Telling patients you're short-staffed

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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Specializes in LTC.

I remember them telling us in CNA class to never tell a patient you're short staffed. Why is that? As long as you're not whining about it or refusing to provide care because "you don't have time" I don't see what the problem is. Is it better to let them think you're just a flake?

Many times I have been given this warning. You never tell visitors or outside people about short staffing because you don't want to give them cause for alarm and give them an excuse to call the state and complain. Let them draw their own conclusions. And you never tell the patient because that is putting the patient at emotional jeopardy, a form of abuse. The patient just lies there and worries whether anybody will see to his needs. He doesn't need the emotional distress.

Specializes in LTC.

Well I don't see why I would ever tell a visitor but when a resident asks who's here today (and they always want to know) and you list off 2 or 3 people and there's usually 4 or 5... they figure it out.

Just always run in place when you are talking to them. They will get the message :lol2:

Specializes in Gerontology, nursing education.

Once when a patient asked me if we were short that day, I said, "Yup. I'm five-foot-four. I guess that's short, huh?" Yes, the patient thought it was funny. :D

It's true that the facilities don't want you to inform family members that you're short staffed because as stated earlier it can get the family to rightfully call the state. Sometimes the facilities want you to work shor staffed because it saves them a few bucks here and there. When it comes to penny pinching they're all for it.

Specializes in Neurosciences, Med-Surg-CNA.

Another reason is that you don't want your patient to try to get up out of bed on their own and fall instead of calling you because they didn't want to "bother" you. That's the main reason I never tell a patient that I am busy, because it will usually result in a fall.

Specializes in Infusion Nursing, Home Health Infusion.

Mainly because IT IS NOT their problem....put yourself or a loved one in that position..do they really need to hear ALL that!! They are in bed....ILL..and that is the last thing they want to hear. You have to deal with the problem in a professional way and a part of that is keeping the problem to yourself and other staff

Mainly because IT IS NOT their problem....put yourself or a loved one in that position..do they really need to hear ALL that!! They are in bed....ILL..and that is the last thing they want to hear. You have to deal with the problem in a professional way and a part of that is keeping the problem to yourself and other staff

That's true, but at the sametime they're going to wonder why the CNA is always in such a hurry to do things. I'm not saying volunteer the information, but if they ask if we're short staffed I tell them yes. I'm not going to lie to them and paint a pretty picture when in reality it's pretty ugly.

Specializes in Med-Surg/urology.

My CNA instructor said you can tell them "Sorry, we're a little challenged today"..It sorta sounds better than 'short-staffed" lol :)

Specializes in Float.
Many times I have been given this warning. You never tell visitors or outside people about short staffing because you don't want to give them cause for alarm and give them an excuse to call the state and complain. Let them draw their own conclusions. And you never tell the patient because that is putting the patient at emotional jeopardy, a form of abuse. The patient just lies there and worries whether anybody will see to his needs. He doesn't need the emotional distress.

Good reason, the emotional distress. I'm divided on the issue however. In my facility the patients get very indignant, upset and even angry when they watch me from their rooms with my linen cart flying back and forth into everyone's room but theirs. They wonder why they're not getting their bed made, or why I'm not supplying their morning care, emptying their comode, etc. It's even worse when the family members are watching you, they come right outside of and into (this happened once) the pts room I'm currently in to ask, 'When you gonna get to my mother? It's after lunch and she said she didn't even get any washclothes!'. Cherry on top is when they say it in the tone of voice that's supposed to make you trip all over yourself jumping to their tune.

I've had pts get up out of their beds in the morning and sit in a chair next to their bed where they can see into the hall and watch as I go from room to room. After awhile when they see I'm not coming anywhere near their room unless it's glucose time, they tell me their tired and want to get in the bed. When I tell them that they can, they say, 'yes sugar but I can't get back in until you make my bed, I've been waiting all morning'.

When I get irrate pts I have no problem telling them that either they're not on my assignment or that they'll have to wait a little longer because we're short staffed. I was told that telling them that isn't getting us any pity by them, but their pity isn't want I want. I'd like to assure them that I'm not ignoring them or picking and choosing who I'll help for that day. When dealing with my pts, I don't want to come across as uncaring, crass or plain rude. I want them to know that, 'yes, I see you, however it'll be just a little while longer or I don't have you today but maybe I'll get to help you tommorrow'.

To me that's a little piece of mind instead of the worrying that they'll do if they feel ignored. Also, I think it's fair since it's the CNA/TECH that the patients will take their anger out on anyway.

Specializes in LTC.
Mainly because IT IS NOT their problem....put yourself or a loved one in that position..do they really need to hear ALL that!! They are in bed....ILL..and that is the last thing they want to hear. You have to deal with the problem in a professional way and a part of that is keeping the problem to yourself and other staff

It is their problem when they see you running up and down the hall and not answering their light as quick as you usually do.

I don't go running into everyone's room to announce it to them but they usually ask. I would be more distressed thinking that things were crazy for no legitimate reason. If things are crazy it's either because we're short-staffed or we're slammed with admissions or we have a lousy CNA. The residents always ask who's working today and believe me they figure it out if we're short or if we just have a flakey CNA. They know.

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