OK, so I am seeing a consult in the unit, sitting at the desk, writing progress notes, and one of the nurses starts yelling for help. I went over to see what she needed and saw that she was trying to clean up a rather large, very obtunded lady, and the nurse who was supposed to have been helping her was not there. So, without really thinking anything much about it, I grabbed some isolation gear and started suiting up. The nurse looked out and saw me and said, "Oh, no, Angelfire, I'm wiping poop, you don't want to do that. RN2 was supposed to be here, they'll get her".
I looked at her and before I could police my mouth (big surprise, I know) I blurted out "You know, I was a NURSE before I was a Nurse Prac." She looked back at me, kinda relieved like, and said "Are you SURE you don't mind?".
We got her washed, dried, slicked up with Calmoseptine, and turned. The other nurse never did show up. They were so slammed this morning.
Afterward, I went back to the desk, finished my progress note (which had no spontaneously combusted or walked off like that poor lady thought it might), and dictated. I bet she thanked me 10 times before I left.
You know, I'm confused......I thought I was SUPPOSED to help out. No, the lady we changed was not on my rounds list, and yes, I was doing things and had plenty of other things to do, to be sure, but I would never not help a fellow nurse that needed it, just because I have a different role now. It took 15 minutes, my consults were not critical, no one was dying, and she needed HELP! The way she reacted just kinda stunned me, I guess. I remember my days as a floor nurse, and having RT or PT or some other faction come out of a room and announce "They're ready to be cleaned up." and walk off. Always steamed my clams.
So, docs, NPs, nurses, weigh in here, please. Was I out of line? I mean, if I'm not really supposed to help, I'd like to know, and I'd like to know WHY. I thought (and everyone says) that I was a very friendly, outgoing person, and I have never given the impression that I don't want to help or think that I am too good to do certain tasks. I don't know, maybe no NP or doc had ever offered to help her before.
Do the docs and NPs help out at your facility? What is the reaction? What is the expectation? Thanks in advance.
Specializes in Peds Urology,primary care, hem/onc.
I am a PNP in Urology at a children's hospital and I would definitely help if asked when I am on the floor, in clinic etc. As long as I am not dealing with an emergent/urgent issue, absolutely. I always change diapers etc (I will let the nurse know so she can do I & O's). When I first was out of nursing school and worked on a hem/onc/bmt floor, we were always crazy busy. They had PNP's that rounded on patients and I could always ask them for help in a pinch. Sometimes they were the only one at the nurse's station. They cosigned narcs, PCA's, blood etc with me all the time and were more than happy to do it. Angel, I guess not everyone has our frame of mind but I applaud you for it and would continue to do it.
I am a Ph.D nurse and ALWAYs help out when needed. It's natural when you see someone sufferring (patients or staff) that you help. Just my values though.
I work prn in an ER setting. There, I do help with "stuff" like cleaning up, repositioning, undressing pts, etc.
In my full-time nephrology job, I am expected to see a minimum of 40 pts per day at two geographically separated places. I simply do not have an extra 5-10 minutes to clean up pts when they vomit.
I work prn in an ER setting. There, I do help with "stuff" like cleaning up, repositioning, undressing pts, etc.
In my full-time nephrology job, I am expected to see a minimum of 40 pts per day at two geographically separated places. I simply do not have an extra 5-10 minutes to clean up pts when they vomit.
That's totally understood too. That's probably why the RN in the OP's situation was surprised.
I work prn in an ER setting. There, I do help with "stuff" like cleaning up, repositioning, undressing pts, etc.
In my full-time nephrology job, I am expected to see a minimum of 40 pts per day at two geographically separated places. I simply do not have an extra 5-10 minutes to clean up pts when they vomit.
Like I said, you are expected to help when you are able to adequately take care of your duties and when other nurses are overwhelemed. It's the same issue with nurses and nurse aides/PCT's. No one is telling the nurse to change briefs and get behind on charting/assessments....that is when you can ask the aides/pct's to do them. The point is, it is not above your job description. The priority simply changes based on your specific job title.
I had two surgeons disciplined a few months back. We had a patient thrashing on the OR table, we were all struggling to keep him from falling off, I'm there shouting at them to help, they were just staring at the whole scenario, the consultant turned his back on us because he was on the phone. I ended yelling at them to 'get your orifices over here NOW!!!'. I told them afterwards that they were a disgrace to the entire team, that it's your patient as well and that they owed us all an apology, I had them reported to the head of surgery for not helping. A few days later they sheepishly gave us a box of chocolates....
So yeah you did the right thing. Of course we have our different roles but there are times when a patient needs help right away, and if you're the only person there then I believe that whether your a nurse, doctor, CNA, whatever you should give assistance.
i work w/a female doc who got her start as a teenager volunteering/assisting at in her father's medical practice. her mom is a now-retired nurse. i find that she just has a different appreciation for what nurses do, and always pitches in to help. she had a very nice pair of shoes vomited upon.
as for other docs i work with...well...let's just say i'd rather do it myself!
angelfire, thank you for knowing that an extra set of hands, back, brain, etc. at just the right time can be a nurse's saving grace. :redpinkhe
We have a doc who will bring patients up to the floor from the ER, help transfer them into bed from a stretcher, help start IVs on a hard stick, and answer the phones when we are all tied up with pts. We also have a doc who walked out of a pt's room and told us someone needed to go raise the head of the bed because the pt. was having trouble breathing.
I think these days, people in general just don't help each other out. I try to, even though I get funny looks sometimes. It just comes down to basic human kindness and karma. How someone, MD, PA, Nurse etc can see someone visibly struggling and then just walk away just boggles my mind and makes me very angry.:angryfire
We have a doc who will bring patients up to the floor from the ER, help transfer them into bed from a stretcher, help start IVs on a hard stick, and answer the phones when we are all tied up with pts. We also have a doc who walked out of a pt's room and told us someone needed to go raise the head of the bed because the pt. was having trouble breathing.
I know what you mean..I will bend over backwards, stay late, do almost anything for the pleasant, helpful doctors/surgeons. The jerks? Well, let's just say when they are begging people to stay late to start an elective case, it ain't gonna be me. There's that Karma thing again.
I work in the ED. Many times one of the NP's will walk in while I am helping a patient get undressed and they will say come get me when you are done so I can assess them. I also have had them stand there while I am struggling to get a patient who can not help me undressed and start interviewing them without helping me out. Many times they will also come out of the room and say that I need to get help and reposition the patient. Well if they would go in with me I would have the help instead of trying to find a tech or another nurse to do the same job. I truly dont know what the Np's Pa's or Md's where I work are thinking.
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rnsrgr8t
395 Posts
I am a PNP in Urology at a children's hospital and I would definitely help if asked when I am on the floor, in clinic etc. As long as I am not dealing with an emergent/urgent issue, absolutely. I always change diapers etc (I will let the nurse know so she can do I & O's). When I first was out of nursing school and worked on a hem/onc/bmt floor, we were always crazy busy. They had PNP's that rounded on patients and I could always ask them for help in a pinch. Sometimes they were the only one at the nurse's station. They cosigned narcs, PCA's, blood etc with me all the time and were more than happy to do it. Angel, I guess not everyone has our frame of mind but I applaud you for it and would continue to do it.