Worn Out

Are you kidding you said exactly what I am feeling. I am done.....I have gone PRN. I have a viseral reaction to having to go to work. I am tired. Things are unsafe, they do not really care, patients suffer...I am done!

i have only been working 8 months and i love/hate my job and i am PRN. haha!

I do feel the same way about overly demanding patients, but I do tidy patients rooms for them. If they have leftover dinner trays I will remove them, linen bags overflowing I will put up new ones or change the trash in the bathroom, etc. I do not feel that it is "my job" to do this, but if the room is BAD I will do what I can or page housekeeping. As far as playing "waitress" I absolutely agree. Our refreshment room is open to family so they can get their own/or the family can get it for them. I will get them something IF I am getting meds (yea I will bring back a coke) but I make it VERY clear that the doctor wants them out of bed doing everything for themselves. I tell them where the refreshment room is and they can help themselves that I will not respond to a page for ice/cokes/yogurt that YOUR DOCTOR WANTS YOU OUT OF BED. Of course this is adjusted if the patient is a C-Section, but if the room is overflowing with family-I involve them in her care.

I too have been worn out by catering to their every whim and desire. I do not feel I am doing anything wrong by informing patients of what I expect of them. I am not trying to be Nurse Ratchett but with 4-5 couplets we don't have time to everything for everyone.

Sadly we have no aids so we do our job as RN's AND we also pass trays, pick up dirty trays, change linens, take out the linen bags, grrrr...makes me wonder.

Well I tried to post and it got stuck sorry LOL, if it double posts thats why.

Anyway, I'm fairly new, graduated in July of last year and have been in my postpartum position for a little over 3 months now but on our unit for whatever reason we do not have aids so the RN's and LPN's on duty have our couplets (usually 4-6 couplets) AND we do all our own vitals, pass trays, pick up trays, change linens, take the stupid linen bag to the chute, don't know why housekeeping doesn't do that part at least but anyway - yeah its ridiculous to have all those things going on b/c then it means less time to talk with our patients. But I put those things down on my priority list. If nutrition gets mad b/c the trays aren't picked up, well too bad - my patient needed help breastfeeding and was to the point of tears and needed one on one time, that is more important, the trays can be picked up later.

But yeah I do get frustrated about the get this and get that people. I am still new and haven't got the cahones yet to say go get it yourself but I haven't had too many super needy patienets yet, though i work this weekend so I'll probably get them since I said that LOL!