Why are some RNs rarely busy, while others are always busy

[DesiDani]

Is the RN who is not busy all the time a better nurse, more organized, and efficient? Or is the busy RN the better nurse? I've seen RNs who are never busy, but others nurses say they are horrible nurses.

[caliotter3]

17 minutes ago, meanmaryjean said:

I used to work with a nurse who spent the FIRST hour of her shift having breakfast, a second cup of coffee and schmoozing with her co-workers - and the LAST hour of her shift begging for help because she was so hopelessly behind.

I posted before about the nurse who sat at the nurses station eating her breakfast while a patient's family member stood in front of her. She wouldn't look up at the woman.

[Wuzzie]

I used to subscribe to the “less lean, more clean” until I realized the more I cleaned the more others leaned. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll throw myself in to help someone who’s drowning but I won’t be taken advantage of.

[Davey Do]

It doesn't matter if you win or lose, it's how you look playing the game...

12 hours ago, amoLucia said:

just to follow behind that person and you'll soon come to your own conclusions!

...unless you get caught, of course!

[amoLucia]

7 hours ago, meanmaryjean said:

I used to work with a nurse who spent the FIRST hour of her shift having breakfast, a second cup of coffee and schmoozing with her co-workers - and the LAST hour of her shift begging for help because she was so hopelessly behind.

Did we work at the same place? No, wait. I worked LTC/NH.

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

9 hours ago, meanmaryjean said:

I used to work with a nurse who spent the FIRST hour of her shift having breakfast, a second cup of coffee and schmoozing with her co-workers - and the LAST hour of her shift begging for help because she was so hopelessly behind.

I worked with that same nurse. Except this continued all day long. She was to busy chatting with family members, other staff or even management to actually do the job she was paid to do. She spent so much time complaining about how much she had to do she would have had it done 10 times over if she would have just done it instead of wasting so much time complaining about doing it. Of course she was hopelessly behind by mid day without a snowball's chance of ever catching up. For awhile I helped her, not for her sake but because I felt bad for her residents. I felt particularly bad for one alert, oriented diabetic resident that was damn tired of not getting her AM blood sugar checked until after she already had breakfast and often not getting her morning insulin until right before lunch. Of course by this nurses way of thinking then it was "too soon" to give her more insulin so she frequently skipped the lunch insulin altogether. I have no idea how she documented this or even if she did since to my knowledge nothing was ever said to her about it. I feel awful for whatever poor nurse was stuck following her! When I left that job she was still there and as far as I know remains there. I'm just glad I no longer have to deal with the frustration of working with her.

[KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN]

10 hours ago, meanmaryjean said:

I used to work with a nurse who spent the FIRST hour of her shift having breakfast, a second cup of coffee and schmoozing with her co-workers - and the LAST hour of her shift begging for help because she was so hopelessly behind.

That gal must be taking PRN assignments like crazy. She seems to be everywhere at once, I worked with her as well.

[ILRNfor10]

On 4/11/2020 at 9:10 PM, K+MgSO4 said:

Agree.

Totally agree! some nurses are super frazzled everyday, every shift, no matter what their assignment is. It's totally a personality thing!

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

32 minutes ago, KatieMI said:

That gal must be taking PRN assignments like crazy. She seems to be everywhere at once, I worked with her as well.

Yep, she was here in Indiana for a while, working with me. That nurse is everywhere!

[amoLucia]

I thought she was in NJ, but it must have been another close relative.

[CommunityRNBSN, BSN, RN]

While I am suspicious of people sitting around... I am FAR MORE suspicious of people who constantly talk about how swamped they are! There are one or two nurses at my current job who go on and on and on about how many phone calls they need to make (we are outpatient), how many documents are piling up... I always have a great desire to say “Well maybe you need to stop talking about it, and go tackle some of your tasks!”

[amoLucia]

Boy! That nurse must have that multi-state compact license!

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

12 hours ago, meanmaryjean said:

I used to work with a nurse who spent the FIRST hour of her shift having breakfast, a second cup of coffee and schmoozing with her co-workers - and the LAST hour of her shift begging for help because she was so hopelessly behind.

I hope no one rescued her.

I used to work with a nurse like this. An Assistant Head Nurse, no less. Every day she and 3 of the aides would breakfast together, off of the floor, for a good half hour or more. Then they would later take lunch. The nurse was personable, just a bloodsucker as far as stealing time and letting the weight fall on those of us who were trying to set up and pass meds, while there was no one to answer the lights.

A damn shame the Head Nurse never set her straight.