Team Leader - Advice Needed

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I'm in my last semester as a nursing student and the focus in clinicals is on the transition to the professional role. We are in our final med/surg rotation and part of that rotation includes taking on the team lead role. This means that I work with my instructor on assigning patients to my classmates, help them as needed, be a point person with the other staff, make phone calls as needed, etc.

On Sunday things went really well, my classmates all had 1 patient and I was really busy helping them as 2/3 of the patients were high acuity. Then last night happened. Out of 10 clinicals, 3 of those need to involve managing 2+ patients in order for us to pass clinicals. The classmate who has the less high acuity on Sunday requested a 2nd patient for yesterday so she got another low acuity patient.

I monitored her charting (as part of my 'job') and she wasn't getting the charting done. We're required to do 2 assessments on tele patients, beginning and end of shift. I stated at one point "how can I help you so you can get your charting done" and she stated she was getting to it now. (I'll also add that I checked in with my team regularly to see if they needed help with anything and she always stated she was fine). I kept monitoring the charting and it wasn't getting done, or it was spotty and she was missing huge areas (neuro, cardiac, resp). She also documented under the wrong time so it looked like she didn't do anything until the end of the shift. I finally told her that I'll take care of the med passes and she needed to get all her information into the chart and to modify it so it reflected when she actually did the assessments.

I ended up staying an hour later than usual with my instructor to try and sort everything out with this classmate. I felt like a failure as a team lead. I don't want to micromanage team mates, and I'm done with my 'team lead' experience, but could I get some constructive criticism from you lovely people on how you would handle this in the real world? She's a very competent LPN but had some emotional things going on last night (when I asked her towards the end if she was OK, she mumbled something about her daughter who has had emotional issues in the past). I think she provided good care to her patients as I was in and out of all the rooms, so I am not worried in the least about that.

Thanks in advance

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Honestly, from the information you provided, I can't think of anything else you could have done. "Leading" is one of the most difficult roles because you have responsibility without any real authority. Unfortunately, there are a lot of nursing jobs like this in the real world.

Just about the most difficult aspect of any management role is the need to balance 'people' with 'work'. Getting the work done (delivery of safe, high quality care) must always trump any people (staff) issues. I call these the "swallow hard" decisions - not easy, but they must be done.... like taking disciplinary action if a nurse failed to deliver safe care because she was distracted by personal issues. We are not counselors. We are not their mother. We are not running a half-way house for emotionally/physically impaired nurses. Doing the right thing for the patients may damage your personal relationship with a subordinate, but your first duty is to the patients... it's never easy.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

many nurses chart after their shift is over. Sorry, but that is how it goes and you did the best you could

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It sounds like you did everything you could do. You gave support, you asked if she needed help, you checked in with her multiple times, and when it became clear that she was in over her head you stepped in. You did it right.

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many nurses chart after their shift is over. Sorry, but that is how it goes and you did the best you could

I understand that and see it on the floor, but as nursing students we're held to a different standard (by our school) since we're not carrying a full patient load.

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Honestly, from the information you provided, I can't think of anything else you could have done. "Leading" is one of the most difficult roles because you have responsibility without any real authority. Unfortunately, there are a lot of nursing jobs like this in the real world.

Just about the most difficult aspect of any management role is the need to balance 'people' with 'work'. Getting the work done (delivery of safe, high quality care) must always trump any people (staff) issues. I call these the "swallow hard" decisions - not easy, but they must be done.... like taking disciplinary action if a nurse failed to deliver safe care because she was distracted by personal issues. We are not counselors. We are not their mother. We are not running a half-way house for emotionally/physically impaired nurses. Doing the right thing for the patients may damage your personal relationship with a subordinate, but your first duty is to the patients... it's never easy.

Thank you for that ifnormation. It really changed my perspective on being in a position of leadership for sure.

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