I work Labor and Delivery, but this topic is not specific to what we do on our unit. Our support staff had a meeting last month, the minutes from which I just read, and I am blown away by what I read.
Our techs are designated as "OBTs," because, in addition to regular tech duties, they scrub in for surgeries. I have noticed since I have worked on this L&D unit that the techs are very different than on other floors. I noticed that most of them sit around a lot between surgeries--they don't do anything unless you ask them to. When you do ask them, you often get attitude, mostly from two of them. Only a couple others will actually pop into rooms and ask if the nurse needs help with anything. They backstab, hang out with the docs, get coffee, etc. If they are in a "good mood," they might do something without being asked. Oh--and on the backstabbing--they said that they are sick of nurses gossipping about them. What??? They are the perpetrators of the gossip!
In the meeting minutes, they said that they feel "disrepsected" by nursing staff. (Maybe it's because those nurses are sick of their shananigans). They said they feel disrespected by being asked to do "scut work." I guess this phrase refers to all things bloody, mucousy, poopy...I don't know. HELLO!!!! Um, scut work is a PART OF WORKING IN A HOSPITAL. Even the nurses do it! In fact, I try to do as much of my own scut work as possible. I don't overthink what needs to be done or attach some emotional or mental stigma to it--I just DO IT. I mean, believe me, I am NOT bashful about delegating or asking for help when I need it. If I need help with the scut work, I will ask them to do it if necessary. I do not "save" the scut work for them.
Furthermore, at the meeting, the techs said they would like to be asked to do blood draws, Chem BGs, etc., BUT only SOME of them want to do this because only SOME of them LIKE to do these things; the others consider it degrading. What? Excuse me? Since when are people able to select which parts of their jobs they want to do? Let me clarify--I do my own doggone draws because that is the only way I can make sure they are done and done on time. On my very busy floor, I don't have time to ask my techs which part of their job they want to do, then later hunt them down to see if they've actually done it (because that's how it rolls on my floor). There's no accountability on the tech's part if the blood draw doesn't get done on time--it comes back on me, because it's the NURSE'S job to make sure it actually gets done. So, why would I ask a tech to do something that they arbitrarily may or may not do, that I am ultimately responsible for? Asking them to do it turns into a 4-part process as opposed to a 2-part process if I do it. So that's why I don't bother to ask them.
Let me tell you, this post only largely applies to a couple of techs on our floor. However, these two have been there a long time and spread dissention and frustration to the other techs who are doing great jobs. I have worked with some FABULOUS techs in my life. I think good techs are a treasure.
I'm just wondering what you all think about this. I couldn't believe the bit about "scut work."
The inmates are running the asylum and your management is letting them. They need to be told their job duties and do them. Failure to do so should lead to their termination. We don't just get to decide what we will and won't do daily for patients and neither should they. Patients shouldn't suffer because some workers are lazy.
sunnycalifRN
902 Posts
I second that!!