staffing

med/surg telemetry floor
day 5-6 pts
evening 5-6 pts
mn 8-9pts

Do you have any ancillary staff like techs or nursing assistants? I work a very busy orthopedic unit. Night staffing is usually 5 patients, primary care as we don't have techs. If you happen to be working with an LPN, you could be reponsible for 9 patients. Day staffing is 5 patients to a RN/tech team, or a team of RN/RN/tech for 8-9 or RN/LPN/Tech for 8-9. I do night charge. I can have as little as 3 patients or as many as 6. My additional responsiblities including placing new admits, doing bed assignments for the next day's surgeries, staffing assignments for the day shift, taking care of any problems on the unit and acting as a resource for the regular staff, including starting IV's and drawing blood. I also have to take report on the entire 55 bed unit and give it to the next charge nurse. Many mornings I don't leave until 8:30 or 9 am. 80-90% of the time I don't get a break. All of this for a whopping $2.00/hr, which I shouldn't complain about because we only started getting paid for charge a couple of years ago.

Here's a question that I've been meanng to ask for awhile...should nurses who are not tele trained be floated to other units and expected to take tele pts?

But also be charge?

The question really is do YOU think it's safe and doable?
What happens if you refuse?

Did you know that many states have regs for staffing. In my state if it is telemetry than the highest that can given to you is 6 patients, no matter what shift.
Being in charge requires responsibility of all patients. Can your license protect you??? Not if you don't complain. Filling out protest of assignments is to notify management that in your opinion you do not feel you can do a safe job taking care of all of the patients being assigned to you. It puts the legal responsibility now on them. You still take care of your assignment but let them know you need help. Once you have mentioned the need to fill out one of these forms, generally management will take a closer look to see what help they can give you.

Charge nurse would have a reduced pt load.