unfair assignment

[treeye]

One of my coworker had a bad day, two of her pts are very difficult and demanding. When I came to work, the charge nurse assigned both pts to me and let her pick up an easy pts on my hall. so we are both split. I confronted the charge nurse and asked if there are any reasons why we are both split and why I have both of the difficult pts. Her answer is that she just want to give my coworker a break since she had a bad day. I really don't have problem taking on both pts and give her a break if they kindly let me know beforehand. I like both the charge nurse and my other coworker and feel bad arguing about pt assignment but feel that I deserve fair treatment.

Do you stand up for yourself if you think the assignment is unfair? Who you talk to?

[hiddencatRN, BSN, RN]

Work your 12 hours and don't fight about the assignment. Don't. You might get dealt a bad hand sometimes, other times u will have the "easy" assignment. Nothing is more annoying then the one nurse who always complains about her assignment. From my experience the more you try to switch patients around or not take certain admissions that sound bad on paper, the more you'll screw yourself over in the end.

This. Sometimes your assignment sucks, but being that nurse who always has to point out how you're being dealt the short hand sucks too. The assignment will never, ever be 100% equal. Ever ever. It's nice that you have a charge nurse who makes a point of trying to spread the rough assignments around.

[OCNRN63, RN]

I don't understand what was unfair about it. You had a lighter day the day before, then you had the more difficult assignment the next day. Why was that unfair?

I don't see how knowing your assignment ahead of time would have made it better for you, other than maybe allowing you to mentally prepare yourself for your assignment.

[Altra, BSN, RN]

Was the assignment considered "unfair" when your coworker was assigned those same two patients?

[Good Morning, Gil]

No, it's not unfair. She had a difficult day the day prior, and now you're going to have the difficult day. Be thankful you have a charge nurse that cares enough to do that. In most places, you get assigned the same people again regardless of what your day was like since it's an accepted part of the job that not every day is going to be a cake walk. It usually all balances out in the end. You're going to have difficult days sometimes, and easier days other times.