Help with solving a Patient Sitter Staffing problem

[DogWmn]

Right now I'm working as a patient sitter and we have 4 or 8 hour shifts, I work the 3-11 shift and all other staff works 12's. The problem being that the middle of my shift is 7p. I understand that is a problem, so when the night nurse comes through I try to plan a dinner break starting somewhere between 8 and 8:30p. Lately this has become an issue and I get told we just don't have time or how about 10:30...really?

We used to have 12 hour shifts we could sign up for but no one did, sitting in a room with someone for that long is horrific.

As patient sitters we have problems even getting a restroom break let alone a 30 min dinner break. It's like we are an after thought as far as the rest of the staff are concerned. I've been doing this for over a year and 1/2 and I've yet to get the legal required breaks ever.

My question is: What's the answer? It seems to me that staffing should adjust their resources accordingly. In stead of just complaining about it I'd like to offer suggestions, but I'm not on the other side of the fence so I'd love to hear some suggestions.

[martymoose, BSN, RN]

I understand the lunch break might be difficult, as the nurses hardly ever get one themselves(Im speaking as a nurse), but the bathroom break thing is ridiculous-seriously, someone says they don't have time to give you a bathroom/snack break? Even as the charge. I think I could fit in sitting in the pt room for 5 minutes so you can go. wow.

Where I am , if there are no techs, then the nurse assigned to that pt is responsible for you.Seriously, I'd be happy to have a 1:1 ;otherwise I'd be the one in the room anyway, not providing care to my other patients anyhow. Wow. Excuses!!

I suppose if you are not getting any breaks, then I would report it to the staffing office.

[DogWmn]

I did go to staffing and got a less than positive response, since then I've not gotten any shifts even though there is a patient.

[DawnJ]

How do you get a gig as a sitter? Is that something the hospital posts for on the usual recruiting page? Never seen a listing for one, but that sounds like a decent way for me to make some extra pesos while I'm in nursing school

[IHeartNursing321]

I am a sitter too and I usually have no problem. If I don't get my break before 7P, I just let the new CNA on shift know that I need my break and he/she gives me a break after they take vitals....so you can suggest that to the CNA. I remember my supervisor telling me if a staff member do not give me a break, to let him know right away. You can also talk to the charge nurse on the floor about this issue.

[M/B-RN]

I also used to do a lot of sitter assignments working as a Float Pool CNA, we were the first to get pulled to be sitter. I would ask the CNA in the unit at the beginning of your shift. If there is no CNA, I would suggest asking the patient's nurse, or the charge nurser, or give the Nursing Supervisor a call at the beginning of your shift to see if they can send someone out.

Whenever the nurse comes in to do an assessment or give meds, simply tell her "While you are here I am going to take 5 minutes to go to the bathroom" and just start walking out. That's what I used to do and it forced them to stay in the room until I came back. I wouldn't recommend doing that for a 30 minute lunch break lol but they HAVE to let you go to the bathroom! There's no excuses to not allow that.

[Vespertinas]

We sometimes have a "floating" sitter who goes around and relieves other sitters for lunch. But that's on a good day.

[DogWmn]

It continues to be a problem, staffing is VERY low, often NO techs. By the time the RN comes around the first time it can be as late as 9:30 or 10. So that's 2 1/2 hours to 3 hours before the patient is even seen by a nurse after shift change. I do my best to work with the staff on scheduling a break but when I'm not seeing them until this late it is a problem. Often times I can't ring the bell as the patient is asleep and I would get chastized for waking them up as it is answered by the front desk via intercom.

Hourly assessments...LOLOLOL. When I first started a year and 1/2 ago staffing levels were good, we now have new management and they have cut to the bone. Patient sitters in our hospital are considered "non-medical", so we are often ignored when staff comes into the room.

I am continuing to put down no dinner break and it continues to **** off staffing management.

Even getting a potty break is difficult and at 62 I just don't have the great bladder I used to.

I really am trying to rack my brain for a solution that I can put forth and it all seems to boil down to low staffing and high census issues that are chronic.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

If you weren't getting your overtime for no meal breaks and you think they aren't calling you because you reported that to HR, call your state division of wages and hours and ask for their advice. I'll betcha they'll be on them like white on rice-- you can at least get W&H to send you something in writing that reinforces that law. You won't get any more shifts or time off, but you'll at least get OT when you deserve it.

