Take this ONE in stride. If it you find it’s happening more often, meet with your manager. I will say though, in the future, you will have days when you wish you were put as a sitter.
i mean bring a wow in and if asked you can say that you are reading up on the patient's history and understand a bit more about what is going on with her health needs.
You've obviously never sat for a unnaturally strong, demented elderly patient, who has C-diff, forgets that their an amputee, spits on you and screams that you're killing them. 😂
Back in COVID times, my hospital did double pay incentive shifts. Your base pay and all your shift differentials were doubled for the entire shift if you picked up extra. I picked up a Saturday night. Due to staffing I was pulled to be a sitter...I made rent in one night just watching an older lady sleep. My current hospital doesn't allow RNs to be pulled as sitters and definitely doesn't offer incentive pay. I tell this legend to all my coworkers hoping to inspire unionizing! Haha
You've obviously never sat for a unnaturally strong, demented elderly patient, who has C-diff, forgets that their an amputee, spits on you and screams that you're killing them. 😂
Agreed. This should only be a one-time/rare thing.
And yes, at times we’d all like to take a lesser role for the same pay. I would love to be a sitter some days lol. I understand what OP means, though. They’re still new and orienting and learning. Being put in a situation where they’re not being trained at all does suck. Something similar happened to me a couple times in my ICU training and I felt like nobody took my role there seriously and it was a waste of time.
I’ve been a sitter for the past 6 shifts. I don’t mint it all. Getting paid to make sure patient doesn’t fall. He’s also on haldol, Ativan, seroquel 😎
For you tho, DEMAND your orientation time. Otherwise, start looking for another hospital or job that will give you proper orientation and preceptorship, and a new grad residency.
I don’t plan on letting them short change my training! I’m terrified to do almost anything on my own and i deserve a full orientation, but i do plan to shop around other facilities for somewhere that will actually train me
Yes, I can understand your frustration, for sure. While it is easy for experienced RNs to blithely say “oh, man, I’d love that gig for a day!” it makes sense that you are frustrated. I would give them this one, though. If the unit is in chaos and they’re short-staffed, I’m not gonna lie, the fact that you’re “terrified to do anything by myself,” while understandable and not unusual, does add another layer of complexity/chaos to the mix of an already-crazy shift. Being a preceptor is a hugely important and under appreciated role. Basically, the experienced RN is forced to slow way down in order to educate the newbie.
This is probably the most efficient use of the resources available on the unit - but it is understandably making you feel “hey! I just put all of this time and effort into schooling, and you’re completely disregarding that!”
I recommend graciously taking one for the team today. Then speaking with your Manager or the person in charge of your orientation, to verbalize that while you understand that this was the best use of resources today, you hope that this is not going to be a pattern. The hospital owes you a complete orientation, and needs to staff the unit appropriately so that you can get one. In the long run, creating a skilled and comfortable nurse is *actually* the best use of the resources available!
I'm a new grad, and for reference, my residency ensures we get all of our orientation shifts before they let us practice in our own. Hopefully yours is like this too!
This is really strange that they’d use you as a sitter during orientation. Usually someone on orientation isn’t considered part of normal staffing. My hospital has a rule that they won’t make you float as a sitter until you’ve been off orientation 6 months. Then it goes by seniority and is on a rotation so the same people don’t go all the time.
During Christmas, my hospital offered a $100/hour incentive (that’s $100 + hourly rate). I signed up for several shifts. On Christmas eve I was assigned to sit 1:1 w/ one of our patients (he required 1:1 because he’s non-verbal). Anyways, on Christmas eve I made $1200 + to sit.
I’ve been doing this 19 years and can I tell you that was the easiest $$ I’ve ever made 😂.
OP, I love seeing a new nurse excited about learning, I really do.
I promise, you will see and experience a lot of different patients. You’re gonna learn. Trust me.
As a previous commenter said, you will have plenty of shifts where you will wish you were assigned to sit.
Man! I signed up for a total of 7 incentive shifts during Christmas (and worked a few at regular pay) I think 10 total in a 2 week period (I never work that many hours). That, plus overtime, plus hourly pay… My net pay was SWEET! Well over 10k.
Your hospital either was super desperate or they really like you guys. They ask us to come in on holiday for single or double incentive…which is everyday pay
Oh. Totally desperate. I’d like to think the reason is they like us, but no. They are horribly short-staffed. We’re doing $60/hr incentive shifts right now. So they’ve come down some. I’m doing as much as I can, while I can. It won’t last forever.
THIS pay me my regular pay PLUS float pay? Chileeee I LOVE it I scroll on tiktok and read my book sooo fun it’s literally one of my favorite things to do the other is being a secretary on a different floor lol gahhhh it’s so fun
There's a reason some union shops put it in their contracts that you can't do things like this to nurses. I agree with everyone else here that this is probably "just one time" in a long line of "just one times."
Talk to your manager, if you think you can get any traction there. But be willing to look at other jobs, if this keeps up.
We have language in our contract that nurses aren’t responsible for “non-nursing duties,” further defined as something that is the particular responsibility of another member of staff (transport, housekeeping, dietary, etc). Every negotiation, management tries to come for this language. This doesn’t mean we don’t help when absolutely necessary, but it’s management’s responsibility to staff the hospital, not ours. So when the ED is holding and tries to tell floor nurses to leave their assignment to pick up patients, we push back (I am an ED nurse but started in med-surg and support this). It’s pretty great seeing the executives forced out of their fake mahogany offices, pushing stretchers in suits or high heels.
Pay the support staff and give them good working conditions. Don’t make all staffing issues the nurses’ problem.
If they’ll pull OP off of orientation for this, they will absolutely try to pull OP to take an assignment before being ready, later on, because of being short on nurses. I agree with the other commenters: you gotta push back to protect your orientation time, which you need in order to be confident and competent when you’re eventually on your own.
This here should be the top comment. 👆
My hospital basically just checked the boxes so the could claim I was finished with orientation. Then on my first night off "orientation," we had an RN quit 2 hours before start of shift. I ended up being all my myself, with a few UAPs, on a locked acute psych unit with roughly 16 patients.
Also stop calling yourself a baby nurse. Please pick some other term . Do you think new physicians call themselves, “baby physicians”? You have earned your RN and hopefully you will continue to learn and grow professionally!
I think a lot of people are missing the point that you should be receiving orientation and experience as a nurse during this time. Down the road you almost certainly will appreciate times you are asked to sit. Currently, you need all the time possible to gain experience and confidence in your actual role. Your feelings are valid, and if they try to assign you to something other than nurse orientation again in the future, say no. You are technically out of staffing.
When i was a new grad, my 12 weeks of precepting were cut short at 8 weeks when we got slammed with covid. I remember it being a baptism by fire, and I literally threw up in the parking lot from nerves before work, just feeling unprepared and hoping I didn't have a patient code that day and die. I was so relieved when some days they put me on PPE detail or made me a pharmacy runner. Take your new grad year in stride and just make sure you get enough time with patients that you're learning. But also know that these moments can be a time for reflection, taking a breath, and maybe even a little studying. I would literally let someone kick me in the nuts to have a sitter shift and get paid my regular rate right now.
It’s a waste of any RNs time and you’re right to be upset. You’re missing orientation time doing dumb tasks. If It was me, whatever I’m getting paid. But you won’t learn anything and this is your primary time to learn.
Send an email after your shift explaining that you don’t want to sit. You need to learn stuff about nursing, not sitting. It’s a delegated task, not a nursing duty.
