It’s an old concept. But in today’s economy, this non-revolutionary idea is really taking off. And in what better profession to do this than nursing? Hospitals can save lots of money, which will save lots of nursing jobs. So it’s really for our own benefit. Isn’t it?
And what’s the big deal anyway. Nurse shmurse, we’re all the same. Right?
For example, I’ll start with my own personal favorite specialty: Med Surg.
Snooty-tootie ICU nurses, who think they are G-d’s gift to humankind (second to neuro and cardiac surgeons) may need therapy to handle such devastating and shocking news, but these two departments are basically same thing.
Med Surg nurses: have 7 pts, 2 tubes apiece
ICU nurses: 2 pts, 7 tubes apiece
My second favorite unit was Telemetry. Now, cardiac and telemetry units might seem a bit daunting for nurses without that background. But really. Note:
Cardiac/ Tele: Much time is spent deciphering funny little squiggles called ‘heart rhythms.’
Any kind of nursing: Much time is spent deciphering funny little squiggles called ‘Physician Handwriting.’ (OK, maybe in this age of computer charting there’s not as much as there used to be.)
Now, I did spend some time trying to be an ED nurse. Approximately 15 minutes. It felt like 15 years though. And while I saw within those 15 minutes that I personally was not cut out to be an ED nurse, I still admire their prenatal-through-peds-through-geriatric skills. I do think, though, that most nurses with any background can handle it. Except me.
For example, ED nurses learn how to assess patients even when it is rather difficult, as they are often noncompliant, even screaming, flailing and combative.
Well then, Peds and Psych nurses will do just fine.
Oncology nurses deal much of the time with dangerous fluids that could even be lethal if they are not handled properly.
By golly, so do ED nurses! Well, we– I mean they— deal with patients who deal much of the time with those fluids that are dangerous and lethal if not handled properly.
And just as Oncology nurses know to use gear like special gowns, masks and gloves when dealing with those fluids, ED nurses know to use gear like Haldol, Ativan, and sometimes even restraints when dealing with those patients who deal with those fluids.
I am, at this time, hopefully temporarily, a QA nurse. Rather tedious, staring for hours at charts, wishing I could spend time with patients, missing the old days of hospital nursing. I’ve been told all that all hospital nurses these days do— and miss— the very same stuff.
Operating Room nurses are amazingly skilled and technologically advanced professionals. Their competence is not appreciated directly by their patients, who are not remotely aware of the care they are receiving.
NICU nurses: see above.
Actually, let’s forget about skills and training for a minute. There are really several hospital staff members who, despite different levels of training, still share several traits in common.
For example:
Interns- we can’t believe that some of these actually finished med school!
Residents- we can’t believe that some of these finished internship!
Surgeons- we can’t believe their egos never came back to earth after internship and residency!
And, hey wait a minute. We can save our hospitals lotttts of money. After all, we nurses could be cross-trained for not just nursing specialties but for several hospital department! Can’t you picture a memo like this coming from Administration one of these days?
Memo to All Administrative Staff:
As we are all aware, the economy has had drastic effects on our hospital budget. And drastic effects on hospital budgets demand drastic measures.
Nurses are skilled and competent professionals and no one recognizes it more than we do. Starting now, nurses will be floated within all departments/units—including Psych, L&D, ED, NICU, etc., — without any further training or orientation. Period.
In addition, time has come to implement inter-departmental floating. We will be starting this policy with nursing and pharmacy.
Nurses and pharmacists will now be required to work in whichever of these two departments need staff. After all, nurses are just nurses. They just ‘do bedpans’ all day. And pharmacists just‘put pills in bottles’. Same difference.
(Note to pharmacists with no sense of humor: I’m joking. Two of my best nieces who are pharmacists, OK?)
Coming soon to an inter-office memo near you. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
