nurses want I think...is to do our best, and help people!

So please...know that your not alone! :banghead:

sunnycalifRN · Dec 17, 2009

I hear you. I've long since given up on getting everything done . . . I just pass on in report what is still pending and ignore any growling sounds that ensue. I just have to develop a better way to get my documentation done . . . I don't see how my co-workers can be doing a shift summary at noon, when the day ends at 8 pm . . . or doing their PIE notes in the morning. Maybe I'm just too naive, but I try to make my PIE notes reflect the patient's problems and my interventions and I don't see how you can predict the future (as in writing a PIE note before you've done anything!!).

sasha2lady · Dec 17, 2009

When I was a new nurse...I would end up staying til after midnight most nights to wrap my work up. Mainly because I was new, slower and didnt understand how to do the paperwork fully...and then it never ever failed...this one third shift nurse would come in....either 10 mins late or early and go start piddling with her third shift junk..like filling out lab sheets for the next am etc etc....not like she didnt have 8 hrs ahead of her....this nurse used to come in at 7p or 9p...was supposed to do tx's...never did the first one....she spent 3+ hrs to fill out 4 lab sheets and STILL wasnt ready to count with me....so that right there always threw me back. She would ask me a hundred ?'s in report.....and act aggravated if I hadnt given my 27 pts a pain pill or a sleeping pill at HS because now that meant she would have a "long night". Umm...if they dont ask for it and I dont see a need to give it...Im not giving it. Why should I bust my hump and do all that extra paperwork and documentation just to make your night easier? Day shift never did that for me....and I wouldnt expect them to. Well...finally I got me a routine and my own way of doing things....and I put a stop to her shenanagens. When she came in Id have her report sheets ready and my narc drawer pulled out and Id hand her the keys before she ever put her bags down. I was sick of her constant delays...so I figured if I beat her to the punch and had it ready before hand it would give her less of a reason to make me fall more behind...it worked. It also didnt take me long to figure out that this particular nurse was known to do these things.....she doesnt like to have to do any kind of paperwork or give any prn meds...especially an IM med....ohhhhhh wellllll. I think my routine is effective.....all I can say is thank God for neon sticky notes....they are my reminders of what I need to do...need to chart...need to restock or who I need to call and why.

Music in My Heart · Dec 17, 2009

I'm not certain if it's Federal labor law or California law (the former, I think) but as a non-exempt employee you simply cannot stay and work without being paid. By law, the employer must pay you (OT, at that).

My employer would be very, very unhappy if I were to stay late.

caliotter3 · Dec 17, 2009

You should make every effort to cut down on this practice and get it under control. I can assure you that you will be criticized for time management problems at your first evaluation if not before that. Whether you realize it or not, it is being noticed that you are staying late and it is not creating a good picture of you, even though we all know that you are new. If nothing else, go to an area where you are not visible while you finish your charting.

Flare, ASN, BSN · Dec 17, 2009

"just do your best" is not going to hold up in court should your charting or other paperwork be brought under scrutint. I wish the big wigs realized it's our butts on the line.

BluegrassRN · Dec 17, 2009

I stay maybe once every 3-4 months to finish stuff up, and usually I'm still out of there only 45 minutes late. Once I stayed 2 hours late, but that was because my pt coded about 30 minutes prior to shift change.

I get all my stuff done, all my T's are crossed. It's about adequate staffing and good time management. Luckily I have the time management, AND I work at a place that has fine staffing. You can have the finest time management in the world, but if you aren't adequately staffed, it doesn't matter.

sunnycalifRN · Dec 17, 2009

You should make every effort to cut down on this practice and get it under control. I can assure you that you will be criticized for time management problems at your first evaluation if not before that. Whether you realize it or not, it is being noticed that you are staying late and it is not creating a good picture of you, even though we all know that you are new. If nothing else, go to an area where you are not visible while you finish your charting.

Thanks for the input. I do realize that it's a time management issue. I will just have to try to type faster to get the notes in between interrupts.

aamco · Dec 17, 2009

I have been on a busy med surg unit for a year now and I stay over 1 to 2 hours 90% of the time in order to finish up.

naalje · Dec 17, 2009

I agree that staying late does not make a good impression to management. I am extremely disappointed that it is accepted for nurses to clock out and have to finish their charting unpaid because they do not want to get in trouble (luckily this is not the case where I work). I stay 1-2 hours late every shift and sometimes with absolutely no break. I think I am the only nurse on my floor who consistently stays late every single shift. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. It is absolutely exhausting, especially after working sometimes 15 hours and to have to go back the next morning. But I cannot seem to figure out how to improve. It is comforting to know that I am not alone. But I know that I cannot keep this up. Does anyone have any suggestions to improving the time management? What ARE the tricks to getting out on time??

NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN · Dec 17, 2009

I'm pretty good with leaving in time. Every once in a while I stay late. Management is really on our case, I even have to leave work an hour early on saturday to save the facility money.