Time management problem???

[Lbushue]

I had 7 patients to care for yesterday. The night shift labs were not good and I was told I would have to redraw all of my patients. We have 17 patients and 2 CNA's. 5 patients were total care, ICU status and cared for by the RN's. I spent my entire day passing meds and drawing labs. On top of that I had to bathe and give peri care to 3 of my patients and complete documentation. One doctor showed up at change of shift in the am and I didn't even know. The unit secretary, who was our charge nurse, never put the chart with orders in the slot for nurses to sign off. I found the orders during my 12 hour chart check. Two more doctors came in at change of shift for the evening and again my charge nurse did not put the charts out to be signed off. I knew these orders were there but the Charge nurse said not to sign them off since she did not put them into the system and it was already 1900. So now the night shift charge nurse and floor nurses are upset with me that I didn't do anything and they called me this morning to cut me. I feel confused about what was the right thing to do. I think that I could have carried out the orders but not sign them off. I also don't get why the nurses are upset with me because I don't pick on them if they don't take care of orders when they come during the morning change of shift. Is it my responsibility to take care of orders when they show up during change of shift regardless of day or night? This is my first hospital job and I have been off of orientation for almost two weeks. I know I am inexperienced and make mistakes but I try my best. I feel like I am a bad nurse and feel so embarrassed. Do I have bad time management? Am I having issues with order of priority? I need to figure this out. Please share your opinions and advice, I will greatly appreciate it.

L.B.:imbar

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Is it my responsibility to take care of orders when they show up during change of shift regardless of day or night?

Look up your facility's written policy on the issue of taking off orders that appear during change of shift.

To cover your behind, I would have taken off as many of the new orders as possible, even though they popped up during shift change. While I am cognizant that nursing is a 24 hour job and that the nurse starting his/her shift could have taken off the orders, please realize that some facilities have a culture where everything gets dumped onto the LPN/LVN on the unit. So that your butt gets covered next time, take the orders off.