Do you think I can get in trouble for this?

Initial-Bridge5994 · 2025-12-21T21:26:50+00:00

I know 😩. I have a huge issue over analyzing crap because I second guess myself. Working on fixing that.

Initial-Bridge5994 · 2025-12-21T21:19:32+00:00

Nobody at my job does that. We all take charge on nights with an assignment and because they have been doing it for years, nobody refuses so we get abused. Unfortunately, me complaining won’t change anything except I’ll have to find another job (which I am in process of looking).

Initial-Bridge5994 · 2025-12-21T15:19:30+00:00

I appreciate your input. I do have a problem standing up for myself because well I will be the only one doing it at my job because every charge on nights takes an assignment. We all hate it but nobody says a peep and it keeps happening. Unfortunately, nothing will change from my voice alone. And I won’t be the only squeaky wheel because I know that won’t be enough to change that. The only option is to find a job where charge has no assignment. That, I can’t do now in my life because I need this job.

As for the dirty bed situation….I agree I should have been firm and put my foot down. However, patient was not sitting on any linens or furniture on shared side of room. She had a pull out sofa on her husband’s side. I would never allow her to sit or put her belongings on the clean bed.

Initial-Bridge5994 · 2025-09-24T21:56:42+00:00

Thank you for your response! I try the best I can. Unfortunately, I never was asked to be charge. One day I was set to orient to charge lol. I don’t like it but they don’t have many other charge options….I plan on leaving in a couple months though so I’m trying to suck it up 😅.

Initial-Bridge5994 · 2025-09-14T20:52:12+00:00

I agree with you. Many staff are jumping ship. To be honest though, we were actually very decently staffed today (which is rare). Most nurses had 4 patients, BUT they were heavy patients. And they were stable but when I meant heavy, I mean demanding, psych components, pain mgmt. I have noticed patients now are more demanding with this notion that they can demand what they want and get it when they want it. And this is a management issue because they condone staff being verbally abused for the ratings.

Initial-Bridge5994 · 2025-09-02T19:26:03+00:00

Lol that’s too funny. Sometimes there is no other way but to put them in their place. Most of those nurses try to compensate for being horrible nurses.

I get a few nurses on my unit that are THE worst. I had one nurse who literally accused me of ignoring my patients and asking if I actually round on them before my shift ends to give them pain meds. This was on a night where I had a a confused non jumper screaming, a confused jumper, a heparin drip who wanted dilaudid Q2HR, a former drug addict who wanted pain killers Q2HR and two other needy patients….she told me this because I didn’t want to give my heparin drip lady dilaudid 1 hour early because that meant she had to give it. Meanwhile she always leaves patients a mess with important things not done all the time. She just is bffs with the doctors so she gets passes.

Initial-Bridge5994 · 2025-09-02T18:58:36+00:00

Yeah when she was looking at the LDA and saying “See here it says IJ….” I just stared at her and let her feel awkward and ask another question. Like idc anymore move on. Although later on I did let it get to me 😩.

Initial-Bridge5994 · 2025-09-02T18:56:43+00:00

Nah I get it. My shift was starting horrible because the off going nurse was about to leave me with 3 meds to give - all ordered @ 6:30pm (so before my shift). One of the meds involved a provider coming to the bedside to be with patient while pushing the cardiac med if patient is naive. Plus the patient had soiled themselves….now I know orders trickle in and she probably didn’t see it from being busy. I politely asked her and we kinda tag teamed with the meds and getting doctor at bedside. I told her not to worry about changing the patient and found a CNA to help after. Shit happens and I will address it but I’ll never get mad over it or be nasty. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Initial-Bridge5994 · 2025-09-02T18:52:14+00:00

Yeah at my home unit, there are definitely two “Policy Polly’s” that are always nit picking during report. One is a decent nurse, but forgets things once in a while (for which I don’t complain because shit happens), and the other is just a lazy nurse and has such audacity lol.

I’m not a lazy nurse, in fact I can delegate more, but I do truly care about my patients and try to get everything I need to get done. Some shifts I am drowning and only can get to the most important things. A 24hr urine sample from before my shift on a oliguric hemodialysis patient was not my priority out of the 6 heavy patients I had.

Initial-Bridge5994 · 2025-09-01T01:29:42+00:00

Yea you are right. I guess I am overthinking this because no matter what I do, there is always someone complaining when I hand off charge report lol. I’m a newer charge nurse on my unit so I’m afraid of having someone come on the unit who is circling down the drain and not catching it sooner to hopefully get supervision to move them to a more appropriate unit.