[barbyann]

It continues to be a problem, staffing is VERY low, often NO techs. By the time the RN comes around the first time it can be as late as 9:30 or 10. So that's 2 1/2 hours to 3 hours before the patient is even seen by a nurse after shift change. I do my best to work with the staff on scheduling a break but when I'm not seeing them until this late it is a problem. Often times I can't ring the bell as the patient is asleep and I would get chastized for waking them up as it is answered by the front desk via intercom.

Hourly assessments...LOLOLOL. When I first started a year and 1/2 ago staffing levels were good, we now have new management and they have cut to the bone. Patient sitters in our hospital are considered "non-medical", so we are often ignored when staff comes into the room.

I am continuing to put down no dinner break and it continues to **** off staffing management.

Even getting a potty break is difficult and at 62 I just don't have the great bladder I used to.

I really am trying to rack my brain for a solution that I can put forth and it all seems to boil down to low staffing and high census issues that are chronic.

Here are some concrete suggestions you can use:

1. Wear a diaper.

2. Put crackers in your pocket.

3. Whine louder.

4. Get another job.

*could not hold it in any longer.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

I think we need to be respectful and supportive of each others opinion. I think that we need to understand how frustrating it is when staffing restraints cause frustrations and poor patient care. Here at Allnurses

you are free to disagree with anyone on any type of subject matter as long as your criticism is constructive and polite. Additionally, please refrain from name-calling. This is divisive, rude, and derails the thread. Our first priority is to the members that have come here because of the flame-free atmosphere we provide. There is a zero-tolerance policy here against personal attacks. We will not tolerate anyone insulting other's opinion nor name calling.

Our call is to be supportive, not divisive.

It isn't fair to not be given breaks or relieved even when the sitters are "just sitting" while nurses "run around" they need food and water like everyone else.

Sitting there watching these patients is a valuable service that is needed to keep these patients safe and need to be considered a valuable part if the team. As a supervisor I remind the nurses how miserable their day would be without them.

OP I wish I has a solution. I'll bet they are comfortable with you and that the patient is cared for so that they see the other patients first. I would try to negotiate a break time at the beginning of the shift with the staff member that has your patient. I would also let staffing know that you aren't being relieved by the other staff......and that you would much rather have the break, discuss how this can be accomplished with them.

OP....I wish you the best.

[Tait, MSN, RN]

I am going to support Esme's statement. I don't care what your position on the floor is, we are all people as well who need nutrition and a bathroom break. Also it is just as important for you to have a mental break from your patient as it is for nurses to get one. There are some nurses who are pros at getting their 30 minute break, nearly every day, why? Because they just do it. They set up an expectation, they cover their patients, and they do it. I admire them because often I was content to take the "pseudo-martyr" role and not give up my team to take a break. Anyway, this isn't about nurses, nor should anyone be drawing a parallel. This isn't about who works harder, it is about teamwork and communication.

Staffing cuts are hard to deal with. Where I worked almost all of the sitters were contracts from outside the hospital, so if we had a hospital staff member in there, it was generally a 1013 who had to have someone immediately. They were then pulled when contract sitters got there. I have to admit contract sitters (12 hour) almost never seemed to take breaks. I think that was perhaps because our CNA's were pretty good at working something out with the sitter to cover them. However on nights when that wasn't possible, I would usually ask them when would be a good time and we would work something out. One thing I am thinking, even though not ideal, was similar to something someone else said. Perhaps work out a system before shift change. If you took a break at say 530-600 maybe that would be easier to cover than at 8/830. Taking that mental break from a patient is important, there may just need to be a bit of a concession for now.

As far as pee breaks I would just figure out times ahead. Say you got there at 3 and it is now 445 I would tell the nurse you would like to run to the restroom in the next 15 minutes. You might not have to go, but we all know most of us can pee at any point and this would at least give the nurse time to get there and watch, as well as making sure you don't get into an uncomfortable state.

Best of luck and thank you for sitting in rooms with patients I often cringe to have to see once or twice an hour!

Tait