Short nursing staff

BSNbeauty, BSN, RN · Mar 5, 2013

I agree. I have to admit, and I know this was wrong but sometimes I did not administer a calcium pill when I had 50 plus residents to pass meds for. It was circled and documented.

On another note: I have worked at a nursing home that was really nice. 1:20 was the ratio, each aide had 5-6 residents, and it paid decent.

I'm trying to go back there PRN, it was lovely.

paradiseboundRN · Mar 5, 2013

The working short problem is not only with LTC or hospital, its in home care too. The intake dept has only 1 nurse instead of 3, so the patients home care orders (from the hospital) don't get to the scheduler. Then, when the scheduler finally gets the orders, she prioritizes which new patients are going to be seen that day (not enough nurses to see everybody) and many are bumped to the next day or the day after. These patients are fresh out of hospital, and probably discharged too soon. They have a bunch of new meds that they don't know how to take. Some of the meds are duplicates of the ones they have at home, but they don't know that so they take both! Or their CHF or pneumonia has gotten worse not better, but no nurse to notice that. By the time the nurse gets out there, she has to send them back to the hospital. And around and around it goes!

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Mar 5, 2013

If you want to take action Join your professional organizations. See who is supporting/bringing safe staffing and max ratios to the state legislature. Write letters, speak up...take action. The sad part is you can report your facility but they are most likely within "the letter"of the law.

It is so sad to see what nurses, like me, fought for in safe staffing, primary care, modular nursing all "proven" to provide the patient with the very best care. We fought hard for the raises in salaries that nurses receive now and clawed our way to be respected in the medical field as an educated peer instead of the doctors handmaiden.

Where is it going now?

GLORIAmunchkin72 · Mar 11, 2013

If it happens once in a while you can deal with it but if it happens a lot it's a different story. Everybody is trying to keep their head above water and your ability to help is limited because you cannot jeopardize your own job to help another, especially when they cannot reciprocate. Not sure what the answer is.

CapeCodMermaid, RN · Mar 12, 2013

If all y'all would tell me where I can find competent nurses, I'd love to hire a few more. The ones who've applied lately are not anyone I'd want taking care of my residents.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Mar 12, 2013

When I used to interview for the stores I managed, then later hotels, it used to amaze me how unprepared and uninterested some people are/ were for their interviews. Why bother showing up?

nurseywifeymommy1 · Mar 12, 2013

I think you guys are right. They have recently fired RNs and 3 hv quit. The one replacement doesn't look like she will make it. It's too bad you can't tell how much a nurse will care b4 they are hired or how much they are "into being a good nurse."

Oldernursedugup · Mar 12, 2013

Yes...too many drugs taking away valuable nursing care duties...Medication technicians are used in some facilities-so the nurse can concentrate on wound care, notes, and updating files. We need more medication techs-WITH their OWN malpractice coverage-but, of course we are still responsible...

WE ARE DOING THE BEST WE CAN DO-its a shallow sentiment, but nevertheless, a TRUE one.

Oldernursedugup · Mar 12, 2013

What attracted you to LTC nurseywifeymommy? I'd appreciate hearing your feedback-I KNOW this matters to you a LOT...I'm so sorry-but, the fact is...the patients need you even more now...

nurseywifeymommy1 · Mar 12, 2013

Oldernursedugup I am attracted to LTC for selfish reasons only. I didnt hv grandparents involved in my life. I like hearing about their lives growing up, what they were b4 turning 80. So much has changed in their lifetime. We hv a lady turning 102 today- that's exciting to me. She dresses herself, a bit confused and takes minimal meds. She has awesome genes! Now I hv an entire facility of them. 2nd, no one seems to care for them and I'm always for the underdog. Lastly I've never wanted to work in a hospital. I've spent enough time in them with sick relatives.

nursebeanie · Mar 8, 2014

As an ADNS I assure you at my facility we do not ever try and work short! However ... no one has work ethic to show up to work! The turnover in LTC is outrageous! Nurses and especially CNAS are so hard to find! Seems its just too easy any more for people to call in sick ! Everyday I have 2-3 call ins! We are working mandatory overtime right now do to the fact its so hard for people to come to work! Sometimes its easy to blame the DNS and ADNS for working short by saying its all about the money.... but trust me we work our butt of to try and have proper staffing!

Natkat, BSN, MSN, RN · Mar 9, 2014

We have this problem in dialysis as well. We have some really terrible nurses. It's to the point that I think some nurses wind up in dialysis because they've been chased away from everything else. They have no qualms about calling off. And almost every day the call nurse calls off and management has to go begging to get someone to cover call. They can't really take any disciplinary action for the call offs because we're so desperate for nurses that they keep getting away with it. Along with call offs are horrible attitudes, negativity, people riding the clock, prima donnas who cherry pick their assignments. I would say that out of 10 nurses on my team I can only think of 3 that I would want taking care of me. I love acutes because I mostly work alone and don't have to deal with their attitudes and ego trips.