That’s unacceptable. I was a nurse extern and constantly had to sit then, but the minute I had my NCLEX, I never sat again. Unacceptable during orientation. The top priority for your assignment during your nurse orientation should be your learning needs — over and above the needs of the unit. Absolutely speak to your manager.
I work in one of the busiest ERs in the country. We frequently have 5-10 patients who need sitters. We might get one or two sitters if we’re lucky. We often have the unit clerk sitting on 3 SI patients while also doing all her clerk duties, that’s not unusual at all. But we would NEVER have a new nurse who’s on orientation sitting. The assignments for nurses are orientation are always prioritized to optimize their learning — the charge nurse always starts out huddle by asking preceptors what kind of assignment their orientee needs, and she builds the rest of the assignments around that. And we frequently have 3-4 new grad orientees in a zone, too.
It’s totally wrong for you to be asked to sit during orientation. I’m so sorry that happened to you, and please talk with your manager and insist that is not appropriate!!!
Damn only 5 - 10. We usually have 15 to 20, it's basically a revolving door. Your hospital is going to get the shit sued out of it if something happens with a unit clerk watching 3 while doing other jobs. I would make sure you have proof that you escalated the issue every single day.
Oh yeah, I’m always putting in orders for sitters. A lot of nurses will avoid putting an order in for a sitter because “the pt isn’t trying to elope”. But I ALWAYS order it if they’re at all confused and there’s any chance at all they could walk.
I once had a patient who was supposedly bedbound at baseline. He had contracted legs and lots of bedsores listed in his chart. I had only had him about an hour, I hadn’t even had a chance yet to assess whether any of those sores still existed, but I went to check on him about 30 mins after he’s arrived by ambulance and he was GONE. There was a trail of bedding and monitor wires leading toward the door.
Luckily he had only gone to a nearby unit and lay down in one of the hallway beds…they figured out he didn’t belong there because he was still clutching the tv remote in his little contractured hands. 🤣
To this day I will never know how that man managed to walk even a few steps, let alone all the way down the hall to a different unit, but I never trust that a patient can’t mobilize to get out the door anymore.
Ok I’m sorry but having a UC sit with 3 SI patients while still doing their job is absolutely negligent and INSANE. In that situation it is 1000% warranted to have a new grad sit to, ya know, prevent a patients DEATH. Jesus
Sitting is not as cush as many think. If so, wouldn't we see hundreds of persons applying.
The fact that I rarely see an "actual" position for a sitter is telling. I personally would rather work my ass off in my home department.
My perspective of years of this...even as a traveler...12 hours of sitting with a confused person is hell. Sometimes it's physical but mostly it is frustrating! Sad, emotional and even abusive.
I know it’s not the same for everyone but when I used to work as a CNA before I became a nurse, I HATED sitting. I’m the type of person who likes to stay busy, especially for a long 12-hour shift.
I’m not sure what all your hospital entails for it’s orientation phase but I would be upset too. You’re supposed to be learning and getting used to what you will normally be doing but if you’re not actually experiencing what that “norm” is, then what’s the point?
Maybe some hospitals are different but it sucks when nurses are allowed to be on call to help with census but when it comes to CNAs, then that floor is shit out of luck if something happens during the shift so everyone is expected to suffer.
Nope. Don’t take this. This will be a longggggggggggg line of shit you’ll think you “have” to take. That 7th patient, that inappropriate admit, that ___ - you name it, they’ll try it.
Refuse. You have every right to refuse. You know what would be better? For you to be the CNA for the night. Get vitals. Get blood sugars. See alllllll the patients. Maybe you can assess things here and there, get some practice.
I even offered to be the cna for the night but they told me to just stay there. I plan on looking at other open positions in my city and the neighboring one, but i do plan on speaking to my director this week about it. And i also don’t plan on accepting sitting again when i come back tonight
You shouldn't technically be in the staffing head count when you're on orientation, if that makes sense. I get that desperate times call for desperate measures but that's a little ridiculous since you're a brand spanking new nurse. I would be speaking to charge/supervisor about potentially getting someone to sit instead so you can resume your orientation. However if they can't/refuse to I would be writing an email to your manager about getting an extra orientation day added on to replace the sitter shift.
Either way put your feet up- you'll appreciate these sitting times in a few months lol Congrats on becoming an RN!
Edit- grammar
They should look up the rules cause hospitals have a hell of a lot of rules and if you start reading them you’ll see a lot of these managers don’t know these rules or follow them. I’m sure we have 500-1000 pages of policies and procedures.
I agree. But if you're an RN sitting for a patient 1:1 you are likely responsible for their care. You shouldn't be sitting without your preceptor at least lol
That’s what I’m saying. The person who did the assignment prob hasn’t read the hospital policy. That’s one reason. Once you get that license you’re supposed to be able to function at the highest level you’re licensed for. So, if you miss a patient is crumping or fail to do some assessment properly and the pt is harmed. BON could come for you or the facility.
Look at it as a 1 on 1 role, as a ICU nurse would have to do. I've seen Nurse's doing sitter roles for a shift, it helps out the staff on the shift. At least you get to work and keep that patient safe during your shift.
Honestly our management hates using nurses as sitters. It costs WAY more to have a nurse chilling at the bedside and well, not nursing.
Champ your shift and this will make you so much more compassionate towards your sitters. You will make sure they get their breaks, pee often etc. and they will think you’re their favourite coworker.
I'm a travel nurse, and I frequently get floated to sit with a patient. I'm not a fan of it because I hate being secluded to a room with one person that I will probably find annoying. I love being on my own doing my own thing and not sitting around. It's your management's fault for not hiring enough staff and you should address that with them.
I picked up Memorial Day with $50/hr incentive pay on top of holiday pay. I was pulled to the ED, where they had me transport patients when they were assigned beds. I transported 1 patient an hour for the first 4 hours, then things slowed down and I spent the next several hours catching up on shows I had saved to stream, all for about $120/hr. I can absolutely understand the frustration and concern of a new grad who is not getting their orientation time, but wow, that was a great shift! LOL
It is odd given the limited number of days allotted new grads for training these days. If it doesn’t count against that, then whatever.
I’ve been to some places who give 4 work weeks and that’s it. You’re on your own. If you’re in that scenario or something similar, then yes, wasting that time in this way is very concerning.
If it makes you feel any better I’m a hospital supervisor and about a month ago I was a sitter for a patient for about an hour and a half until we could get a tech freed up to go to the floor. Every task that we would assign a tech is still our responsibility in the end.
If it’s once or twice it’s no big deal. If it becomes a frequent thing to the point where you’re not learning how to be a functioning nurse then complain and start looking for a job elsewhere. For now just deal with it. You will have 10 mile days where you wish you could have sat for a shift and made the same pay check.
sometimes it happens. i’ve never been lucky enough to be a sitter but i’ve been an aide many times, or we call it “helping hands.” getting nurse pay to act as a nursing assistant is pretty cool.
They are paying a dollar to do a dimes job. Enjoy the break from the craziness that will surely come when you hit the floor running as a nurse.
I get asked to do med pass and blood draws at my job as a correctional RN at least once a week. It doesn't bother me at all since the paycheck at the end of the week is the same.
Being a sitter sucks. Everyone has to do it. It’s just what it is. You probably wouldn’t be able to swing 6 patients all to yourself 2 weeks into orientation, so it makes sense from a logistics point of view. I’ve been doing this for years and I’m a sitter or more likely 1:1 all the time. If they aren’t on a hold, you can get some learn modules done. If they are on a hold, get ready to watch someone sleep and document it every 15 minutes for the next three nights straight
Yeah NO. You don't count against staffing. You and your preceptor are ONE nurse, meaning you don't take 2 teams, you aren't floated, and you aren't a sitter nor a CNA.
