On a average day I spend about 20% of the time wit the MD, No labs, 40% dealing with staffing, charting is 30%, 10% on meds FSBS, ETC, so that leaves OMG hardley any time!  I guess I need to come inearly if I want to see them.  This is sad but it is true we spend very little time with our patients because we are so covered up with sooooooooo many other things.  They say treat the patient not the symptoms but do we really have time to live by that theory anymore?  Great topic cdnurse.

Wow this was really suprising to me.  I am not yeat a nurse, but as a CNA I spent tons of time with my patients. 

kayak: OR nurse. very funny. So true. So sad.

I've heard nurses debating that too much paperwork is taking necessary time away from patients. Have you found this to be true? Do you think there is any way to cut back on the paperwork/administrative duties?

Nurses do alot of non pt realted duties.As a nurse your focus i not only direct pt care but so much else.Paperwork, to say the least.Labs, checking orders, meds,calling Dr's, assissitng w/ procedures,coordinating w/ ancillary staff,educating families.Even working as as nursing assistant does not prepare you for the full spectrum of a nurses duty.We have ncp,skin sheets,fall risks.It seems there always a new sheet for this or that. W e do alot of data entry at the hospital i work at for meds, admits and discharges.We also do alot of non skilled non technical duties that should be done by other employeesOther than having more staff, and other persons to do the work that doesnt require a nurse to do, i dont know  of many more solutions.I find it very interesting how nursing assistants that become nurses are floored by what they didnt  realize nurses did, myself included when i graduated nursing school in 1990.I had also worked as an aide for 3 yrs prior.

Oh yes,  how could i be so silly.. The redundancy of paperwork is whole other  forum in itself.......

iluvnrsing says ...

sewnew, yes we do still have more time with the pt than the doc. but, guess who they think has all of the answers?

Naturally, the doc knows best. (Can you hear the sarcasm?) And I'm sure anyone who questions his/her judgement will have to pay for it later.

From my own experience, I have had docs who literally walk out of the room while they are still talking to me. So yeah, I'm sure that the nurses spend far more time with the patients than the docs.