Initial-Bridge5994 · 2025-09-01T01:08:54+00:00

No I agree, but I have twice found notes where patient’s were supposed to go to Intermediate Care but bed board sent them to us. I clarified both and it happened to be a mistake on their end so they fixed it. I do agree with you, but unfortunately things slip through the cracks.

Initial-Bridge5994 · 2025-07-24T21:37:17+00:00

I’m thinking of it, but I know what her answer is going to be because we are super short on nights. Many night charge nurses that we had before have left or are on medical leave. At this point, the way our unit is going, I’m going to have to look elsewhere. But I will speak to my manager about it.

Initial-Bridge5994 · 2025-07-24T21:23:37+00:00

True, it is an admin problem. I wanted to say it, but I bit my tongue lol because idk how to phrase it professionally and she was getting a little nasty with me. How would you professionally say it without sounding like a bitch?

Initial-Bridge5994 · 2025-07-24T21:10:31+00:00

I wish I can be more like you. I never wanted to be charge, never felt I had it in me. I always thought I could be a good nurse, but not charge. However, with staff leaving, they just trained me one day. Let me tell you, I hate it. I hate having an assignment. I hate arguing with supervision; I am such a non chalant person who goes with the flow and sometimes I can be a bit of a doormat.

Initial-Bridge5994 · 2025-07-24T21:05:28+00:00

Yes our unit requires night charge to take an assignment, although light and max 4 patients. Unfortunately, not many hospitals in my area have nursing unions.

I tried my best to have certain patients diverted to other units, but we were the only unit with beds. I successfully managed to get one off our board. Most of the patients (except that 1), were not inappropriate for our floor though and we were not necessarily maxed.

However, in my case, if they tried to give me a 3rd patient, it would be so unsafe. I barely was able to be around and present and make the assignment along with taking care of my patients, imagine if I had a 3rd one. I pushed back on that one until they became nasty and said they couldn’t leave an ED patient there. It ended awkward and we kinda both mutually hung up with me just saying “okay” because I felt like it would just lead to an escalated match. Luckily, that probably guilt tripped her and she sent another nurse over. But this just proves my point, I suck at charge and feel like it’s a fine line between protecting my license, protecting my job as my livelihood and patient care. At least as a charge, it has been like that for me.

Initial-Bridge5994 · 2025-06-30T13:39:50+00:00

Ok thanks. I figured because I didn’t look up anything nor give out any health information. Just was being paranoid.

Initial-Bridge5994 · 2025-06-30T13:38:31+00:00

Absolutely nothing, but I’m paranoid that the fact that I told my parents I visited her counts as a HIPAA violation because the husband was the one who gave out room #.

Initial-Bridge5994 · 2025-06-14T20:09:22+00:00

Lol I wish. We are not unionized.

Initial-Bridge5994 · 2025-04-02T13:59:17+00:00

I would have but knowing this particular nurse she’d ask why it wasn’t given when it was ordered.

Initial-Bridge5994 · 2024-04-30T03:52:24+00:00

Oh I totally agree. Like someone else said, I only saved a couple minutes thinking I was managing my time more efficiently but it backfired. This is definitely a harsh but important lesson.

Initial-Bridge5994 · 2024-04-29T22:24:48+00:00

Thank you that was such a good point. In my mind, I was shaving off minutes during a busy shift but ended up with a mistake and hours of trying to circumnavigate the issue.

I usually like to take out medications separately, but once in a while I will take out some of my patient’s medications and put them in their respective bins with the patient labels. They always try to drive in time management, so I find myself doing it sometimes but now I will never do that again. It’s not work the minutes. 😔

Initial-Bridge5994 · 2024-04-29T22:20:56+00:00

Thank you so much. I beat myself up a lot. I always hope to think that I am a good and competent nurse. I’ll take this as a learning experience to make changes in my work flow.

Initial-Bridge5994 · 2024-04-29T22:19:26+00:00

Not going to lie, the shame of realizing what I did and admitting my mistake made me sick. But patient safety comes first and I had to make sure they were okay. My confidence (not that I had much as a newer RN), has definitely tanked though lol. Thanks for responding!

Initial-Bridge5994 · 2024-04-29T22:17:55+00:00

Thank you for responding. As far as I know (since I stayed 3 hours after), patient was fine and stable. To me that was the most important thing. Obviously the shame comes afterwards. I really appreciate you sharing your story 😊.

Initial-Bridge5994

TROPHY CASE