Med surg nursing getting more exhausting

Nurse ABC · Feb 14, 2013

Our floor it isn't so much they are getting sicker but that we're expected to do more and more with less and less staff. So yes but thankfully our new manager is looking into how to make things better since our floor has a huge-turnover.

teleRN08 · Feb 15, 2013

I agree. We are a med/surg/tele unit at a small community hospital. I've been there five years. And each year it becomes more and more exhausting. More work and less time. Ugh.

stylishgurl · Feb 15, 2013

Absolutely more charting charting more core measures more crazy patient 12 hour shift is not enough and they think we are get paid enough oh my! Just saying

Shannonmay911 · Feb 15, 2013

On my floor we may have up to 9 patients with a CNA or 5 by ourselves... Seems like patients and families expect more from uss well as doctors and our boss. The patients are sick and there is so much to be done. Sometimes I want to say NO I DON'T HAVE TIME TO FIND YOU MORE PILLOWS THE SIX YOU HAVE ARE FINE!! I feel like my good attitude is always hidden behind being ****** off about something someone else wants/needs. I hate it. I wish we had lighter loads and then could actually take care of all our patients wants and needs.

PediLove2147, BSN, RN · Feb 18, 2013

Out of 24 patients today 11 were confused, one with a sitter and three in restraints. Most are incontinent requiring complete bed changes more than once a shift. It is awful. We didn't use to be like this but everyone and their mother are falling and getting subdurals it seems. Our CNAs were all in the NM's office the other day because their assignments are so heavy. I left today seriously wanting to quit. I am hoping we are just going through something and we'll get our floor back soon.

Jon J · Feb 23, 2013

This thread is depressing lol.

stylishgurl · Feb 24, 2013

It's the real thing! I know it's sad but this our world now!

JTworoger · Feb 24, 2013

On my floor we may have up to 9 patients with a CNA or 5 by ourselves

Wow are you serious? The hospital that I work for just built a new hospital. We now have 7 stories with a department on each floor after the 4th floor. Our hospital layout has its pros and cons.

1st Floor is ER/Surgery/Outpatient Services

2nd Floor is: PCU, MICU (Medical), and SICU (Surgical)

3rd Floor is: Women's Health (OB, GYN, Post Partum, and the baby children.)

4th Floor is: Surgical Floor/Peds

5-7 is the Medical floors.

We have 36 private rooms on each of the 5,6,7th floors.

ER ratio is 1:2-3 (Depending on acuity.)

PCU is 1:4

MICU/SICU 1:2

Surgical 1:7

Peds is 1:?? (Depends on the acuity)

Medical 1:7

There isn't a day we don't have a CNA, the CNA might have 14+ patients, but we still manage. The nursing sup always tries to give us over 7 patients, but the majority of us stick to our guns and refuse.

Its not fair to have more patients then you can handle, its YOUR lisences not YOUR managers or CEOs liscences, YOURS.

There is no possible way the nurse can assess all his/her patients, give medications, call doctors, admit patients, discharge patients, start IVs, give IVPs every other hours for chronic pain seekers without a large patient load and no CNA. I would of quit months ago. lmao

Stcroix, ASN, PhD, RN · Feb 25, 2013

Patient stays are shorter, making for more discharges and admissions!

Jon J · Feb 25, 2013

Wow are you serious? The hospital that I work for just built a new hospital. We now have 7 stories with a department on each floor after the 4th floor. Our hospital layout has its pros and cons.
1st Floor is ER/Surgery/Outpatient Services
2nd Floor is: PCU, MICU (Medical), and SICU (Surgical)
3rd Floor is: Women's Health (OB, GYN, Post Partum, and the baby children.)
4th Floor is: Surgical Floor/Peds
5-7 is the Medical floors.
We have 36 private rooms on each of the 5,6,7th floors.
ER ratio is 1:2-3 (Depending on acuity.)
PCU is 1:4
MICU/SICU 1:2
Surgical 1:7
Peds is 1:?? (Depends on the acuity)
Medical 1:7
There isn't a day we don't have a CNA, the CNA might have 14+ patients, but we still manage. The nursing sup always tries to give us over 7 patients, but the majority of us stick to our guns and refuse.
Its not fair to have more patients then you can handle, its YOUR lisences not YOUR managers or CEOs liscences, YOURS.
There is no possible way the nurse can assess all his/her patients, give medications, call doctors, admit patients, discharge patients, start IVs, give IVPs every other hours for chronic pain seekers without a large patient load and no CNA. I would of quit months ago. lmao

Six patients should be upper limit. Greedy ppl at the top have no clue what it takes to take good care of ppl >.>

Underoo · Apr 3, 2013

Im seeing more and more IV drug users and ETOH withdrawals.. Like at least one a day. Their crazy behavior takes up all of my time and my sweet little old people barely see me. Makes me sick. Also makes me less and less empathetic. And seems like families are getting crazier too. Don't even get me started on family members. :/