Running the show
I've been placed as the charge nurse the last few days I've been at work. I'm not going to lie; at times, it has been really challenging. On top of my day-to-day duties comes overseeing everyone else's day-to-day duties, helping out when I can, getting our referrals people off my back every 5 seconds, patients seeking me out for...whatever they want and doing what I can to ensure that everyone is on the same page and not freaking out. All the while I'm internally freaking out (at times), not letting anyone else see that. I've learned that very quickly on when you're in charge, you're also in charge of how the unit is going to be run.
I'm a big fan of the show ER. One of my favorite moments in the show is in the very first episode. A nurse on staff near the end of a busy day is brought in after a suicide attempt. Emotions run high and many of the other staff are upset, some are angry, some are asking "why did she do it?" Dr. Greene, who at the time is the chief resident (who later on becomes an attending in the show) is trying to manage that and still run the department. The head of the department confronts him and tells him "you set the tone." After that, Dr. Greene is able to get everyone focused and ultimately the nurse survives. During the show's 15 season run, "you set the tone" is said two other times, a passing of the torch so to speak, and its meaning, though quite simple, shows vast significance. I've had to remind myself so many times in my short stint as charge that I set the tone. Others, staff and patients, are going to be looking to me for guidance, answers and advice.
I've worked with a charge nurse who questioned me after I brought a sick patient (detoxing) their medications to their room instead of making them come up to the window to get them.
I've worked with a charge nurse who when I tried to help them out told me to basically not bother anymore and was extremely rude to me the rest of the day (and to everyone else for that matter).
I've worked with a charge nurse who instead of pulling an ancillary staff to sit on a newly inquired constant observation, pulled me from my 6 patient assignment, told me to divide my assignment to the other two nurses and had me sit on the constant observation.
I've worked with a charge nurse who I saw (repeatedly) withhold medications from detoxing patients because their opinion was "addiction is a choice and they need to suffer the consequences."
I've worked with a charge nurse who on my first day of orientation, refused to train me.
The saying holds true that with any place that provides a service (hospital, hotel, restaurant), that they will tell anyone and everyone about any negative experience they had. They'll tell their friends, their neighbors, significant others, co-workers "oh don't go here and here's why." I'm not going to lie, in my years as a nurse sometimes I inwardly cringed when I've worked with some charge nurses, usually because I'll be dumped with work or their presentation turns the unit upside down. I don't want to be remembered that way. I want the tone I set to be a pleasant one, one that reflects not only Christ but my character as well. I can only hope and pray I serve my unit well.
I'm a big fan of the show ER. One of my favorite moments in the show is in the very first episode. A nurse on staff near the end of a busy day is brought in after a suicide attempt. Emotions run high and many of the other staff are upset, some are angry, some are asking "why did she do it?" Dr. Greene, who at the time is the chief resident (who later on becomes an attending in the show) is trying to manage that and still run the department. The head of the department confronts him and tells him "you set the tone." After that, Dr. Greene is able to get everyone focused and ultimately the nurse survives. During the show's 15 season run, "you set the tone" is said two other times, a passing of the torch so to speak, and its meaning, though quite simple, shows vast significance. I've had to remind myself so many times in my short stint as charge that I set the tone. Others, staff and patients, are going to be looking to me for guidance, answers and advice.
I've worked with a charge nurse who questioned me after I brought a sick patient (detoxing) their medications to their room instead of making them come up to the window to get them.
I've worked with a charge nurse who when I tried to help them out told me to basically not bother anymore and was extremely rude to me the rest of the day (and to everyone else for that matter).
I've worked with a charge nurse who instead of pulling an ancillary staff to sit on a newly inquired constant observation, pulled me from my 6 patient assignment, told me to divide my assignment to the other two nurses and had me sit on the constant observation.
I've worked with a charge nurse who I saw (repeatedly) withhold medications from detoxing patients because their opinion was "addiction is a choice and they need to suffer the consequences."
I've worked with a charge nurse who on my first day of orientation, refused to train me.
The saying holds true that with any place that provides a service (hospital, hotel, restaurant), that they will tell anyone and everyone about any negative experience they had. They'll tell their friends, their neighbors, significant others, co-workers "oh don't go here and here's why." I'm not going to lie, in my years as a nurse sometimes I inwardly cringed when I've worked with some charge nurses, usually because I'll be dumped with work or their presentation turns the unit upside down. I don't want to be remembered that way. I want the tone I set to be a pleasant one, one that reflects not only Christ but my character as well. I can only hope and pray I serve my unit well.
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