I have realized that in order to find a nursing unit that matches me perfectly, I will have to create a set of questions that will tell me a lot about the unit. I currently have two questions prepared. The first is about technology, and the second is about support for Registered Nurses by Nursing Attendants.

My hospital is in the midst of training for a computer system that will replace the old system. This old system was implemented in 1988 and uses a pre windows style programming. It is clunky, difficult to use, and just plain ugly. On the other hand, the new computer system is user friendly, nice to look at, helps with unit efficiency, and rids us of the need for using paper on our unit.

I was at a different hospital in the fall that started using this system and I fell in love with it. I found my day flowed so much easier with this new system. Its functions were intuitive and complemented my nursing style.

The unit I’m working on now is as old fahioned as it gets. Even the old system offers opportunities to create a better work-flow and could decrease the amount of paper that is used by the unit, but they choose to hang onto some of the paper charting. All sorts of different flow sheets are still kept in the chart and on the bedside clipboard. I hate filling in these sheets since it’s easy to make mistakes, and crossing things out looks messy. Plus, you’re forever replacing filled sheets.

With the new computer system, all these sheets and more are offered right on the computer, but we have decided to still keep all the paper flow sheets. I am frustrated because we have this beautiful new technology that will make our lives easier, and the unit refuses to take advantage of it.

The problem is that our unit is populated by several older nurses who, of course, are the squeekiest wheels on the unit. They don’t like change, they like the old way, they don’t like new nurses, they treat anything different than what they are used to with disdain. And because they are loud and intimidating, they get what they want.

And that’s why I want to ask this question at interviews. “Do you use all the technology available to its full scope?”

If they answer “yes,” I will know that the unit isn’t afraid to embrace change and new technologies. This tells me that the staff are at least willing to give change a chance, even if they do it begrudgingly. This further shows that staff aren’t afraid of new ideas. If I have something to say, perhaps they won’t immediately shoot me down (read: shout at me and make me feel small).

I want to work on a unit that doesn’t spend half their day complaining about how things aren’t as good as they used to be. Instead, I want to work on a unit that gets excited about change, always willing to try new things, experimenting with new ideas of patient care. These units do exist, and I now recognize these qualities as very important in my work environment.

Now, I fully believe that nursing attendants are underutilized on my unit. I want to work on a unit where there is a Nursing Attendant assigned to every patient, and they are expected to wash/walk/feed/ their patients. On my unit we have one or two Nursing Attendants. They simply float to where they are needed, and as a result end up with those old, cranky, “squeeky wheel” nurses that demand (not ask) for their help. This leaves me to work even harder than those other nurses since every time I ask for help, the nursing attendants are too busy helping the usual nurses.

By taking these basic care tasks away from Registered Nurses, it would open up our time to care for more patients, OR we could begin to work on the outer edges of our scope of practice. Imagine what we could do with an extra hour or two in our day!

So, here’s my interview questions so far:

1.) Do you have what I feel is appropriate support by Nursing Attendants?
2.) Do you embrace new technology, ideas, change? What are some examples?

OK, since I’m in the mood for questions, I’m putting these questions out there to my readers:

1.) Is willingness to embrace change an indicator of the unit’s atmosphere? Should we look to the future, or am I completely wrong, and the past was much better?
2.) Do you feel that Nursing Attendants are vital to our job and should be utilized as much as possible? Or should Nurses maintain the basic care tasks of nursing, considering it an important part of our identity?
3.) What would you ask at an interview to find out if the unit is right for you?