What were they thinking?

In a schedule today I witnessed the most uneducated assignment I have ever seen . A Rn (ENT speciality) and 2 techs (both gyn speciality) and a student Nurse. This was their assignment...

1. 7 am case: myringotomy (ok thats a gimmie)

2. to follow: Fem Pop

3.to follow Thorocotomy (with the meanest Cardio surg ever known)

4.to follow Thorocotomy (same surgeon)

5.to follow AAA with the 2nd meanest surgeon known to man

What was management thinking when they put these poor people in that room

I would have moved the poor ENT nurse out of that room and put her in a less evasive room and not tourtured her ...

I was in the room next to hers and when she realized her assignment she was in tears... I told her that I would come in and set her up for the fem pop and thorocotomys and try to locate someone with vascular exp... I was floored In my room I had me (vascular queen) and 2 techs that do hearts for fun, and thorasics for kicks, but no one wanted to change our assignments because they couldnt staff our room adaquately...

and all I had was a lap chole and a hernia and 2 lower abd resections.... (what a joke)

Needless to say her room was a mess and she was in tears half the day and I shot in and out of her room half the day to make sure she wasnt leaving any t's uncrossed and i's dotted and to make sure she was ok. Then of all the nerve they forgot about her and she didnt get a break or even a lunch , it was horrible for her , I swear if she returns it will be a miracle.

Zoe

[fedupnurse]

That's just it Zoe, they don't think! I swear at times they make our assignments by pulling room numbers out of a hat! They don't take experience level or acuity into account. If mgmt was required to do staff nursing 1 week of each quarter, I believe the assignment nightmares like you described would be alleviated.

[Rottie1]

Sometimes it seems that they just look for a warm body to fill the slots! Never should a student be in a room with the meanest surgeon! And then they wonder why everyone leaves. Go figure...

[SmilingBluEyes]

They weren't ..that's the short answer.

[JonRN]

One word: PA-THE-TIC.