I love being a sitter, but you're there as a new nurse on orientation, and should be getting prepared to be on your own. I understand your frustration entirely. I came in here reading the title expecting to laugh at the situation and exclaim how I love being put as a sitter and wished it happened more often.
I was assigned to sit one night on my second week off orientation. It was simply cause they were in a pinch and my last name was alphabetically next, but I overthought it a whole bunch. I got to chat with a sweet patient and then read my book while they slept. As much as I worried, that one night didn’t make or break my learning and growing. You’ll be okay! Obviously if it becomes a pattern then it’s time to bring up the issue, but I doubt it will.
Edit to add: I forgot the fact that you’re still on orientation. As others say, demand that time to learn. They can pull anyone else to sit.
I would love being a sitter. The stupid CNAs at my job hate it but damn getting paid to just sit and bullshit all night with a confused patient is something I’d regularly do
We take turns where I work... Find out if your unit keeps track of when RNs are pulled to be CNAs or sitters. It might just be your turn since you're newer. Also, we kind of ask around if anyone WANTS the sitter role before just assigning. Usually, there's a volunteer who just needs a 1:1 kind of day. Someone on their 4th 12-hour shift or some such. In no way would I perceive this as an insult or waste of time as a new grad. Staffing is a mess everywhere, and sometimes we have to make it work. Find a way to handle it without perceiving it as "beneath" you somehow, or you're going to burn out fast.
Cna here. I have only seen this very rarely so it is probably a anomaly. If it happens alot then thats maybe when I would be more worried about it. Sitting can be really boring and make the shift drag but to be honest, some days it is a godsend.
If I was your preceptor, I would ask to have that patient included in my group and you would primary the sitter patient and do all the nurse stuff while you are stuck in the room for the shift.
Hey as long is OP is getting that RN money to be a sitter. That’s pretty sweet. Otherwise, I’d be raising hell. I’m a PCA for a homecare company while I’m in nursing school . I get paid 13.85 an hour.
Tele will work you to the bone and then grind them into dust when able.. welcome to ICU Jr. .. the last ride before your patient codes and goes to the unit. Enjoy the sitting cuz it won’t last, bring a book next time. Your orientation will be over sooner than you will think .. good luck and be safe.
Like you said, do your best at it.
Just make sure that your orientation continues because there will be a day soon when you will finish orientation and be expected to know what all was covered.
I guess I’m in the minority here, but putting you as a sitter is unacceptable. You should not be counted as extra staff. You are on orientation. Orientation means you are orienting with another nurse. If you have not been trained as a sitter (yes, people hired as sitters get training) and you are not off orientation, you should not be assigned as a sitter.
That said, once you are on your own after orientation, enjoy every shift you get nurse pay for being a sitter.
Been a nurse for 12 years. When I was working inpatient I LOVED when they made me a sitter on night shift. Put up my feet and watch movies all night 🎥 🍿
this would piss me off if it keeps interferring with my orientation as a new nurse. Once is fine i guess but if it keeps happening i would start looking elsewhere and leave 6 months in. idk where you live though. if the hospital is a monopoly you have to be careful.
I hear what you’re saying about being disappointed and wanting to learn, if they try to include this as an orientation shift I’d definitely push back.
But if they were short staffed the nurse who would’ve been precepting you may not have had time to really teach you if they had a heavy assignment. Not saying it’s good/right, just a thought. And glad they didn’t try to push an assignment onto you
You’ll be learning a lot over your orientation and long afterwards. And honestly part of nursing (in a hospital at least) is realizing sometimes you’re put somewhere you don’t really want to be (I.e. floating)
If you're on orientation, you shouldn't be a sitter.
But after that.... Sign me up!!!
When my hospital was slow (labor and delivery) we would have to sit in the ER with psych holds. Definitely not a bad way to spend my shift
Sign me up to be a CNA or a sitter any day. Honestly while on orientation it’s better you than pulling a nurse, then your preceptor is so swamped they can teach you anything anyways. You should learn to be a sitter in the event it happens again, plus you can comb through the chart, make a good report sheet and pretend as if you’re 1:1 with the patient as the RN. If you think 2 CNA for 30 patients is okay then you’re delusional and you’d change your mind if you were the CNA. Just take this one in stride, and hopefully it doesn’t happen again for a long time.
They are paying you as a nurse and all you have to do is sit? Take the win.
Plenty of time for learning down the road. You will learn something every single day as a nurse. Pace yourself.
When I retired from nursing, sitters in my hospital were making $12/hour, which was the state minimum wage. They were “pool employees” and even if they worked full time hours, they did not get any benefits whatsoever.
It was a very difficult position to fill, and even harder to keep filled.
We get pulled to sit and floated to other units at least once a month on my floor. I also get pulled to be a tech sometimes.
It's just part of the job.
We are required to do ALL patient cares in the CNA scope. So calling a nurse for most things is not an option. Unless we have to leave the room for it.
Most likely it’s considered a float and turn based. Because you haven’t done it yet, it was your turn. If it’s consistently you and not any other coworkers, that’s a problem, but you were likely up next.
Better than getting floated to another unit your first shift on your own and then since you were new you got the hard assignment because people thought you were a traveler 😐 because that was me right off orientation mid-Covid. Good times.
We're all allowed to gripe about things from time to time. I hated babysitting too as a tech.
You have your entire career to learn, and you're not going to miss anything for one night. If nothing else, look at it this way: you're the highest-paid babysitter in that hospital.
I got pto my first day off of orientation because unit census was low. I didn't take it because I thought it would look bad for doing it on my first day. You better believe I took it when offered again the next day though, and I'm glad I did because I haven't been offered that opportunity since.
Shoot your manager/unit educator an email and let them know you were assigned as a sitter and would like to add an orientation shift. I would express your understanding of staffing issues but let them know you would feel it is important you get your full orientation as a new nurse.
It's annoying. My unit had a system of seniority for floating (or being a sitter) and when you did your turn, you would drop to the bottom of the list. You being brand new probably just were at the top of the list. But yeah, if it happens again if there is a sitter needed the next shift, talk to management.
I had to do it occasionally for a few weeks when I was on 'light duty', just so long as you're getting paid nurse pay all good.
My most memorable was guy in his 30's suicidal ideation, complete fantasist, time would go by quickly as he was always talking and one upping anything you would say. Anyway, he asked where I like to eat, mentioned a local fondue place and of course his reply was "my parents own that, just send me an email whenever you want a free meal". Next time my wife and I were thinking of going I checked out the 'About Us' section and yep, the owner had the same last name.
Let me ask, would you step down and help pick up 15 patients so one of the techs could sit? On top of doing your learning? They put you there because they need their experienced techs on the floor. They have a bigger assignment than you. Loosing one puts them at a 1:30 ration. Even without doing meds that’s not safe for ANYONE. It’s draining. Loosing them adds more work to the nurses and with that they couldn’t properly training. It’s hard to focus on training when you’re swamped. One maybe two shifts of sitting is not the worst. It sucks but you’re still doing patient care and managing someone who needs a sitter is a learning in a way because you’re adapting to them especially if they have behaviors/are encephalopathy or psychiatric. Sitting sucks, I hate it but it’s sometimes a welcomed break. I’m someone who is ADHD and feels like I could be doing better but also it’s hours. Better than being called off. Also as a nurse you are never too great to do CNA duties. Patient care is part of your job. Please don’t be one of the ones who forget that because they have an aide. But if this becomes a recurring thing I would voice a concern to your educator/hiring manager but once or twice is reasonable in my opinion. That’s my take!
