Taco Bell is hiring

[RoaminHankRN]

I used to work as an ER nurse and now a house supervisor. Two things about the job that baffles me are the floor nurse and on call staff.

What is with the attitude of some floor nurses and not wanting to take patients. When I call to place patients, oh the attitudes and excuses I hear.

Sure, ER should help out where they can and when they can. But when the waiting room is full and the hall beds are taken, cut 'em some slack. Do floor nurses understand the ER has an "open door policy." How many floor nurses have worked ER? It's a different world down there.

Remember most patients are admitted through the ER and it is their first impression of the hospital. Do you know what the biggest complaint on patient surveys are?

Second... on call staff. Two things to say about that. Save the whining for your spouse and if you don't like on call... Taco Bell is hiring.

Hank

[SharonH, RN]

Okay I was a little pissed. I just got off from a really bad day, listening to patient complaints and doctor complaints. No matter how hard I work, it's never enough, I go home many nights with my feet aching and my head hurting and now I hear what's the problem with us floor nurses.........from another nurse? It's a little too much, you know. I didn't mean to be so abrasive.

[hapeewendy]

I always do try to remember the times I have been a patient in emerg and base my care and warm welcome to my patients upon admission based on the notion that they have been in emerg, being poked n prodded for hours n just want a nice bed to be in and some small amount of "comfort" (if possible in the hospital , which we all know it isnt haha)

but seriously, the respect thing HAS to go both ways, I understand the stress of workin in EMERG, not first hand mind you but I can be empathetic cant I? We are all nurses, sometimes the tone in which people say "floor nurse" is so condesending it makes me nauseous.

I watched the ER Nurses save a life when I was down there as a patient, my heart swelled, and I managed to find a few of them later to thank them for going so far for that patient.

we save lives on the floor too though, and its not appropriate to take an admission when one of your patients has coded recently, or is going downhill steadily. Our unwritten policy is never to make emerg wait for hours for admissions that we know we are getting, we are thoughtful like that, most of us even ask what hasnt yet been done for the patient and tell the emerg RN not to worry about it that we can do it when the pt comes to us.

consideration works both ways, if I am telling you politely that I have had a patient code , and am not quite done with the family/paperwork etc and that I will call you back ASAP, that should be acceptable, and should not warrant any smartass comments from anyone, its not unreasonable and most of the nurses I work with are not lazy, but like I said, lazy behaviour abounds in all areas of nursing, and every other profession for that matter, we cant judge until we walk a mile in eachothers horrificly tight fitting white nikes!

I dont judge, so please dont make assumptions about floor nurses based on limited experiences with them.

for the record - the clean out house thing is notorious and ive heard ER nurses AND MD's talk freely about the plan to get everyone admitted just before they are going off shift, so its not a myth or "coincidence" , the problem is , our ER gets off at 1900 hrs and we dont leave the floor until 1930, so you guessed it, if we get report at

1900 hrs the pt doesnt show up til exactly 1925-1930, it can be frustrating, I can admit that it annoys me , but the patients never know that I am frustrated and to tell you the truth, neither do any of the nurses.

[RoaminHankRN]

Sharon.. it's cool..

Nursing is that way..

I did leave ER and now work as a house supervisor. My post was not meant to come across as complaining. ( I easily could but then I would dig a bigger hole) I am looking for answers and ways to change (along with sprinkling some of my thoughts... hey we are human)

I deal with many rude floor nurses. Don't get me started on floor nurses and IV's (hmm I think that might be my next topic to post.. let the gloves come off!)

Anyway.. sounds like you have some bad apples in the ER that need Taco Bell.

I found mine in being a house supervisor and would never go back to ER.

[RoaminHankRN]

Wendy????

Don't judge?

"I dont judge, so please dont make assumptions about floor nurses based on limited experiences with them.

for the record - the clean out house thing is notorious and ive heard.."

you've heard.. but you don't judge.

