work frustrations
I hardly know anyone with a perfect job. That's why they call it "WORK", not "PLAY". My job suits me just fine, and I've been a nurse 30 years. This particular position has been mine for 15 of those years, but it is certainly not a stagnant entity, in its description or requirements. I'm a nurse. I take care of patients. That's the bottom line. For the first several years in this job I worked 2 weeks in first recovery where people were awakening from unconsciousness and 2 in second recovery where people were getting ready to go home. It was Day Surgery. We had
Tonsils, Teeth and Toenails". Minor surgeries that anyone could go home from after an hour or two.
An independent day surgery unit opened just down the street, so they do a mojority of those little cases now. So we started doing bigger cases to keep our O.R.'s busy. And many of those patients would go home as well. But many had to be wheeled to the hospital adjacent to us to spend the night. (We're all the same hospital, just our building is connected by an above ground tunnel.) So eventually they decided that since so many bigger cases were being done in our little unit, and the main surgery was not being utilized fully since so many day surgeries were being done in our unit and the place down the street, that we should merge.
In January all the surgeries began to be done in the "Main O.R." Anyone having surgery minor enough to go home from would come back through the tunnel to us to get ready for discharge. It's a crazy system. Pre-op now gets all patients ready in our building, trucks them all to the main and half of them truck back to go home.
Then the nursing shortage hit us in all it's force. This is a large hospital with lots of rooms, many beds, sheets on those beds, and supplies to take care of a large number of patients easily. Only there aren't enough nurses to keep all those beds open. Any patient who is even remotely a candidate for going home after the surgery comes back to us. No matter if it takes all day and they have to sit in a recliner until they feel like going. No matter if all our recliners are full and we have to spill out into the room that used to be first recovery. No matter if we had to stay overtime to wait for them to feel better. No matter if we had plans that evening. No matter if we thought we'd like to have a life outside the hospital. The patients could not go back to the hospital to stay in a room for 24 or so hours because there were no rooms available. (No nurses available) So we stay later and later. We try to rotate shifts so some can go home on time and the others can be on overtime. But even the early nurses are stuck there if there's a room full of patients waiting to meet discharge qualifications.
MEANWHILE somewhere during all this we changed our "Treatment Room" functioning from little injections for pain done by an anesthesiologist, to chemotherapy, blood transfusions, antibiotic infusions, other injections not paid for by insurance or not covered if done in doctor's offices. We have 6 recliners, can squeeze one more in the middle of the room, and can spread out into pre-op if they have room or into one of the vacant O.R.'s if needed. The chemo and blood transfusions could be done with a patient in a bed, but once again, there are no beds (NO NURSES). We have been able to increase our treatment room staff from one to three nurses. After all it is a Mon-Fri job, 8 hours a day. That's technically 8 hours a day. I've worked 5 hours overtime already and haven't gone in yet today. I'm helping in the treatment room while a new nurse is orienting. I just pray she doesn't get as disillusioned as I am any time soon.
OH! One major frustration is the computerized paper work. Here's one example: Yesterday a doctor's office called and asked if we could do a Deca-Durabolin injection. Simple intramuscular shot. Insurance won't cover it to be done there. So I said OK. I spent 15 minutes asking the patient about his whole history, allergies, a page for a list of medications taken at home, including the name of his pharmacy with address and phone#, a page for pain evaluation vital signs before and after, then after he leaves, I have to go enter it all in the computer. There's a screen for vitals, a screen for admission, including who to contact in case of emergency (forgot to ask that) a screen for assessment. AND THE SCREEN FOR THE INJECTION DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A SELECTION FOR WHERE I GAVE THE SHOT. So I have to do a type written narritive.
Did I mention that I need to be at a wedding rehearsal at 6:00 tonight? I hope I can make it. I work 8:30 to 5:00, but I got off at 7:00 two nights this week.
We even have our annual inventory after all the patients are gone tonight.
I am so frustrated. I'm having a hot flash. I will be late to work if I keep typing.
Sharon. I think you're the only one who reads this. Sorry about the rant.
Tonsils, Teeth and Toenails". Minor surgeries that anyone could go home from after an hour or two.
An independent day surgery unit opened just down the street, so they do a mojority of those little cases now. So we started doing bigger cases to keep our O.R.'s busy. And many of those patients would go home as well. But many had to be wheeled to the hospital adjacent to us to spend the night. (We're all the same hospital, just our building is connected by an above ground tunnel.) So eventually they decided that since so many bigger cases were being done in our little unit, and the main surgery was not being utilized fully since so many day surgeries were being done in our unit and the place down the street, that we should merge.
In January all the surgeries began to be done in the "Main O.R." Anyone having surgery minor enough to go home from would come back through the tunnel to us to get ready for discharge. It's a crazy system. Pre-op now gets all patients ready in our building, trucks them all to the main and half of them truck back to go home.
Then the nursing shortage hit us in all it's force. This is a large hospital with lots of rooms, many beds, sheets on those beds, and supplies to take care of a large number of patients easily. Only there aren't enough nurses to keep all those beds open. Any patient who is even remotely a candidate for going home after the surgery comes back to us. No matter if it takes all day and they have to sit in a recliner until they feel like going. No matter if all our recliners are full and we have to spill out into the room that used to be first recovery. No matter if we had to stay overtime to wait for them to feel better. No matter if we had plans that evening. No matter if we thought we'd like to have a life outside the hospital. The patients could not go back to the hospital to stay in a room for 24 or so hours because there were no rooms available. (No nurses available) So we stay later and later. We try to rotate shifts so some can go home on time and the others can be on overtime. But even the early nurses are stuck there if there's a room full of patients waiting to meet discharge qualifications.
MEANWHILE somewhere during all this we changed our "Treatment Room" functioning from little injections for pain done by an anesthesiologist, to chemotherapy, blood transfusions, antibiotic infusions, other injections not paid for by insurance or not covered if done in doctor's offices. We have 6 recliners, can squeeze one more in the middle of the room, and can spread out into pre-op if they have room or into one of the vacant O.R.'s if needed. The chemo and blood transfusions could be done with a patient in a bed, but once again, there are no beds (NO NURSES). We have been able to increase our treatment room staff from one to three nurses. After all it is a Mon-Fri job, 8 hours a day. That's technically 8 hours a day. I've worked 5 hours overtime already and haven't gone in yet today. I'm helping in the treatment room while a new nurse is orienting. I just pray she doesn't get as disillusioned as I am any time soon.
OH! One major frustration is the computerized paper work. Here's one example: Yesterday a doctor's office called and asked if we could do a Deca-Durabolin injection. Simple intramuscular shot. Insurance won't cover it to be done there. So I said OK. I spent 15 minutes asking the patient about his whole history, allergies, a page for a list of medications taken at home, including the name of his pharmacy with address and phone#, a page for pain evaluation vital signs before and after, then after he leaves, I have to go enter it all in the computer. There's a screen for vitals, a screen for admission, including who to contact in case of emergency (forgot to ask that) a screen for assessment. AND THE SCREEN FOR THE INJECTION DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A SELECTION FOR WHERE I GAVE THE SHOT. So I have to do a type written narritive.
Did I mention that I need to be at a wedding rehearsal at 6:00 tonight? I hope I can make it. I work 8:30 to 5:00, but I got off at 7:00 two nights this week.
We even have our annual inventory after all the patients are gone tonight.
I am so frustrated. I'm having a hot flash. I will be late to work if I keep typing.
Sharon. I think you're the only one who reads this. Sorry about the rant.
posted by mezzonurse @ 4:58 AM
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