ICU Staffing?

[RNforLongTime]

I work in a 6 bed ICU/CCU at a small community hospital. The administrators are VERY money conscious around here to the point that they could care less about pt safety, in my opinion. Earlier this year, I was left ALONE with a pt on a vent that was a full code. :angryfire

The other RN was put on-call. Last Friday, after 3am, I was left with an RN, who is a new employee (this was her 4th night working here) and has NO med/surg acute care experience. She'd been a nursing home RN her entire career. We had 4 pt's. I of course had the vent pt that was a full code, with an a-line, several gtt's. Thankfully nothing happened but I felt that the entire situation was unsafe and I let the Nursing Supervisor know about it before I took report. She "tried" calling my nurse manager and never got a call back. They (nursing admin) felt that it was fine to leave me with a new employee with no acute care experience!!!!:angryfire

Tonight, I have one pt. She's a DNR. Nsg Sup pulled the other nurse up to the med-surg floor to float. Should there be a new admit to ICU the other nurse would be pulled back to ICU. So, here I sit ALONE with one pt in an ICU. EVEN THOUGH the staffing policy clearly states that in ICU for one pt there is supposed to be an RN and a nurses aide (ours is off tonight). Apparently the CEO of the hospital would get really upset if they paid TWO nurses to sit in ICU with one pt. So, that's why they pulled the other nurse.

Personally, I don't think that this situation is safe either. This is why I get irritated with this place. My yr is up at the end of February. Hopefully, I can get back into the other hospital where I initially started my nursing career. To be honest, I don't see myself working here much longer when Nsg Supervisors pull stunts like this and don't see the problem.

What say you?

[NURSJADED]

its not worth losing your license over. if you accept the unsafe assignment and something goes wrong, its your fault. i would bet that your state's nurse practice act tells you that its your responsibility not to take an assignment you know is unsafe. if you have a contract to finish up there, tell them you'll do it on another unit and refuse to float to icu if there's an unsafe assignment.

also, on your way out the door..joint commission international center for patient safety - file a complaint..

[RNforLongTime]

Joint Commission has nothing to do with this place where I work because it is NOT a JCAHO certified hospital.

[WinksRN]

I strongly believe that the worse can happen but god is in control and I strongly believe he hand picks people to be nurses, so pray when you're in a situation like this, he is in control, I think god will protect your license if staffing errors such as these are made by ignorent people, who do you think he will look out for if he knows your on his side. When things are out of your control you have to place everything in Gods control.

[GardenDove]

I strongly believe that the worse can happen but god is in control and I strongly believe he hand picks people to be nurses, so pray when you're in a situation like this, he is in control, I think god will protect your license if staffing errors such as these are made by ignorent people, who do you think he will look out for if he knows your on his side. When things are out of your control you have to place everything in Gods control.

This is a very naive POV in my opinion. I think all evidence points to the fact the God doesn't intervene directly in human affairs often, and it's up to human beings to advocate for what is good and right in this world. Unsafe and unfair things happen to good people, innocent people die of war, disease, hunger and accidents on a daily basis, Unsafe practices in hospitals sometimes have negative outcomes.

[AfloydRN, BSN, RN]

It all depends on the comfort level of the nurses. I am totally fine w/ 2-3 ICU patients by myself. I also have done it for 12 years now. Staffing sucks everywhere, every dept. All you can do is all you can do.