Questions for California nurses

[Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN]

Are the legally mandated nurse-to-pt ratios in CA being adhered to where you work?

If not, why?

If so, do you find that your working conditions and pt safety are improving?

Is the morale of nurses at your facility improving?

Are the ratios attracting non-practising nurses back into the field, or attracting nurses from other areas to travel or move to CA to work?

I really want to know, and would appreciate your input!

[Gomer]

Answer to your question: NO, not in my facility

Why?: Isn't a law yet. The unions are still fighting over what's a nurse (are LVN's considered nurses when it comes to the ratios) and the State finally realized that hospital beds would be closed (or some hospitals would have to close) because there aren't enough R.N.'s to meet the ratios. Matter of fact, I really haven't heard much about it lately....hmmm, better investigate.

Morale of the RN's has improved in my facility because everyone got a big raise a couple of months ago. Now the malcontents are *****in' about retirement. Some people are never happy.

[SandyB]

Nope, not in mine and not in any I have heard of. Some places are trying harder to staff better but mostly they still have to use registry or travelers.

[kimprn]

CNA website, (association who sponsored AB394) http://www.calnurse.org, has answers to most of your questions.

Mandated ratio becomes effective, barring anymore opposition, most notably from SEIU, 01/01/04.

BRN reports there has been an increase of applications from both new grads and outside CA. RN's.

The hospital were I'm employed has excellent retention of RN's and already implemented a better than average pt./staff long before AB394 was introduced.

Hope this helps.

[pickledpepperRN]

The above are correct.

Ratios will be the law starting 1/1/2004. Long wait!

Kaiser in Northern California has almost implemented the ratios with all RNs. So has UC Davis. They have hired many nurses from other states as well as nurses who were not working in hospitals.

Catholic Health Care West, I think is really trying to get a head start. Some have hired many RNs and LVNs too.

Kaiser says they have implemented 1:4 or better with 50% LVN. I work registry at 2 Kaiser facilities. The one that really has those ratios is safer for patients and the staff is staying. The other has some poorly staffed units with understandably high turnover.

Tenet: Not for me! no training, not enough staff. One telemetry floor seemed to be run by a 19 year old CNA who is taking pre requisites. She said, "You a RN. You got it made. I do all the work. "

If she earns her RN she will find out. They fired the good managers who staffed appropriately and insisted the staff take basic EKG and ACLS. Morale is low.

It is not for me! I predict Tenet will have to either improve it's care or be closed.