PICU nurses

[sharann, BSN, RN]

I have a question for you.

What would you do if you came for your shift and found out that you, an RN would be alone for the noc shift with only one LVN to help you. You have 3 vented total care (read SICK) patients and you may get a 4 th during the night from surgery.

Keep in mind, I am not this nurse, but I had to be the unfortunate one to bring from surgery the 4 th pt, a sick, sick child. I think I would have refused to accept the assignment. I know this is easy to say, but I could get another job easier than having to explain in court why I accepted the assignment.

I'd appreciate your opinions.

I'm sure I do NOT need to even mention that the nursing supervisor couldn't care less about the staff nurses dilemma.

[Cherry Soda]

I would have protested the assignment. I would have called the director of nursing at home if I had to!! I would not have accepted that fourth patient. The patient could have recovered in the RR until the morning when relief came in.

damn.

Cherry

[dawngloves, BSN, RN]

You know the answer.A big fat NO is the only one.

[fedupnurse]

I don't work PICU but in NJ there are state regs mandating 1 RN to 2 PICU pts. It is so wrong!! Bet they wouldn't staff like that if THEIR kid was one of the unfortunate patients in that unit!

[sharann, BSN, RN]

Yes, I agree as well. The staffing mandates in this state are 1:2 as well. So, how come they can staff this way? I don't get the whole dzmn buisiness.

[Qwiigley, BSN, MSN, DNP, RN, CRNA]

This seems to be strange. What kind of PICU has only 1 RN? What city in California is this? I work in a PICU with 20 beds. Our min nurses on are 10; that is with easy, well patients. Normally we are 1:1. If this was truley an PICU, then the state of Cal, mandates 1:2 min ratio. I know that our PICU doesn't even hire LVNs; (they can't do IV push meds, can't legally assess, etc.

Our manager would have come in, as they have had to in the past during a few wicked nights of traumas! (PS. we're in L.A.)