Why were the nurses give me a hard time when I was just doing my job?

[italianice3]

I work as a patient safety attendant (sitter) in a hospital. I worked today in the ER. I was given a suicidal patient. He was sleeping the whole time except when he had to speak to the doctor. The nurse gives me another patient next to him so I told him, I'm not allowed to sit with another patient because this patient I already have is suicidal. The nurse then gets very fresh with me saying, well here in the ER you're allowed to sit 2:1. I told him I understand, but not when one patient is suicidal. He then says he will tell the charge nurse and I told him if he has any questions he can also speak to my supervisor. So the nurse goes and comes back with the transport person who works in the ER to sit with that other patient. That nurse and the transport guy talk on the side saying how the patient I'm watching is sleeping, why it's so hard when all I do is just sit, etc, etc. I just sit quiet. Then one of the doctors comes to that transport guy and asks why I can't sit with 2 of them since mine is just sleeping and says it's outrageous. He says he will tell the charge nurse. Then in about 30 minutes, the charge nurse puts me in another room to watch a different patient while that transport guy took the suicidal patient I was watching along with the patient he got.

I understand that it's really busy in the ER. Other times I sat upto 3 people in the ER which I didn't complain because none of them were suicidal. We had meetings regarding this and it's in the JCAHO standards as well. Why give me such a hard time?????

[WildOne]

Some people are just rude and at the end of the day remember they don't care if YOUR violating any rules because it's not them but YOU. You did the right thing don't let people bully you, what goes around comes around

[BostonTerrierLover, BSN, RN]

EGOs vs. POLICY PROCEDURE

I love waiting to see what the Supervisor will do when YOU KNOW THAT THE NURSE IS IN THE RIGHT but the hospital put a stupid Policy down, and now a courageous person is holding their ground!!!!!!

It was like the Verbal Order and Phone Order. I worked at a hospital that WOULD NOT ALLOW VERBAL ORDERs, So Administration and the DON actually instructed the staff to write P.O. instead of V.O. just to comply with Joint Commision or the Hospital Association (Can't remember which that time).

Anyway, Cocky Dr. XXXXXX, (renowned for his self love and amazingly large Ego) enters the scene, and the Fearless Nurse XXXX jumps up, grabs his charts to start rounding with him (trying to catch up, because he just walks on the floor, and your supposed to know NOTHING YOUR DOING IS IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO NOT STOP EVERYTHING, GRAB ALL HIS CHARTs, AND FOLLOW!!!

He was very well instructed on this policy change (he was there nodding in understanding during the Quarterly Meeting),yet when he uttered his first orders of the day, he was rudely awakened to a small but yet towering nurse handing him the chart (she actually had it opened for him to the ORDERS page. HE WAS SHOCKED, ENRAGED, and a looked like a DEER IN THE HEADLIGHTs.

She wouldn't back down, He wouldn't back down. Result, . . .We are back to Verbal Orders. BUT IT WAS FUN TO UPHOLD A POLICY WHILE IT LASTED.

SOMETIMES THEY PUT DOWN THE POLICY TO PROTECT THEIRSELVES KNOWING IT IS UNHUMANE TO EXPECT FULL ADHERENCE TO IT, BUT WHEN THEY NEED TO GET YOU FOR SOMETHING ELSE, THEY GO TO THE ONES YOUR VIOLATING!!!!

BE COURAGEOUS, NEVER VIOLATE YOUR POLICY!!!!! Even if it's the Culture!!!!!!!!!

[imintrouble, BSN, RN]

First of all, the ER staff was out of line for trying to bully you into something that was against the rules. Good for you for standing firm.

I suspect the nurses were upset, because they themselves had to make choices about what rules they would bend or break to be able to get their jobs done. Some of us have to make choices about what shortcuts we can live with in order care for all the people assigned to us. Those choices sometimes make me very uncomfortable. I can see where those feelings would manifest into anger over the sitter who just gets to sit with one pt with their ethics intact.

I'm not excusing them. I 100% agree with your action.

I'm just playing devils' advocate.

[mindlor]

you did the right thing. I applaud you for advocating for your patient.

Very well done :)

[GitanoRN, BSN, MSN, RN]

i work as a patient safety attendant (sitter) in a hospital. i worked today in the er. i was given a suicidal patient. he was sleeping the whole time except when he had to speak to the doctor. the nurse gives me another patient next to him so i told him, i'm not allowed to sit with another patient because this patient i already have is suicidal. the nurse then gets very fresh with me saying, well here in the er you're allowed to sit 2:1. i told him i understand, but not when one patient is suicidal. he then says he will tell the charge nurse and i told him if he has any questions he can also speak to my supervisor. so the nurse goes and comes back with the transport person who works in the er to sit with that other patient. that nurse and the transport guy talk on the side saying how the patient i'm watching is sleeping, why it's so hard when all i do is just sit, etc, etc. i just sit quiet. then one of the doctors comes to that transport guy and asks why i can't sit with 2 of them since mine is just sleeping and says it's outrageous. he says he will tell the charge nurse. then in about 30 minutes, the charge nurse puts me in another room to watch a different patient while that transport guy took the suicidal patient i was watching along with the patient he got.

i understand that it's really busy in the er. other times i sat upto 3 people in the er which i didn't complain because none of them were suicidal. we had meetings regarding this and it's in the jcaho standards as well. why give me such a hard time?????

i applaud you :yeah: for standing your ground and for knowing the policy of 1:1 on a suicidal pt.

[NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN]

I used to be a sitter and you did the right thing. Suicidal patients have to have a one on one sitter that is in arms length at ALL times.

[zorabanks]

Policy is great, but in the "REAL" world it doesn't always "fit", for lack of a better word. Was there enough staff on duty that night for there to be 1:1 with a patient? Would you have been sitting in a location that you would have seen both patients? Sounds like the nurse did good by getting someone else to help when you refused. Because we work with people, things are not always "black & white". I don't know the whole situation, just my:twocents:.

[mindlor]

Policy is great, but in the "REAL" world it doesn't always "fit", for lack of a better word. Was there enough staff on duty that night for there to be 1:1 with a patient? Would you have been sitting in a location that you would have seen both patients? Sounds like the nurse did good by getting someone else to help when you refused. Because we work with people, things are not always "black & white". I don't know the whole situation, just my:twocents:.

If we keep letting management get away with inadequately staffing the units then we have only ourselves to blame for the results.....

[Guttercat, ASN, RN]

Whew. First, I'm very sorry you were caught in the middle of this.

It was right of you to stand your ground.

Helpful hint for future scenarios (and there will be) where you are caught in the middle: sometimes a certain type of artful diplomacy works best. In this case, I might have told the doctor and RN's something along these lines, "Look. I agree with you that this seems ridiculous, and I want to be of help to you, but my hands are literally tied. The policy states I only have one option here. How can we fix this in a way that none of us ends up in the ringer?"

This type of response endears a sense in your coworkers that:

1.) you are empathetic to their needs

2.) you are willing to be a part of the solution

3.) deflects the "blame game" away from you, where it does not belong