I don't know what it is about the holidays that makes everyone so frickin self centered, but I swear, if I hear this line uttered in my presence ONE MORE TIME I will scream. I really will.
Outside of scope issues, there is no reason to be saying this.
Acceptable alternatives, if true?
'I am swamped right now, I really can't do that.'
'I seriously don't know how to do that, and this needs to be done quicker than the time it would take for me to learn.'
'I already attempted it and failed. Someone else needs to do it'
Yes, we as nurses have a bajillion things to do and TPTB keep piling on extra things to do and extra forms to fill out. But I can't tell you how many times I've seen someone sitting at the nurses station, watching videos or socializing on Facebook, and when told about something like oh, their patient on Golyte not making it to the bathroom and having a code brown on the floor, answer 'I'll call housekeeping, that's not my job'.
In the meantime, their pt has to deal with the shame of losing control of their bowels on the floor. See the faces of people who walk by and wrinkle their noses. I mean, I'm not saying you should go sanitize the room, but clean most of it with a towel or something, your patient and their dignity will be thankful.
Or, let's say your pt has a stat lab to be done at 2am. You go draw those since it's quicker than waiting for phleb to come, right? Right?! And when you do that, you check and see if your patient also has regularly scheduled labs in the morning, cuz hey, you might as well draw those, save your patient an extra stick and save phleb extra work when they are responsible for a heck load more patients. Right?!?! Nah, you might as well leave those stat labs to be drawn with the regular labs, because phleb is coming later, and that's NOT YOUR JOB.
You know what happens when you do things you think are not your job(but really, they are)? First, your patient appreciates it. They have a competent nurse who cares more about their well-being than about socializing or making a point. Second, your colleagues appreciate it. They appreciate that you respect them, and that you saved them unnecessary work. And you know, they tend to return the favor. I've had phleb come show me a thing or two, because seriously, I swear I've seen those girls draw blood from a stone a time or two.
I just...ugh...seems like every day, for more and more reasons, I just keep thinking 'I don't want to live on this planet anymore'. Because people are just becoming poopier and poopier (you get what I'm saying). Please, put your big girl panties on, grow a pair, whatever is appropriate. Then shut the hell up and do the work. Even if it's 'not your frickin job'!!!!!
