What do I do about nurses who think my job is worthless?

[onlyj]

I work part-time as a patient safety attendant. We sit with patients who are suicidal, confused, depressed, fall risk, etc. I know we literally "sit" at times, but it is still a job and I took this job to help me during nursing school. I work at different floors all the time. One shift, I overheard the nurse say that all she does is watch the tv. I was with a patient who was a fall risk at a cancer floor. He had the news channel on even from the night before and when I asked him if he wanted me to turn it off, he said no, he likes that channel. He slept most of the time while I was there, so since the tv was in front of me, I saw it at times. At another shift, the nursing assistant told the nurses in behind the counter where they sit in front of the computers that she was going to relieve me for lunch, and they said,"go relieve her from her chair and giggled." I just went on my break, but I was very offended. I know we can't do much, but it is still a job, and if the nurses think it's so worthless, why call the sitters to sit with the patients?

[whichone'spink, BSN, RN]

Those nurses are very lucky to have a sitter for a patient. There have been times I wish I had one for some troublesome patients.

[Chin up]

What do I do about nurses who think my job is worthless?

Ignore them.

[Catch22Personified]

What do I do about nurses who think my job is worthless?

Ignore them.

This. I welcome ANY help that makes my life easier.

[JustEnuff2BDangerous, BSN, RN]

These are probably just surly people who need something to be surly about - its nothing against you personally. :) I am always thankful for my sitters, especially if them being there means that my staff will not be pulled to sit, thus making us shorthanded. You can't worry about what others think, do what you have to do to the best of your ability and don't worry about anyone else!

[belgarion]

I'll ask you a couple of questions. How do YOU feel about YOUR job? If you feel like you are performing a needed function then why do YOU even care what THEY say? As you said, if your job is so worthless why do you get paid to do it?

As you go forward in your career you will learn that nurses are, as a group, the *********, most judgemental group of people you will ever work with. Don't let the attitudes get you down. You say you are doing this to help you out during nursing school. Good for you. You are doing what you have to do to get by. I'm sure that some of those nurses who are dissing you did "worthless" jobs to survive when they were in school.

[SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN]

if your patient is a true fall risk patient and they laughed at the use of you, then they must have never had to work with high fall risk patients without a sitter. i have done so many times!!! one of my former employers claimed that they did not have the resources to hire patient care attendants. naturally the same facility had many falls and always blamed the nurses! i guarantee you that if those nurses ever had to work in such a nightmarish situation, they would know of your value.

by the way, if this patient really did not need an attendant, maybe the nurses were not laughing at you? maybe those nurses were laughing at the situation of a sitter for a patient that does not need one compared to the situation of a patient that needs a sitter but does not have one (i have been in that situation too)? either case, keep your head up because you are important!

[AJPV]

Maybe ask them what would make your job worthwhile in their judgment. Repetitively cleaning the light fixtures in the patient's room? Or maybe leaving the patient unattended to do another task that the nurse deems "worthwhile" and allowing the nurse to inherit the license-risking neglect from following her advice to leave the patient?

[ledzepfan]

Worthless? .........you are worth your weight in gold.

Shame on the nurses for making those comments.

[ckh23, BSN, RN]

I don't think it is a "worthless" position. In fact I love it because it prevents patient falls which saved a ton of time, money, and paperwork. I also find it is a nice distraction for suicidal patients, if the sitter is engaging them in conversation so they aren't ringing the light every 10 seconds.

The other workers are jealous because they see you sitting there and they are running around. I would tell them if they are that envious they should apply for a sitter position.

On a side note I find being a sitter overnight to be one of the mire difficult jobs in just being able to stay awake. I had to cover for a sitter once and just that 30 minutes was a challenge not to fall asleep.

[ledzepfan]

And let me add this; What do you DO about those nurses?

Wish that they get stuck in a traffic jam.....with a bad case of diarrhea.

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

I would give my eye teeth for people like you. I can't imagine how you can sit there without falling asleep. I would be so bored when the pt was sleeping.

Try to ignore the nurses. As they say, the grass is always greener...