I know I'm biased but why is it always a "nursing solution?"

It takes phlebotomy too long to draw their labs…
Nurses can draw from IV's…
yes we can…
And we did!

It takes too long for lab to run the test, get an iStat, the nurses can run the tests...
it only takes 2 minutes (per test, run 3 or 4 at a time)...
so we did!

It takes respiratory too long to do nebulizer treatments, SO teach the nurses how, its easy, they can do it…
and you can get the gas while you are there…
yep, it became our job!

In addition, we did the EKG's too.
gave the bed pan,
emptied the urinal and changed the wet bed,
completed vitals,
administered medications
answered the phone,
answered the other nurses call light
and assisted the doctor with procedures!

The director says.." We can't get patients moved through the department, we are backed up, so we can treat the patients in hall beds and move them to rooms when we get time and space."

Yes, ...They did that...
So we had these people in the halls to take care of and 4 new patients in the available room, but still one nurse!

Then The director said, "We can't get patients moved through the department, we are backed up. They are low acuity patients, the nurse can take 6 rather than 4. It's not that much more"
….but do they help with these "low" acuity patients?
They don't, because they have no clue what we really do!

Administration complaints...."Our customer service scores are low, what should we do?!?
Let's do a customer service inservice and teach the nurses to "talk up" their relief and "narrate the care". It will only take a few minutes to update the white board! "
I never had time to write on that board!

We have too many secretaries, they have too much down time.
The nurses can fill in their own animal bite report forms and EMTALA, it won't take that much time, it’s just a form.

It's taking too much time to get patients in the computer and registration is short staffed.
The nurses can do it, it won't take more than a moment.
It doesn't matter that [the patient] just arrived, they need to be undressed, given oxygen an IV, get labs drawn, get put on a monitor, get an EKG, get a warm blanket, explain it all to the family….. and get that chart made that the physician is waiting for!

SEPSIS ALERT or HEART ALERT or TRAUMA ALERT or STROKE ALERT or RASPBERRY JELLY ALERT!!!!!
There are tons of data points we have to get 100% accurate so we maintain our accreditation so make sure you get all the stuff documented correctly, and can you make sure the patient stays alive, and oh hey, by the way, no one is going to cover your assignment while you are on this ALERT PT because we are short staffed-so when you’re done with that. now you have to come back and catch up with everything your other patients need and listen to a family member scream at you, because they have been waiting!

Oh sorry, and by the way we don't really have staff to give you any sort of break or lunch again, but we aren't going to let anyone wait in the waiting area because of the wait time on the sign and the suite execs will get an email and I don't want to have to worry about that....
while the manager sits at the desk, staring at the computer and wants to know, what's taking us so long!

And we aren't really going to pay you that much to work odd hours, bounce back and forth between days, evenings, and nights, make you work every other weekend, and take holidays every other year.
And when we are short staffed, THEN we can pay you more, but only after we guilt you into coming in to work hours 49 thru 60 this week.
Or is that because they have to, by law, not because of appreciation?

We have a lot of patients to go to their beds and to CT and x-ray and ultrasound and we don't have techs or transport folks.
The nurses can take them, it will only take a minute.
And while you are there., give report,. No more phone call reports, face to face is better ...
but you now have a new patient waiting in that room-so don't be long!

I know you just discharged a pt, and sent 1 upstairs, and have 1 with an IV pump beeping, and then there is the 1 that's really sick, but we have an ambulance coming and I don't have another bed, so I need you to take that pt in that room.
Yes, I know it isn't clean, can you just run in there and clean it real quick please? Don't write an occurrence report either, because we will have to address that and make up a corrective action plan with risk management.
We need to do it this way so, the ambulance can unload and we can keep our good reputation with the local EMS folks.

And we give the doctors and NPs and PAs and EMS folks free food, snacks, and drinks.
But please don't eat the sandwiches or snacks for the patients, they are expensive and we cant bill for them, so we lose money on those. And we know you don't have time to take a break, but no drinks are allowed at your station. It doesn't look good to the patients.

It has been a pet peeve of mine for many years that the Nurse is the solution to every problem.
It makes me tired mentally and physically. I know what nursing was when I started and its very disappointing now...
because someone that got a degree in management, that gets bonuses, a car, gas allowances and a big pay check and walks around like a dictator.... is making the decisions of what nurses can do and can't do, but they couldn't do what they demand of us, themselves!

This is one big reason for the nursing shortages!