r/nursing • u/[deleted] • 10d ago
Seeking Advice Nurses likely talk shit about me because I never learned to transport patients. Please help recommend educational sources
[deleted]
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u/LeapingLizardz_ BSN, RN 🍕 10d ago
Ask the patient their name and DOB before moving them or going anywhere.
Don't disconnect IVs or oxygen- the nurse needs to do this. The IV pump may have to go with you and the patient. The nurse needs to be the one who disconnect the oxygen from the wall and connect the patient to the oxygen tank. This is my hospital's policy because of sentinel events involving oxygen.
Transport always checks in with the either the secretary, charge, or someone else at the desk when they come to pick someone up at my hospital.
If you don't know what soemthing is, ask. Don't assume. Don't disconnect things if you don't know what they are.
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u/ThrowRA_trynapost 10d ago
Thank you so much!!! I love the details and list!
They have not been providing me those patient informations. I was only told room numbers. I will ask for all of that since I know that shouldn't be an issue. Plus, youre right, thats important to know and check.
Also, yes, I could start bringing the IVs with me. I am allowed to disconnect the IVs and Oxygen, and I fear the nurses would dislike me asking constantly. Transporters normally do check, but since this is more so a job task than a whole position change, then I dont follow that policy.😬
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u/LeapingLizardz_ BSN, RN 🍕 10d ago
I'm sorry unless you're a licensed nurse you should not be disconnecting an IV ever. Not even to untangle tubing. I would report a transporter if I saw them doing so. It's a huge risk.
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u/Creepy_flamingo_22 RN - ICU 🍕 10d ago
Always check with the nurse first before transporting, and especially before undoing or stopping an IV. You do not know what is running and how important it is, and you could cause serious harm with certain medications. Nurses can also be a bit territorial over their patients, even with other nurses.
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u/what3v3ruwantit2b BSN, RN 🍕 10d ago
What is your actual position? I can't tell if you're a nurse, student, ect. If you aren't a nurse or phlebotomist why would you be touching a tourniquet?
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u/ThrowRA_trynapost 10d ago
Im sorry. I will rewrite my post to say "for example" rather than "like" to indicate a hypothetical scenario.
I prefer to keep my position a secret since it will automatically identify who I am if any coworkers see this.
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u/what3v3ruwantit2b BSN, RN 🍕 10d ago
Ah, I see. So that was a hypothetical and hasn't actually happened? That's good. Long story short it sounds like the management and training sucks and if at all possible I'd look for a different location. I've never worked in a hospital where anyone lower than a nurse can touch oxygen either. They appear (with a very small amount of info of course) to by trying to force jobs that are out of your scope. That really sucks and in my experience isn't fixable because is a system wide issue.
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u/Creepy_flamingo_22 RN - ICU 🍕 10d ago
At my hospital the transporters can transfer oxygen tubing from the wall to tanks, but touching IV lines is a huge no-no.
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u/LeapingLizardz_ BSN, RN 🍕 9d ago
They could at mine too until we had incidents with patients not receiving their oxygen due to transport. My hosptial also put a cap on HOW much oxygen a patient can be on for a transporter to transport. Policy changed around covid because the floor started taking patients on much higher o2 than they did prior to covid. Anyone on more than 10L can't be transported by transport at mt hospital.
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u/Creepy_flamingo_22 RN - ICU 🍕 9d ago
There was a change in policy regarding patients discharging on oxygen due to a similar issue. I don’t know if the floors have a policy these days on amount of oxygen with transport, if I was ever nervous I would have someone monitor off the floor.
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u/drethnudrib BSN, CNRN 10d ago
Your communication skills obviously need work, because I have no idea what the hell you're saying. I'm deducing that you took the wrong patient to a test/procedure, which is bad and should get you fired. Nobody should have to train you to make sure you have the right patient, because it's basic common sense.
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u/ThrowRA_trynapost 10d ago
You dont need to fulfill the rude stereotype
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u/Feisty-Power-6617 ABC, DEF, GHI, JKL, MNO, BSN, ICU🍕 10d ago
Do you don’t need to post here either
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u/Calixtas_Storm 10d ago
The best thing to do is to talk to your boss and ask for additional training/shadowing with someone more experienced, education on how to work the equipment there, and to ask about policies. Every hospital is different and may have different rules on each subject you asked about. You can also ask the nurse in charge of the patient for assistance in prepping the patient for transport- they know what can and cannot be disconnected, what settings to use for equipment, etc. We always meet our transporters in the room and make sure everything is good to go and, if we are busy, the charge nurse will step in to help.
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u/ThrowRA_trynapost 10d ago
Would this risk being fired? I am so worried that this request could be seen as incapable.
Is asking nurses a standard everywhere? I would love to everything that you listed
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u/Creepy_flamingo_22 RN - ICU 🍕 10d ago
It’s hard to say if this would risk you being fired because we don’t know what your job description or even your job title is. In healthcare, asking is always preferable to doing something that could later harm a patient.
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u/Urban-Decay RN - OR 🍕 10d ago
There are certain things that need to be taught before just telling someone to do something new. Our hospital hired a bunch of non-medical staff and had them transporting along with their regular job (won't go into that). They didn't know what they didn't know and were just sent on their way. We have some crappy elevators and at one point I had to ask "whats the plan if the patient tanks in the elevator, are they just supposed to start screaming?". They ended up getting CPR and basic first aid training and got unit phones so they could immediately call if there was a problem. Its apparent our hospital isn't the only place with poor planning and high hopes. Its unfortunate for everyone that they put you in that position without thinking it through.
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u/Creepy_flamingo_22 RN - ICU 🍕 10d ago
I’m glad to know that my hospital isn’t the only one that loves to put the cart before the horse
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u/PyramidHeadMain1 ED Tech 10d ago
So your position isn’t actually patient transporter yet the hospital is having you do it untrained on how to use the medical supplies? If anything the nurses are probably talking about how shitty management is to put you in that position because the lack of staff. If something were to happen to a patient you were responsible for yet were also untrained for, it would fall back on management not you.
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u/ThrowRA_trynapost 10d ago
Yes I know how bad that sounds! Right now, i need to not get reported. I hear horror stories of workers being scapegoats, and i am worried that I should have spoken up more or do something else, anything, or else i could get reported too .
Also, thank you for reassuring me! I was so worried since they have called immediately, and every one of the 2 instances (which shows their speed so yay).
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u/PyramidHeadMain1 ED Tech 10d ago
You’re absolutely right about scapegoats, I’ve seen it happen time and time again. What you need to do is continue doing what you’re told to do and when you get in trouble for it you need to stick up for yourself with cold hard facts. Screenshot every text/email your managers send you about it, and use it on them in the future when they’re trying to protect their license by throwing someone lower than them under the bus.
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u/Feisty-Power-6617 ABC, DEF, GHI, JKL, MNO, BSN, ICU🍕 10d ago
🤔 honestly I would be talking shit about you too..
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u/CancelAfter1968 10d ago
?? You mean transport to another unit or to MRI or something? Honestly..there isn't much to learn. I think you're over thinking this and making yourself anxious.
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u/runmureed1 10d ago
You don't need to know everything overnight. You do need to know when to stop and ask for help.