That's the pot calling....

Curious where are the hospitals that all these things occur.

If it happens where you work... what do you do about it?

It is our policy that the floor does not call report to the floor if a code is going or just ended.. Maybe your hospital should make it policy.. and if the ER nurse abuses it, that is what your house super is there for.

[deespoohbear]

Our ER is notorious for holding patients for 3 or 4 hours, and then bring them up for admission at shift change. Usually in our small hospital there is not a wait for a med/surg or tele bed so that excuse is blown. I truly believe that our ER does the "clean the unit out" routine before their next shift starts. Another thing that gripes me is when the patient comes up from the ER on a monitor and no IV access!! Somebody is asking for trouble. I don't usually deny to take an admit at any time, but there are times I sure get frustrated!

[4XNURSE]

Originally posted by SharonMH31

Okay .... I just got off from a really bad day, listening to patient complaints and doctor complaints. No matter how hard I work, it's never enough, I go home many nights with my feet aching and my head hurting and now I hear what's the problem with us floor nurses.........from another nurse? It's a little too much, you know. I didn't mean to be so abrasive.

Sharon,

Sounds like you could use a hug.

{{{{{{{{{{Sharon}}}}}}}}}}

Hope that helps.

Sometimes It does us good to get it off our chest. Strong work!

ken :)

[shay]

I get through my shifts with the attitude that an admission is an admission is an admission....no amount of b****ing and moaning is gonna change the fact that the patient is there and needs to be admitted. I get help when I can, suck it up, do the best I can, and go on. Copping an attitude w/the ED or the floor nurses (I'm L&D) only makes things worse. No matter how crabby I FEEL or how nasty the OTHER person is, I just blow it off....no sense in getting my panties all in a bunch, ya know? I need to keep good relations w/those floor nurses and the ED folk 'cause you never know when you're gonna need 'em to bail you out in a mess or return a favor.

My point....yeah, it sucks on all ends. Working in a hospital is hard as hell. I choose to be kind and work with it...people REMEMBER you when you're the nurse that 'helped them out,' and it works in your favor most of the time. Just wanted to share how I deal with it. :)

Good thread.

[proud2bme]

I want to tell you what happened to me just last month when I was hospitalized in one of Houston's most prestigous hospitals. I will make this as brief as possible.

After being worked up in the E.R. I was admitted and subsequently stayed for 6 days. Anyway, I was laying in the E.R. on a gurney for six hours. Don't get me wrong. I was seen by the Dr. immediately, but after they realized my condition wasn't life threatening they called up to the floor for me a bed. I was told that there were not any beds available.

SIX (6) hours later, I was finally transported up to my room. After I was settled in, my roommate informed me that this bed had been empty ALL DAY! I then asked my nurse how her day was going and she said "It's been a slow night."

Come to find out, the nurse that was on duty didn't feel like doing the paperwork or caring for another patient. What is wrong with this picture? Does this happen more than we realize?

[Zhakrin]

If you think being a floor nurse and a ER nurse are so different, try being a paramedic first.

That OD you just admitted came from somewhere and we have to somehow get them out of their apt. which is always on the 5th floor of a building that has a too-small elevator. They have pets like Boa constrictors and rats (which may be relatives), the concept of using a toliet is foreign, pizza containers from several years ago are stacked to the clieing and somehow they ALWAY lodge themselves behind the toliet bowl (probably in an attempt to figure out it true purpose).

Different worlds, same $hit, LOL

[RoaminHankRN]

Zhakrin

Check out the other post about CEU's.

Curious about your thoughts.

[RNKitty]

Originally posted by jimminy

I think all nurses should rotate to all the different areas during orientation and again once a year.

:eek: :eek:

No WAY are you getting me into the ER. I do L&D - not qualified for anything else. I really respect what you do, but don't ask me to do it!

[pebbles, BSN, RN]

Man, I love the smilies on this board...