To the RN I just had hospital orientation with today....

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I realize that you are a recent graduate of a great RN program and you are flying high and feeling pretty proud of yourself. I am hoping to have those same feelings a year from now when I have my BSN.

Your elated feelings, however, do not give you carte blanc to already be talking smack about the "techs". You see, I'm in orientation with you today as "just a tech" but next year I could be your colleague. A few years from now I could very well be your charge nurse. Saying things like, "oh, the techs do that" or "I'm so glad I don't have to THAT anymore" when we are talking about bed baths, turning patients, etc. will get you no points from any tech I've worked with.

And just FYI... not every unit in our fine hospital even employs patient care techs and you are in for a rude awakening when you have to change your patient's soiled diaper or have to give a bed bath. Further, we are PATIENT care technicians, not nurse care technicians. We are here for the patient, not you. Oh, and guess what? When you need help on the floor, I think I'll be busy that day.

Sincerely,

Just the Tech

Specializes in Med/Surg.
a good nurse has no problem completing any aspect of patient care, and does it with pride! Its sad when you get those nurses who think that certain tasks are beneath them. But then again, there are princesses everywhere :)

LOL, oh, how true!! :yeah:

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Seems like eveyone just needs to do their job and don't worry about what everyone thinks.

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Why would you pull the nurse manager aside? Why wouldn't you use your experience and expertise to help your colleague? Sometimes people need refreshers. If a nurse was in a four year nursing program, learned BPs in the first semester of the first year and has been using Dynamaps ever since, it stands to reason that she may need a refresher when her mind is overflowing with disease processes, s/sx, and possible drug interactions. I think you could use that opportunity to show how much of a team member you are rather than reign someone in to elevate yourself. That can't be good for a new grad's self esteem. :crying2:

Though I'm not a nurse, I can see why this person would be concerned. Even if the nurse was shown, if she had not learned such a skill how would she be able to do something in an emergency when time was of the essence? Unless she practiced (and if there were aides on the floor for some nurses it's doubtful), it's unlikely she'd be able to do it quickly. I can see why the OP (of the post you quoted) would be worried. It's better to let the Nurse Manager know now instead of having it come up in an emergency situation when the patient suffers.

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I am 'justavolunteer' and I can't say I'm an expert on patient care. However, I have been around long enough to know that RN's have to clean up messes, not just CNA's. Even if a CNA is doing most of cleaning, she may still need help, which will likely be a nurse. The other day the pt unit I am on was absolutely crazy. A CNA needed somebody to help with a poopy pt. and I was the somebody. I didn't necessarily sign up as a volunteer with jobs like that in mind. Nevertheless, pt. units need EVERYBODY to pitch in sometimes. It comes with the territory.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
Why would you pull the nurse manager aside? Why wouldn't you use your experience and expertise to help your colleague? Sometimes people need refreshers. If a nurse was in a four year nursing program, learned BPs in the first semester of the first year and has been using Dynamaps ever since, it stands to reason that she may need a refresher when her mind is overflowing with disease processes, s/sx, and possible drug interactions. I think you could use that opportunity to show how much of a team member you are rather than reign someone in to elevate yourself. That can't be good for a new grad's self esteem. :crying2:

Maybe if someone is lacking in many skills but other than that I also don't think its cool to tell the nurse manager when someone asks for clarity on how to do something especially in the example given because I guess they could have delegated that task to the tech telling on them. :uhoh3: I'd like to think that I can ask anyone for help and they can ask me without fear of one of us running to our NM.

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Maybe if someone is lacking in many skills but other than that I also don't think its cool to tell the nurse manager when someone asks for clarity on how to do something especially in the example given because I guess they could have delegated that task to the tech telling on them. :uhoh3: I'd like to think that I can ask anyone for help and they can ask me without fear of one of us running to our NM.

Because nursing world is full of sharks!!! I had the same sitution happening to me..I coudnt hear a blood pressure on a patient (just once,my stethoscope was turned off) and she run off and told my manager that I'm having trouble with taking blood pressure! Believe or not there are many evil and jealous people in the world.

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Specializes in med-surg 5 years geriatrics 12 years.

Just the tech

Please lose the word " just ". CNAs are just as vital to patient care as nurses. I too worked as a CNA while in school and worked with nurses who looked down their noses at CNAs; and then and there I decided that that would NOT be the way I conducted my nursing practice. You can learn from everyone; in this case you have learned to respect and appreciate the entire team.

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Specializes in Cardiology (ITU), Acute Renal/Dialysis.
You can always tell the nurses who were techs before they became nurses vs. those who were not...

"Aint necessarily so", my last employment prior to nursing was as a chef. I clean bottoms & bed bath with (almost) everyone else in my team - thats the meaning of team work. Also, my students learn that it's not in their patients best interests to be "too posh to wash". :nurse:

team players rule :dancgrp:

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
Because nursing world is full of sharks!!! I had the same sitution happening to me..I coudnt hear a blood pressure on a patient (just once,my stethoscope was turned off) and she run off and told my manager that I'm having trouble with taking blood pressure! Believe or not there are many evil and jealous people in the world.

It makes me sad that you are so jaded about nurses and I suspect it does affect your experiences. If you have examined your role in this and done what you can to be a member of this team please start looking for another job. There is team that is a good fit for you somewhere you just haven't found it yet. Sometimes things just don't gel. KWIM?

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KeeperMom,

hehehe, what goes around, comes around. Like you said, when that RN needs your help, there may be many things happening elsewhere on the unit . . .

Our CNA's are invaluable . . . worth their weight in diamonds!! That RN you mentioned will learn the error of her ways, real fast . . . or she will have a rough orientation period!

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Specializes in ED.

And would y'all believe this.....?

The hospital employs over 6500 people. Of all those people she walks into the elevator last night with me and four other employees. She has her bluetooth on and is talking at FULL volume for the whole elevator ride and gets off IN the hospital and is still talking at full volume. We all just sat on the elevator rolling our eyes. it is a hospital for crying out loud!!! What a piece of work!

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Sometimes its the instructors that puts those things into students nurses heads that they won't have to clean poop. I myself had 2 nursing instructors tell my clinical group "if you want to change diapers,go be a cna."you are not here for that,your role is different." That's exactly her words.

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