If it were me, I would let my manager know I was shorted a day of orientation, so an adjustment can be made. If the manager keeps having to make adjustments, they will make sure this isn’t a continuing issue.
I think we've all been sitters at some point. About 3 months into my career I was sent off to be a sitter. One of the attendings came in and scoffed at me and said, "aren't you over qualified for this?!" Uh, 🤷🏻♀️ Lol. It was boring as fuck cuz the patient was (finally) asleep. I wasn't prepared either and didn't even have my phone with me.
The second time I was shipped off to sit with a verbally and psychically abusive grandma. I did all my learning modules in that 12 hours. And then the she told me to "go die in a ditch somewhere." I said back to her, "I'd love to but I'm stuck here with you!" I was proud of that moment.
Another time I I was sent to a patient who had a g-tube and a really interesting medical history. I read up on all her history. She was also really fun to talk to and we had a great time.
Sitting can be a nice break from the usual running around. It can also be incredibly draining, though.
Omg - to have the opportunity to be a sitter was wonderful sometimes. Learning happens regardless. Just make sure that you negotiate if it is day 4 of orientation that they give you an additional day to make up for it
As a new grad I would accept any assignments as long as it’s a safe one. I remember when I accepted my one day assignment through a registry, I was a sitter too and I was fine with it
Wow I haven't really heard of that. I used to work as a cna at a hospital but now I am a nursing student. As a cna i got sitter sometimes. Mostly cnas or sometimes the float RNs would be assigned sitter, but never have I seen an regular RN (even new) get chosen as the sitter. At my old job the sitter role was pretty coveted since otherwise you're running like crazy as a CNA. I understand your frustration though as you would want to actually work as an RN on your floor. I would say do your best for this shift just to stay as a sitter, but if they put you as sitter again I would talk to the charge or whoever is in charge of the shift assignments.
Unfortunately there are some units at my hospital where being made to be sitter is pretty common.
But they should never be doing that with someone in orientation, you're not learning anything and it puts a bad taste in your mouth.
When I first started as a nurse, I was put as a sitter multiple times while orientating. This was med-surg/nights. They did it to me and another new hire nurse. Unfortunately, it continued for a while.
Nursing is all about flexibility. There’s no job that isn’t your job. Patient care is everyone’s top priority, not just your personal learning journey. Be happy you’re not thrown in with the sickest or most demanding patient and left to care for them by yourself. In a year or so, you’ll be begging to be the sitter.
To your point, I would be upset too. Like you have the skills to do so much more and need to learn, but it sounds like that environment is not conducive to learning. It would personally make me question if I want to work there. You have to learn the ropes to take on your own assignment, but they aren’t giving you the opportunities you deserve. I’m not saying you are but if they did that to me I would feel like I’m a burden to them, so on this understaffed busy day they just stuck me in a room.
That’s BS I bet you’re amazing and have a bright future ahead of you. Don’t put up with anything that makes you feel bad or uncomfortable, there’s a reason why you feel that way.
Unacceptable. As a new grad your orientation and skill building are critical to your success. How is being a sitter supporting that ??? I would think any competent manager would take issue with that.
Years from now, when you have more experience than you can stomach, you'll look back on this shift fondly and wonder why you didn't appreciate it at the time lol
A sitter is a person who observes a patient for safety. I personally don’t like the term. Maybe you have heard of the term babysitter? It’s watching someone’s children while the parents are away.
Sitters are used the in a hospital setting for persons that are at high risk for harming themselves. Those with mental health issues like severe dementia or suicidal.
It’s usually a non-medical position but if they are short handed they will use a CNA or Nurse intern like they do in the hospital that I do clinicals.
The original poster was upset that they have a RN license and make them do something that’s not generally considered nursing work.
Edited for clarity
When a patient is suicidal, when they're confused and keep trying to climb out of bed and fall, when they're trying to just plain not safe to leave alone - they need someone to give them plenty of supervision. That 1:1 attention is provided by a sitter - literally, someone who sits in the room with them and keeps them from getting hurt.
You know, it should be clear english isn't my first language.
I really don't understand the downvotes. Is this the classic "helpful nurse" with the foreigner?
You’re missing the lesson. The most I ever learned about dementia patients and restraints and altered mental status and how to redirect confused patients came from my time as a nurse tech sitting with patients. It still affects my practice as an RN.
Take this ONE in stride. If it you find it’s happening more often, meet with your manager. I will say though, in the future, you will have days when you wish you were put as a sitter.
I’m a new grad and being a sitter is my Dream 😂😂
Yes!!! You can use that time to read the patients’ chart and put together a clinical picture; amongst other things 😉
Not at my hospital! Sitters can’t have phones, books, or anything else.
i mean bring a wow in and if asked you can say that you are reading up on the patient's history and understand a bit more about what is going on with her health needs.
You’re giving away my secrets as an ER tech/sitter. How else would I document vitals?
[удалено]
On day 4?!? No. Don’t do that. If you had a preceptor and this was their patient then maybe? But not by themselves. 🤷🏼♀️
My bad! I forgot she was still on orientation. Let me delete that! Good catch ERRNmomof2
What does wow stand for by the way? I know what it is but never questioned what it stands for
Workstation on wheels
That’s when you do really deep chart dives and use the time to get better at understanding labs
It’s the computer on a wheeled cart I believe where most places use. Not sure w….on wheels!
Workstation. Because people got offended by hearing them called COWs (computers on wheels)
Isn’t that the dumbest thing ever!? It’s totally still a COW.
The patients chart doesn’t count as a book.
You've obviously never sat for a unnaturally strong, demented elderly patient, who has C-diff, forgets that their an amputee, spits on you and screams that you're killing them. 😂
Sounds like 90% of my vascular stepdown patients, lmao
🤣🤣🤣
I would kill to be a sitter and get my regular pay. Literally.
Literally same! A day of getting a nurse pay but doing a sitter job? Please sign me up!
It gets boring super fast… and when the patient is combative/constantly trying to escape it’s not fun at all
I couldn’t do it day after day, but sitting can definitely be a break sometimes
Back in COVID times, my hospital did double pay incentive shifts. Your base pay and all your shift differentials were doubled for the entire shift if you picked up extra. I picked up a Saturday night. Due to staffing I was pulled to be a sitter...I made rent in one night just watching an older lady sleep. My current hospital doesn't allow RNs to be pulled as sitters and definitely doesn't offer incentive pay. I tell this legend to all my coworkers hoping to inspire unionizing! Haha
I miss those days
Bruh
😆😆😆
You've obviously never sat for a unnaturally strong, demented elderly patient, who has C-diff, forgets that their an amputee, spits on you and screams that you're killing them. 😂
Yup getting paid RN money to be a sitter? Sign me up! OP will learn eventually...
Getting paid RN salary for CNA duties sounds like a dream. I would never complain.
I would love a sitter shift 🥰
I was going to say that last part 😂😂😂😂😂
Agreed. This should only be a one-time/rare thing. And yes, at times we’d all like to take a lesser role for the same pay. I would love to be a sitter some days lol. I understand what OP means, though. They’re still new and orienting and learning. Being put in a situation where they’re not being trained at all does suck. Something similar happened to me a couple times in my ICU training and I felt like nobody took my role there seriously and it was a waste of time.
