Why do Nurse Managers refuse to hire an Admissions/Discharge Nurse?

[Grasshopper11]

No matter where I work it is the same question....Why does management refuse to hire someone to help with admissions and discharges????? Management would rather see us pulled away from our current patients in order to complete an admission or discharge. which is quickly followed by another admission. Management then acts confused and can't understand when this results in overtime in order to complete the admission and/or discharge.. Admissions/discharges is one of the biggest complaints on Press Gainey yet management refuses to hire an RN to handle this exclusively, one who would be able to handle them on the unit in a calm, pleasant manner because he/she does not have to rush to take care of other patients.

Isn't this common sense?

[thenightnurse456]

It's a budget thing. If the manager is complaining about having to pay for overtime, they won't be hiring a nurse with the sole job of admitting and discharging patients.

It makes sense to us because we don't have to meet a budget every year.

[Grasshopper11]

If they hired an admissions/discharge nurse, we would not be doing overtime.....

[SleeepyRN]

My work just started hiring "unit secretaries" that are LPNs. The rest of the staff are RNs only. LPNS are not allowed to work the floor, because almost Every patient has peripheral IVs, PICC lines, lots of IV insert insertion. We have 2 WONDERFUL LPNs who work as unut secretaries. (In a small sub acute rehab.) The LPNs/unit secretaries enter the orders from the hospital they just cane from. Then save it only in a que. WE are then to assess the patient, notify md and clarify orders. Once I can clarify orders, I submit the qued orders. It goes straight through eScripts. They also do the scheduling and set up transport for f/u appointments. This is pretty new to our facility, so it's not "wonderful" yet, but I'm hopeful. :-)

[SleeepyRN]

Sorry...typos

[blackribbon]

We have an specialty nurse during the day that can be called to help with admissions. Ironically, it is on nights that we get most of our admissions...especially, the type that aren't just in hospital transfers from surgery and such. Nights also typically carries a heavier patient load and less nursing assistance. I have been here for almost 6 months and have had more than one shift where I did 2 admission or an admission and a discharge...and a discharge at night often is more complicated because we are having to chase down the doctor who promised the patient certain things and did't follow through before going home for the day.