What are your biggest pains/ problems as a nurse?

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Nov 14, 2016

When I worked the floor, these were my annoyances...

1. Verbally abusive families who try to tell nurses how to do their jobs

2. Colleagues from other disciplines who try to tell nurses what to do

3. Redundant documentation and audits

4. Out-of-touch nurse managers and administrators

5. Too much responsibility with little to no authority

KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN · Nov 14, 2016

1). Little to no touch between what a nurse can do, and what he or she is forced to do and be responsible for. It doesn't pay to use a Bachelor's prepared specialist as a cross between maid, waitress, whipping boy and cleaning lady.

2). Limitations of human rights of nurses. I lost count of cases when families and patients treated nursing staff the way that would bring them in Court, if not in jail, should it all happen any place else but in hospital.

3). Constant battle of policies & protocols vs. common sense.

4). The Powers who care about the said policies & protocols more than anything else.

5). No recognition of the fact that the nurses ARE money-winners for the system. At least they can be, if adequately cared for.

Sour Lemon · Nov 15, 2016

My biggest pain is MY BACK ....and everything else that's been said so far.

AJJKRN · Nov 15, 2016

Forgetting good ol Press Ganey & anything else customer service related Ladies & Gents....

and staffing ratios....

and supplies, either lack of or not being able to find in close proximity...

might I continue :no:

kakamegamama · Nov 15, 2016

All of the above. A blown back that is in the midst of a week of spasms right now. Colleagues who talked about each other behind their backs and to the menagerie without addressing issues to the ones they had issues with. Twelve hour night shifts.

abbnurse · Nov 15, 2016

I think this will echo what previous posters have said:

- Verbally abusive patients (and family members of patients).

- Unsafe, unrealistic workload expectations.

- Out of touch administration regarding such unsafe workloads.

- Always feeling pressured to do more work, in less time, with fewer staff.

- Administration not recognizing the fact that "Good customer service" does NOT necessarily equal the "Customer" getting exactly what they want.

So far, so good with my back .

aspiringrn1987 · Nov 15, 2016

When I worked the floor, these were my annoyances...
1. Verbally abusive families who try to tell nurses how to do their jobs
2. Colleagues from other disciplines who try to tell nurses what to do
3. Redundant documentation and audits
4. Out-of-touch nurse managers and administrators
5. Too much responsibility with little to no authority

Number 2 and 3 are huge for me right now. New grad from May of this year, started working in July in a SNF. I feel blessed to have really awesome and supportive management. It's hard for me not to roll my eyes when therapy comes to ask me if we could "prophylactically" start IV fluids before our lab results have come back, or "so-and-so needs :insert whatever med they don't have an order for here:. Seriously guys, you do the therapy, I'll handle the nursing.

ArtClassRN, ADN, RN · Nov 15, 2016

Nurse Assistants that are so understaffed the good ones cannot help you and the bad ones know they can get away with not even trying.

pizzaslice · Nov 15, 2016

In my country:

1. We get paid 302 pesos a day, so that's about 6,040 pesos a month for a 5x/wk job ($6-7/day, $137/month).

2. There are no residents in the hospital where i work.

3. Our chief nurse gives us 12-18 hour shifts at least 3 times a week.

4. Some people/patients don't see us nurses as professionals. They feel that doctors are the only health care providers who could help them and provide proper health treatment.

Oh well XD

MHDNURSE · Nov 15, 2016

When I worked in Primary Care Pediatrics, those parents who used Dr. Google and came to appointments armed with articles about why their precious snowflakes shouldn't be vaccinated, shouldn't get XYZ treatments, etc. CONVINCED that some article they saw posted on Facebook was worth more than my NP degree, the MD of the pediatrician, etc.

Now I work as a school nurse. The things that annoy me the most are the teachers that constantly ask me for medical advice, the students who are malingerers, the terrible salary, the paperwork and red tape due to state-mandated policies...

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Nov 15, 2016

It's hard for me not to roll my eyes when therapy comes to ask me if we could "prophylactically" start IV fluids before our lab results have come back, or "so-and-so needs :insert whatever med they don't have an order for here:. Seriously guys, you do the therapy, I'll handle the nursing.

You hit the nail on the head...

I worked at a specialty rehabilitation hospital for six years. Some of the physical and occupational therapists were wonderful. Others...not so much.

The busybody PTs/OTs were steadily stepping into the realm of medical diagnoses when they lacked the training or privileges to do so. They were insisting that the nurses obtain orders for UAs, chest xrays, I&O caths, and so forth.

If the nurse does not interfere in the PT's/OT's personalized treatment plan to help the patient regain function, then the PT/OT should not meddle with the RN's judgment and plan of care.