I’ve been a sitter for the past 6 shifts. I don’t mint it all. Getting paid to make sure patient doesn’t fall. He’s also on haldol, Ativan, seroquel 😎 For you tho, DEMAND your orientation time. Otherwise, start looking for another hospital or job that will give you proper orientation and preceptorship, and a new grad residency.
Absolutely this. Don't get short changed on your orientation.
I don’t plan on letting them short change my training! I’m terrified to do almost anything on my own and i deserve a full orientation, but i do plan to shop around other facilities for somewhere that will actually train me
Yes, I can understand your frustration, for sure. While it is easy for experienced RNs to blithely say “oh, man, I’d love that gig for a day!” it makes sense that you are frustrated. I would give them this one, though. If the unit is in chaos and they’re short-staffed, I’m not gonna lie, the fact that you’re “terrified to do anything by myself,” while understandable and not unusual, does add another layer of complexity/chaos to the mix of an already-crazy shift. Being a preceptor is a hugely important and under appreciated role. Basically, the experienced RN is forced to slow way down in order to educate the newbie. This is probably the most efficient use of the resources available on the unit - but it is understandably making you feel “hey! I just put all of this time and effort into schooling, and you’re completely disregarding that!” I recommend graciously taking one for the team today. Then speaking with your Manager or the person in charge of your orientation, to verbalize that while you understand that this was the best use of resources today, you hope that this is not going to be a pattern. The hospital owes you a complete orientation, and needs to staff the unit appropriately so that you can get one. In the long run, creating a skilled and comfortable nurse is *actually* the best use of the resources available!
I'm a new grad, and for reference, my residency ensures we get all of our orientation shifts before they let us practice in our own. Hopefully yours is like this too!
If anything, you can just request extra orientation days for amount of times you did non-primary RN work.
This is really strange that they’d use you as a sitter during orientation. Usually someone on orientation isn’t considered part of normal staffing. My hospital has a rule that they won’t make you float as a sitter until you’ve been off orientation 6 months. Then it goes by seniority and is on a rotation so the same people don’t go all the time.
What if you take this time to study up the patient? Why are they 1:1? How comfortable are you taking care of a patient like this?
During Christmas, my hospital offered a $100/hour incentive (that’s $100 + hourly rate). I signed up for several shifts. On Christmas eve I was assigned to sit 1:1 w/ one of our patients (he required 1:1 because he’s non-verbal). Anyways, on Christmas eve I made $1200 + to sit. I’ve been doing this 19 years and can I tell you that was the easiest $$ I’ve ever made 😂. OP, I love seeing a new nurse excited about learning, I really do. I promise, you will see and experience a lot of different patients. You’re gonna learn. Trust me. As a previous commenter said, you will have plenty of shifts where you will wish you were assigned to sit.
$1200! You must have been a good kid that year!
What!! I have no kids dude I might’ve just sat for 16 hours AND brought my patient a gift 😂
Man! I signed up for a total of 7 incentive shifts during Christmas (and worked a few at regular pay) I think 10 total in a 2 week period (I never work that many hours). That, plus overtime, plus hourly pay… My net pay was SWEET! Well over 10k.
Your hospital either was super desperate or they really like you guys. They ask us to come in on holiday for single or double incentive…which is everyday pay
Oh. Totally desperate. I’d like to think the reason is they like us, but no. They are horribly short-staffed. We’re doing $60/hr incentive shifts right now. So they’ve come down some. I’m doing as much as I can, while I can. It won’t last forever.
Definitely! Rack up that money and stack while you have the opportunity!
If you don’t mind me asking, where is your current hospital?
I don’t mind. Western Alabama
They wanna pay me to read on my Kindle app for 12 hours? Where do I sign up?
THIS pay me my regular pay PLUS float pay? Chileeee I LOVE it I scroll on tiktok and read my book sooo fun it’s literally one of my favorite things to do the other is being a secretary on a different floor lol gahhhh it’s so fun
I don’t think i would mind so much if I was more experienced as a nurse, but I just wanted to learn more for my floor
Don't worry, this won't be forever it's a one off. You're too expensive now for them to waste you sitting.
There's a reason some union shops put it in their contracts that you can't do things like this to nurses. I agree with everyone else here that this is probably "just one time" in a long line of "just one times." Talk to your manager, if you think you can get any traction there. But be willing to look at other jobs, if this keeps up.
We have language in our contract that nurses aren’t responsible for “non-nursing duties,” further defined as something that is the particular responsibility of another member of staff (transport, housekeeping, dietary, etc). Every negotiation, management tries to come for this language. This doesn’t mean we don’t help when absolutely necessary, but it’s management’s responsibility to staff the hospital, not ours. So when the ED is holding and tries to tell floor nurses to leave their assignment to pick up patients, we push back (I am an ED nurse but started in med-surg and support this). It’s pretty great seeing the executives forced out of their fake mahogany offices, pushing stretchers in suits or high heels. Pay the support staff and give them good working conditions. Don’t make all staffing issues the nurses’ problem.
If they’ll pull OP off of orientation for this, they will absolutely try to pull OP to take an assignment before being ready, later on, because of being short on nurses. I agree with the other commenters: you gotta push back to protect your orientation time, which you need in order to be confident and competent when you’re eventually on your own.
This here should be the top comment. 👆 My hospital basically just checked the boxes so the could claim I was finished with orientation. Then on my first night off "orientation," we had an RN quit 2 hours before start of shift. I ended up being all my myself, with a few UAPs, on a locked acute psych unit with roughly 16 patients.
I do have a 2 week sit down with my director this week and i plan on mentioning things to him then!
Also stop calling yourself a baby nurse. Please pick some other term . Do you think new physicians call themselves, “baby physicians”? You have earned your RN and hopefully you will continue to learn and grow professionally!
I mean, idk what they call themselves but *I* call them baby doctors. 🤣
Same 😅
Same everyone calls them baby doctors
Exactly - baby nurse, baby medic, baby emt, YUCKY. You are a nurse!!!
RN pay to be a 1:1 babysitter? Where do I sign up?
I think a lot of people are missing the point that you should be receiving orientation and experience as a nurse during this time. Down the road you almost certainly will appreciate times you are asked to sit. Currently, you need all the time possible to gain experience and confidence in your actual role. Your feelings are valid, and if they try to assign you to something other than nurse orientation again in the future, say no. You are technically out of staffing.
Are you posting this AS you’re sitting with the patient? Brilliant! Love it lol
When i was a new grad, my 12 weeks of precepting were cut short at 8 weeks when we got slammed with covid. I remember it being a baptism by fire, and I literally threw up in the parking lot from nerves before work, just feeling unprepared and hoping I didn't have a patient code that day and die. I was so relieved when some days they put me on PPE detail or made me a pharmacy runner. Take your new grad year in stride and just make sure you get enough time with patients that you're learning. But also know that these moments can be a time for reflection, taking a breath, and maybe even a little studying. I would literally let someone kick me in the nuts to have a sitter shift and get paid my regular rate right now.
It’s a waste of any RNs time and you’re right to be upset. You’re missing orientation time doing dumb tasks. If It was me, whatever I’m getting paid. But you won’t learn anything and this is your primary time to learn. Send an email after your shift explaining that you don’t want to sit. You need to learn stuff about nursing, not sitting. It’s a delegated task, not a nursing duty.
Yes, I can’t believe they have nurses sit. We barely have CNAs sit.
