How to alert a medical professional about a patient while they are on break

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Psychiatricks

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I’m a recent medical graduate working on a inpatient child psych unit as a tech and had an overnight shift with a young nurse.

So shes the ONLY nurse on the unit and a young child wakes up out of bed C/O abdominal pain.

I knock on the door of the break room multiple times. No answer. I open the door and tried to use my voice. No answer. I had to touch her, damn near shake her to wake her up. She wakes startled because I “scared her”.

I tell her about the child, she quickly handles it and goes back to sleep in the break room. Then 10 - 15 minutes later and a female adolescent wakes up C/O of worsening abdominal pain.

I knock on the door twice. Didn’t hear anything and then proceeded to open the door thinking the nurse went back into deep sleep again. This time she opens the door from inside while I was trying to open it.

She handles the teenager and then comes to me and says in a less than friendly tone: “Don’t just open the door after knocking only twice, I’m on break. It’s disrespectful.”

Um what? So are “3 knocks” the magic number? Send help. Is there a certain way to handle this situation moving forward or is she just crazy?


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How many times is she on break? And I'm surprised that there's no break nurse? I'd check up on the rules and regulations. At least on the regular inpatient wards where I work, there is ALWAYS a nurse available. When the nurse takes a break, there is a designated nurse who receives signout and covers. If this young nurse is sleeping on the job, that would be a serious issue.

Because the way it's sounding is that there's no nurse to cover her for an emergency and she doesn't want to be bothered while on break. I'd speak to the manager about protocol and go from there.
 
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I’m a recent medical graduate working on a inpatient child psych unit as a tech and had an overnight shift with a young nurse (she gave off this ‘hater’ vibe like if she wanted to be a doctor but couldn’t or didn’t go for it or something ever since I met her).

So shes the ONLY nurse on the unit and a young child wakes up out of bed C/O abdominal pain.

I knock on the door of the break room multiple times. No answer. I open the door and tried to use my voice. No answer. I had to touch her, damn near shake her to wake her up. She wakes startled because I “scared her”.

I tell her about the child, she quickly handles it and goes back to sleep in the break room. Then 10 - 15 minutes later and a female adolescent wakes up C/O of worsening abdominal pain.

I knock on the door twice. Didn’t hear anything and then proceeded to open the door thinking the nurse went back into deep sleep again. This time she opens the door from inside while I was trying to open it.

She handles the teenager and then comes to me and says in a less than friendly tone: “Don’t just open the door after knocking only twice, I’m on break. It’s disrespectful.”

Um what? So are “3 knocks” the magic number? Send help. Is there a certain way to handle this situation moving forward or is she just crazy?


Thanks
It may be less about the knocking and more about your interactions. You seem to openly not like this person and gave a needlessly personal prediction of why their personality doesn’t appeal to you (it’s also a bit odd to bust on them for not making it when you are working as a tech with a medical degree)

Be careful that when working as a tech that you act like a tech and don’t let your medical degree allow to inflate your place on the floor.

Just a chance for some self reflection
 
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This sounds like a very poor staffing issue. Long before medical school, I worked in a psychiatriac inpatient ward, and a nurse and a CNA was always paired up. During the day, there were several teams of nurses and CNAs. During the night, there were less teams, but they took turns whenever one team took their break.
 
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It may be less about the knocking and more about your interactions. You seem to openly not like this person and gave a needlessly personal prediction of why their personality doesn’t appeal to you (it’s also a bit odd to bust on them for not making it when you are working as a tech with a medical degree)

Be careful that when working as a tech that you act like a tech and don’t let your medical degree allow to inflate your place on the floor.

Just a chance for some self reflection

I worked as a tech throughout medical school, I start residency next year. No need to pass judgement on my part. I’m super friendly and humble at work. The workers told everyone I was a medical student. I don’t inflate anything and I know my place. But if one disrespects me or makes me feel uncomfortable on the job... I will say so.
 
She’s a nurse not a medical professional. Don’t give them bigger heads than they already have
 
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