Help! is this Normal/legal?

pagandeva2000, LPN · Oct 18, 2006

Not sure of whether this is legal or not per se, but this is not a situation that I would feel comfortable working in. Just too many patients, and too many reasons for distraction. I'd take the first boat sailing and run, but I don't know your situation. I hope that you receive more answers to assist you with this one!

jamangel · Oct 18, 2006

It is probably legal because if it isn't there is probably some loophole to use. How did you come by this job and is it one in which there has been a high turnover. Unfortunately, I have worked assited living and I have never worked one like this one. I may have had a high patient load but it was a true assisted living facility. I only had to do insulins and the patients took their own meds. We didn't have wounds that required high skilled nursing care. Also, i've never worked at a Assisted Living Facility with Dementia patients. They can do for themselves and the aides do any direct assistance. I did have to deal with the admin part but that was it.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Oct 18, 2006

Nurse/patient ratios only apply to acute care facilities in California. An acute care facility in California would be considered a hospital. You work at an assisted living facility. Therefore, it is legal for them to assign you 52 patients.

I work at a nursing home in Texas and have 18 patients.

txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN · Oct 22, 2006

Bottom line you need help.....

Avelinne · Oct 25, 2006

How can I make it plainer? Your being %$&*^ at this job and your license is at risk with the ridiculous nurse to patient ratio that your job demands from you. You can't be everywhere, and with 3 halls, well it sounds like a recipe for disaster. (YIKES) I worked an Alzheimer unit of 26 residents with 3 aides and still felt stretched most days. Ditch this job NOW. With the experience you have racked up you will have NO problem getting another job.

Good Luck!!

ns lpn · Oct 26, 2006

I hope to God this is not normal.

How can you truly feel safe/confident in the tasks you do with so much on the go. I would think their should be another lvn to at least help with meds and dsgs. I've worked where medications have been very heavy and that alone is stressfull, you have way too much on the go-it is an accident waiting to happen, even the best nurses can make mistakes but when your work environment is set up like that your almost guarenteed something will go wrong. If you can't make sucessfull changes in your environment, then change your environment. I would think a nurse with the ability to manage so many tasks at once would easily find work somewhere a little slower paced and much safer.

vonxojn · Oct 26, 2006

Oh NO NO!!!. 52 patients is way too much to handle. Either you ask for more help or get another job. I've worked in LTC facility at nights and had to take two halls. It was rough. My med pass usually took 3-4 hours at best. You might need to have a conference with the DON AND Administrator. Worse case scenerior... you'll find a better job with less patient responsibility.:bowingpur. You'll get burned out too quickly if you should stay.

lindseylpn · Oct 28, 2006

I worked nights at a nursing home and had 55 pts a night. I had to do all the same but, my cnas got all my vital signs and the nurse supervisors would find replacements for call-ins (sometimes). I took about a year of this and couldn't handle it any more.

LegginMF · Oct 28, 2006

Actally now that I've been there for 3 wks it's not as bad as it seems. Instead of answering the phone from family members, I have the RA's do it. Honestly I don't know if your loved ones is wearing the new green sweater or if he ate all of his breakfast. But the RA's do and if somebdy is not eating they come and tell me. All of our meds come bubble pack and once a week they have a girl come in and organize them. That way they are in the sme order in the drawer as on the MAR (med and resident) and it only takes a minute to double check your dosages. Also now that I have the orders of people memorized it doesnt take five minutes to find there meds or figure out if I need to crush themor for that matter who the heck they are. It just cracks me up when I ask the RA's for so and so and they tell it's the lady with the gray hair and a pink sweater. Duh! They all have grey hair and pink sweaters! LOL It now only takes about 3 hrs to pass my meds and I have plenty of time to spend observing and checking my residents for problems or even sit and chat with them. I think I have finally found the place I belong. Jody

PS gonna start 2 new threads please feel free to answer I love being able to draw off everybodies experince and maybe come up with better solutions than I normally would. Thanks Jody

chatter · Oct 29, 2006

i work in a nursing home my pts. about the same range. have about 54 pts. with 4 cna's,1 med-aide, and a secretary. without these people to help me my job would be your job impossible. approach administration about your concerns and if there is no change walk away. mention med-aides they are a life saver;)

LegginMF · Oct 29, 2006

i work in a nursing home my pts. about the same range. have about 54 pts. with 4 cna's,1 med-aide, and a secretary. without these people to help me my job would be your job impossible. approach administration about your concerns and if there is no change walk away. mention med-aides they are a life saver;)

actually that's what they had before and are now getting rid of the med aides and using lvn's instead. what was happening is that the med aides can't do insulin so the director who is an lvn was having to scramble everyday to give insulin. i also have 6 ra's 2 for each court. also according to the director anybody who works at the facility whether it be janitor or cook are considered care givers. everybody pitches in. jody