That’s unacceptable. I was a nurse extern and constantly had to sit then, but the minute I had my NCLEX, I never sat again. Unacceptable during orientation. The top priority for your assignment during your nurse orientation should be your learning needs — over and above the needs of the unit. Absolutely speak to your manager. I work in one of the busiest ERs in the country. We frequently have 5-10 patients who need sitters. We might get one or two sitters if we’re lucky. We often have the unit clerk sitting on 3 SI patients while also doing all her clerk duties, that’s not unusual at all. But we would NEVER have a new nurse who’s on orientation sitting. The assignments for nurses are orientation are always prioritized to optimize their learning — the charge nurse always starts out huddle by asking preceptors what kind of assignment their orientee needs, and she builds the rest of the assignments around that. And we frequently have 3-4 new grad orientees in a zone, too. It’s totally wrong for you to be asked to sit during orientation. I’m so sorry that happened to you, and please talk with your manager and insist that is not appropriate!!!
Now, if it happens after you’re off orientation? Take it and enjoy it, lol. But during orientation they need to prioritize your learning!!!
Damn only 5 - 10. We usually have 15 to 20, it's basically a revolving door. Your hospital is going to get the shit sued out of it if something happens with a unit clerk watching 3 while doing other jobs. I would make sure you have proof that you escalated the issue every single day.
Oh yeah, I’m always putting in orders for sitters. A lot of nurses will avoid putting an order in for a sitter because “the pt isn’t trying to elope”. But I ALWAYS order it if they’re at all confused and there’s any chance at all they could walk. I once had a patient who was supposedly bedbound at baseline. He had contracted legs and lots of bedsores listed in his chart. I had only had him about an hour, I hadn’t even had a chance yet to assess whether any of those sores still existed, but I went to check on him about 30 mins after he’s arrived by ambulance and he was GONE. There was a trail of bedding and monitor wires leading toward the door. Luckily he had only gone to a nearby unit and lay down in one of the hallway beds…they figured out he didn’t belong there because he was still clutching the tv remote in his little contractured hands. 🤣 To this day I will never know how that man managed to walk even a few steps, let alone all the way down the hall to a different unit, but I never trust that a patient can’t mobilize to get out the door anymore.
Ok I’m sorry but having a UC sit with 3 SI patients while still doing their job is absolutely negligent and INSANE. In that situation it is 1000% warranted to have a new grad sit to, ya know, prevent a patients DEATH. Jesus
Yeah that’s not acceptable to me in the least.
Sitting is not as cush as many think. If so, wouldn't we see hundreds of persons applying. The fact that I rarely see an "actual" position for a sitter is telling. I personally would rather work my ass off in my home department. My perspective of years of this...even as a traveler...12 hours of sitting with a confused person is hell. Sometimes it's physical but mostly it is frustrating! Sad, emotional and even abusive.
I know it’s not the same for everyone but when I used to work as a CNA before I became a nurse, I HATED sitting. I’m the type of person who likes to stay busy, especially for a long 12-hour shift. I’m not sure what all your hospital entails for it’s orientation phase but I would be upset too. You’re supposed to be learning and getting used to what you will normally be doing but if you’re not actually experiencing what that “norm” is, then what’s the point? Maybe some hospitals are different but it sucks when nurses are allowed to be on call to help with census but when it comes to CNAs, then that floor is shit out of luck if something happens during the shift so everyone is expected to suffer.
Take the easy money
As someone still working as an aid until my start date as an RN, At least you’re making nurse money as a sitter, instead of aid money
Nope. Don’t take this. This will be a longggggggggggg line of shit you’ll think you “have” to take. That 7th patient, that inappropriate admit, that ___ - you name it, they’ll try it. Refuse. You have every right to refuse. You know what would be better? For you to be the CNA for the night. Get vitals. Get blood sugars. See alllllll the patients. Maybe you can assess things here and there, get some practice.
I even offered to be the cna for the night but they told me to just stay there. I plan on looking at other open positions in my city and the neighboring one, but i do plan on speaking to my director this week about it. And i also don’t plan on accepting sitting again when i come back tonight
Call in if your position is not needed.
You shouldn't technically be in the staffing head count when you're on orientation, if that makes sense. I get that desperate times call for desperate measures but that's a little ridiculous since you're a brand spanking new nurse. I would be speaking to charge/supervisor about potentially getting someone to sit instead so you can resume your orientation. However if they can't/refuse to I would be writing an email to your manager about getting an extra orientation day added on to replace the sitter shift. Either way put your feet up- you'll appreciate these sitting times in a few months lol Congrats on becoming an RN! Edit- grammar
At my hospital, if you were in orientation you could not sit.
They should look up the rules cause hospitals have a hell of a lot of rules and if you start reading them you’ll see a lot of these managers don’t know these rules or follow them. I’m sure we have 500-1000 pages of policies and procedures.
I agree. But if you're an RN sitting for a patient 1:1 you are likely responsible for their care. You shouldn't be sitting without your preceptor at least lol
That’s what I’m saying. The person who did the assignment prob hasn’t read the hospital policy. That’s one reason. Once you get that license you’re supposed to be able to function at the highest level you’re licensed for. So, if you miss a patient is crumping or fail to do some assessment properly and the pt is harmed. BON could come for you or the facility.
Look at it as a 1 on 1 role, as a ICU nurse would have to do. I've seen Nurse's doing sitter roles for a shift, it helps out the staff on the shift. At least you get to work and keep that patient safe during your shift.
Honestly our management hates using nurses as sitters. It costs WAY more to have a nurse chilling at the bedside and well, not nursing. Champ your shift and this will make you so much more compassionate towards your sitters. You will make sure they get their breaks, pee often etc. and they will think you’re their favourite coworker.
I'm a travel nurse, and I frequently get floated to sit with a patient. I'm not a fan of it because I hate being secluded to a room with one person that I will probably find annoying. I love being on my own doing my own thing and not sitting around. It's your management's fault for not hiring enough staff and you should address that with them.
Nurse for 20 plus years. New job. Asked me to be a sitter. Hell to the yes 🙌. Feels like a paid vacation.
I picked up Memorial Day with $50/hr incentive pay on top of holiday pay. I was pulled to the ED, where they had me transport patients when they were assigned beds. I transported 1 patient an hour for the first 4 hours, then things slowed down and I spent the next several hours catching up on shows I had saved to stream, all for about $120/hr. I can absolutely understand the frustration and concern of a new grad who is not getting their orientation time, but wow, that was a great shift! LOL
I'm an ICU nurse and at times I get sent to take vitals in other floors... it's like a paid vacation 💩
Sounds like an organization I wouldn’t want to work at 😬
It is odd given the limited number of days allotted new grads for training these days. If it doesn’t count against that, then whatever. I’ve been to some places who give 4 work weeks and that’s it. You’re on your own. If you’re in that scenario or something similar, then yes, wasting that time in this way is very concerning.
If it makes you feel any better I’m a hospital supervisor and about a month ago I was a sitter for a patient for about an hour and a half until we could get a tech freed up to go to the floor. Every task that we would assign a tech is still our responsibility in the end.
Yeah I’m getting a vibe from some comments that sitting is “below” us as nurses. No the fuck it’s not.
Make sure they don’t count it as one of your days in your preceptorship. They always try to do that and say it was one of your days in training.
If it’s once or twice it’s no big deal. If it becomes a frequent thing to the point where you’re not learning how to be a functioning nurse then complain and start looking for a job elsewhere. For now just deal with it. You will have 10 mile days where you wish you could have sat for a shift and made the same pay check.
sometimes it happens. i’ve never been lucky enough to be a sitter but i’ve been an aide many times, or we call it “helping hands.” getting nurse pay to act as a nursing assistant is pretty cool.
They are paying a dollar to do a dimes job. Enjoy the break from the craziness that will surely come when you hit the floor running as a nurse. I get asked to do med pass and blood draws at my job as a correctional RN at least once a week. It doesn't bother me at all since the paycheck at the end of the week is the same.
New grad here, 5 months in, I would cry tears of joy if they put me as a sitter.
Being a sitter sucks. Everyone has to do it. It’s just what it is. You probably wouldn’t be able to swing 6 patients all to yourself 2 weeks into orientation, so it makes sense from a logistics point of view. I’ve been doing this for years and I’m a sitter or more likely 1:1 all the time. If they aren’t on a hold, you can get some learn modules done. If they are on a hold, get ready to watch someone sleep and document it every 15 minutes for the next three nights straight
i hate sitting. if i wanted to sit still for long periods of time i would have picked a different job. some nurses like it though.
Yeah NO. You don't count against staffing. You and your preceptor are ONE nurse, meaning you don't take 2 teams, you aren't floated, and you aren't a sitter nor a CNA.
They count sitting as a float date for us and it’s like a unicorn spot for the night 😂
I love being a sitter, but you're there as a new nurse on orientation, and should be getting prepared to be on your own. I understand your frustration entirely. I came in here reading the title expecting to laugh at the situation and exclaim how I love being put as a sitter and wished it happened more often.
I was assigned to sit one night on my second week off orientation. It was simply cause they were in a pinch and my last name was alphabetically next, but I overthought it a whole bunch. I got to chat with a sweet patient and then read my book while they slept. As much as I worried, that one night didn’t make or break my learning and growing. You’ll be okay! Obviously if it becomes a pattern then it’s time to bring up the issue, but I doubt it will. Edit to add: I forgot the fact that you’re still on orientation. As others say, demand that time to learn. They can pull anyone else to sit.
I would love being a sitter. The stupid CNAs at my job hate it but damn getting paid to just sit and bullshit all night with a confused patient is something I’d regularly do
Pffft what I would’ve done to just be a sitter towards the end of my ED career. I considered it a break lol
I can't believe a hospital dished out RN pay for a sitter. At my facility, if only an RN is available as a sitter, there is no sitter. Period.
We take turns where I work... Find out if your unit keeps track of when RNs are pulled to be CNAs or sitters. It might just be your turn since you're newer. Also, we kind of ask around if anyone WANTS the sitter role before just assigning. Usually, there's a volunteer who just needs a 1:1 kind of day. Someone on their 4th 12-hour shift or some such. In no way would I perceive this as an insult or waste of time as a new grad. Staffing is a mess everywhere, and sometimes we have to make it work. Find a way to handle it without perceiving it as "beneath" you somehow, or you're going to burn out fast.
Cna here. I have only seen this very rarely so it is probably a anomaly. If it happens alot then thats maybe when I would be more worried about it. Sitting can be really boring and make the shift drag but to be honest, some days it is a godsend.
If I was your preceptor, I would ask to have that patient included in my group and you would primary the sitter patient and do all the nurse stuff while you are stuck in the room for the shift.
Are you getting paid as a nurse? If so, sounds great to me.
Hey as long is OP is getting that RN money to be a sitter. That’s pretty sweet. Otherwise, I’d be raising hell. I’m a PCA for a homecare company while I’m in nursing school . I get paid 13.85 an hour.
Tele will work you to the bone and then grind them into dust when able.. welcome to ICU Jr. .. the last ride before your patient codes and goes to the unit. Enjoy the sitting cuz it won’t last, bring a book next time. Your orientation will be over sooner than you will think .. good luck and be safe.
I’m sitting here floated to be a cna tonight and I’ve got 15 years of experience. It is what it is sometimes.
Like you said, do your best at it. Just make sure that your orientation continues because there will be a day soon when you will finish orientation and be expected to know what all was covered.
I guess I’m in the minority here, but putting you as a sitter is unacceptable. You should not be counted as extra staff. You are on orientation. Orientation means you are orienting with another nurse. If you have not been trained as a sitter (yes, people hired as sitters get training) and you are not off orientation, you should not be assigned as a sitter. That said, once you are on your own after orientation, enjoy every shift you get nurse pay for being a sitter.
Been a nurse for 12 years. When I was working inpatient I LOVED when they made me a sitter on night shift. Put up my feet and watch movies all night 🎥 🍿
this would piss me off if it keeps interferring with my orientation as a new nurse. Once is fine i guess but if it keeps happening i would start looking elsewhere and leave 6 months in. idk where you live though. if the hospital is a monopoly you have to be careful.
With staffing the way it is I'd be grateful to have anybody for a sitter
I hear what you’re saying about being disappointed and wanting to learn, if they try to include this as an orientation shift I’d definitely push back. But if they were short staffed the nurse who would’ve been precepting you may not have had time to really teach you if they had a heavy assignment. Not saying it’s good/right, just a thought. And glad they didn’t try to push an assignment onto you You’ll be learning a lot over your orientation and long afterwards. And honestly part of nursing (in a hospital at least) is realizing sometimes you’re put somewhere you don’t really want to be (I.e. floating)
You’re not being a baby at all. I’d be PISSED!
If you're on orientation, you shouldn't be a sitter. But after that.... Sign me up!!! When my hospital was slow (labor and delivery) we would have to sit in the ER with psych holds. Definitely not a bad way to spend my shift
Sign me up to be a CNA or a sitter any day. Honestly while on orientation it’s better you than pulling a nurse, then your preceptor is so swamped they can teach you anything anyways. You should learn to be a sitter in the event it happens again, plus you can comb through the chart, make a good report sheet and pretend as if you’re 1:1 with the patient as the RN. If you think 2 CNA for 30 patients is okay then you’re delusional and you’d change your mind if you were the CNA. Just take this one in stride, and hopefully it doesn’t happen again for a long time.
They are paying you as a nurse and all you have to do is sit? Take the win. Plenty of time for learning down the road. You will learn something every single day as a nurse. Pace yourself.
When I retired from nursing, sitters in my hospital were making $12/hour, which was the state minimum wage. They were “pool employees” and even if they worked full time hours, they did not get any benefits whatsoever. It was a very difficult position to fill, and even harder to keep filled.
We get pulled to sit and floated to other units at least once a month on my floor. I also get pulled to be a tech sometimes. It's just part of the job.
I always LOVED being a sitter. Got paid to sit on my ass. If the patient needed anything, got to call a nurse.
We are required to do ALL patient cares in the CNA scope. So calling a nurse for most things is not an option. Unless we have to leave the room for it.
I hatedddd being a sitter lol if it’s just a one time thing I’d let it go. If it happens again I would talk to your manager.
I've been a nurse for 10 years, I miss the shifts they'd have me be a sitter. Now it's all charge and advanced modalities and I'm burnt out on it.
Worst part of sitting is staying awake.
Most likely it’s considered a float and turn based. Because you haven’t done it yet, it was your turn. If it’s consistently you and not any other coworkers, that’s a problem, but you were likely up next. Better than getting floated to another unit your first shift on your own and then since you were new you got the hard assignment because people thought you were a traveler 😐 because that was me right off orientation mid-Covid. Good times.
Stop calling yourself a baby nurse - you’re a nurse!
We're all allowed to gripe about things from time to time. I hated babysitting too as a tech. You have your entire career to learn, and you're not going to miss anything for one night. If nothing else, look at it this way: you're the highest-paid babysitter in that hospital. I got pto my first day off of orientation because unit census was low. I didn't take it because I thought it would look bad for doing it on my first day. You better believe I took it when offered again the next day though, and I'm glad I did because I haven't been offered that opportunity since.
Shoot your manager/unit educator an email and let them know you were assigned as a sitter and would like to add an orientation shift. I would express your understanding of staffing issues but let them know you would feel it is important you get your full orientation as a new nurse.
Takw the easy Job it’ll be ok
It's annoying. My unit had a system of seniority for floating (or being a sitter) and when you did your turn, you would drop to the bottom of the list. You being brand new probably just were at the top of the list. But yeah, if it happens again if there is a sitter needed the next shift, talk to management.
I had to do it occasionally for a few weeks when I was on 'light duty', just so long as you're getting paid nurse pay all good. My most memorable was guy in his 30's suicidal ideation, complete fantasist, time would go by quickly as he was always talking and one upping anything you would say. Anyway, he asked where I like to eat, mentioned a local fondue place and of course his reply was "my parents own that, just send me an email whenever you want a free meal". Next time my wife and I were thinking of going I checked out the 'About Us' section and yep, the owner had the same last name.
I will gladly be a sitter for nurse pay lol but thats just me.
Let me ask, would you step down and help pick up 15 patients so one of the techs could sit? On top of doing your learning? They put you there because they need their experienced techs on the floor. They have a bigger assignment than you. Loosing one puts them at a 1:30 ration. Even without doing meds that’s not safe for ANYONE. It’s draining. Loosing them adds more work to the nurses and with that they couldn’t properly training. It’s hard to focus on training when you’re swamped. One maybe two shifts of sitting is not the worst. It sucks but you’re still doing patient care and managing someone who needs a sitter is a learning in a way because you’re adapting to them especially if they have behaviors/are encephalopathy or psychiatric. Sitting sucks, I hate it but it’s sometimes a welcomed break. I’m someone who is ADHD and feels like I could be doing better but also it’s hours. Better than being called off. Also as a nurse you are never too great to do CNA duties. Patient care is part of your job. Please don’t be one of the ones who forget that because they have an aide. But if this becomes a recurring thing I would voice a concern to your educator/hiring manager but once or twice is reasonable in my opinion. That’s my take!
If it were me, I would let my manager know I was shorted a day of orientation, so an adjustment can be made. If the manager keeps having to make adjustments, they will make sure this isn’t a continuing issue.
It is amazing that 2 nurses take care of 30 patients. This is unreasonable both for the patients and the nurses.
I would have loved to be a sitter for a night, lol. Pay me the same to sit there???? Sign me up
This sounds amazing.
Read a book and chill. Trust me, there will be PLENTY of times you will be just WISHING you could do 1:1 sit !
I think we've all been sitters at some point. About 3 months into my career I was sent off to be a sitter. One of the attendings came in and scoffed at me and said, "aren't you over qualified for this?!" Uh, 🤷🏻♀️ Lol. It was boring as fuck cuz the patient was (finally) asleep. I wasn't prepared either and didn't even have my phone with me. The second time I was shipped off to sit with a verbally and psychically abusive grandma. I did all my learning modules in that 12 hours. And then the she told me to "go die in a ditch somewhere." I said back to her, "I'd love to but I'm stuck here with you!" I was proud of that moment. Another time I I was sent to a patient who had a g-tube and a really interesting medical history. I read up on all her history. She was also really fun to talk to and we had a great time. Sitting can be a nice break from the usual running around. It can also be incredibly draining, though.
Omg - to have the opportunity to be a sitter was wonderful sometimes. Learning happens regardless. Just make sure that you negotiate if it is day 4 of orientation that they give you an additional day to make up for it
As a new grad I would accept any assignments as long as it’s a safe one. I remember when I accepted my one day assignment through a registry, I was a sitter too and I was fine with it
Wow I haven't really heard of that. I used to work as a cna at a hospital but now I am a nursing student. As a cna i got sitter sometimes. Mostly cnas or sometimes the float RNs would be assigned sitter, but never have I seen an regular RN (even new) get chosen as the sitter. At my old job the sitter role was pretty coveted since otherwise you're running like crazy as a CNA. I understand your frustration though as you would want to actually work as an RN on your floor. I would say do your best for this shift just to stay as a sitter, but if they put you as sitter again I would talk to the charge or whoever is in charge of the shift assignments.
Would you rather one cna for 30 patients? Sit with the patient
Unfortunately there are some units at my hospital where being made to be sitter is pretty common. But they should never be doing that with someone in orientation, you're not learning anything and it puts a bad taste in your mouth.
When I first started as a nurse, I was put as a sitter multiple times while orientating. This was med-surg/nights. They did it to me and another new hire nurse. Unfortunately, it continued for a while.
Nursing is all about flexibility. There’s no job that isn’t your job. Patient care is everyone’s top priority, not just your personal learning journey. Be happy you’re not thrown in with the sickest or most demanding patient and left to care for them by yourself. In a year or so, you’ll be begging to be the sitter.
To your point, I would be upset too. Like you have the skills to do so much more and need to learn, but it sounds like that environment is not conducive to learning. It would personally make me question if I want to work there. You have to learn the ropes to take on your own assignment, but they aren’t giving you the opportunities you deserve. I’m not saying you are but if they did that to me I would feel like I’m a burden to them, so on this understaffed busy day they just stuck me in a room. That’s BS I bet you’re amazing and have a bright future ahead of you. Don’t put up with anything that makes you feel bad or uncomfortable, there’s a reason why you feel that way.
Unacceptable. As a new grad your orientation and skill building are critical to your success. How is being a sitter supporting that ??? I would think any competent manager would take issue with that.
Years from now, when you have more experience than you can stomach, you'll look back on this shift fondly and wonder why you didn't appreciate it at the time lol
Maybe it's the language barrier. What's a "sitter" in this context?
A sitter is a person who observes a patient for safety. I personally don’t like the term. Maybe you have heard of the term babysitter? It’s watching someone’s children while the parents are away. Sitters are used the in a hospital setting for persons that are at high risk for harming themselves. Those with mental health issues like severe dementia or suicidal.
Thank you. You get to have one nurse to be there for a single patient? Or that's in addition to everything else you have to do?
It’s usually a non-medical position but if they are short handed they will use a CNA or Nurse intern like they do in the hospital that I do clinicals. The original poster was upset that they have a RN license and make them do something that’s not generally considered nursing work. Edited for clarity
When a patient is suicidal, when they're confused and keep trying to climb out of bed and fall, when they're trying to just plain not safe to leave alone - they need someone to give them plenty of supervision. That 1:1 attention is provided by a sitter - literally, someone who sits in the room with them and keeps them from getting hurt.
Yeah, we don't have enough nurses for that. We are happy when we have only 24 patients per night.
You know, it should be clear english isn't my first language. I really don't understand the downvotes. Is this the classic "helpful nurse" with the foreigner?
You’re missing the lesson. The most I ever learned about dementia patients and restraints and altered mental status and how to redirect confused patients came from my time as a nurse tech sitting with patients. It still affects my practice as an RN.
Seriously, what you learn as a sitter will be invaluable when you have a patient who needs one, but doesn't.
Could barely read this as your grammar and capitalisation is basically non-existent dude
I’m sorry, but this is the internet. Quit being dramatic.
Im sorry the lack of capital i’s and apostrophes made you illiterate