Does your unit have to absorb the cost of sitters? - Page 2

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  1. Mar 6, '12 by
    Has your unit tried net beds?
    Boog'sRN246 likes this.
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    Mar 6, '12 by
    THIS is the main reason I am always burned out and getting somewhat bitter at work. We have sitter patients often too. We have a 32 bed unit and 3 CNAs. More often then not our CNAs are in sitter rooms and we (RNs) are stuck doing our work and the work of the 2 or 3 CNAs. Customer satisfaction is down lately and head honchos wonder why...
    Gee......I am ONE person and can only do 3 things at a time as an RN and you want to make me do the job of two people. Well tough cookies...I try my best but sheesh! it's getting ridiculous. Especially when I hear our hospital's parent company makes HUGE profits each year.
    wooh likes this.
  3. Mar 6, '12 by
    We always jsut take aides from the floor to be sitters.
  4. Mar 7, '12 by
    Our hospital just got rid of sitters.

    If the floor needs a one-on-one, a CNA is pulled and the rest pick up that CNA's patients.

    It's like 1993 all over again.
  5. Mar 7, '12 by
    Thank you everyone for your responses, at least I know I'm not alone! Our floor gets all the ETOH's, elderly post-fall patients, suicides (real 1:1's...but we cohort the others when possible).

    Last night was a prime example...6 sitter patients (were able to cohort that down to using 3 sitters), 6 bed alarm patients, 2 in restraints, and an additional patient in a Posey bed...we were short a PCA, RN's and PCA's all pitching in to relieve sitters for breaks, and what happens?? A confused LOL fell and was found on the floor after staff heard a thud, right after hourly rounding occurred, even though all the usual appropriate deterrents/reminds were utilized...it just doesn't stop!

    Managements 'new' idea is to d/c the sitters (where 'appropriate') and put them all in Posey beds...apparently Posey beds don't come out of the unit budget! Aren't we supposed to be using the 'least-restrictive' options before jumping to restraints?! Not to mention the bulk of our patients would NOT be appropriate for a Posey bed, it would increase their agitation and they could harm themselves/pull out their IV's/Foleys etc attempting to get out.

    All I know is that this unit is burning me out...I would really love a phone triage RN job right now, lol!
  6. Mar 7, '12 by
    Wow, I wish we could use Posey beds where I work now. Our facility only uses them in psych areas
  7. Mar 7, '12 by
    Sigh...
    The purpose of sitters was so restraint use could be minimized, and even eliminated.
    I started nursing when restraints were more freely used, and it looks like your floor is going back full circle.
  8. Aug 10, '12 by
    More and more facilities are re-visiting the use of Enclosure Beds in place of Sitters. This is a viable solution when facilities are "stuck with the cost of a sitter". A recent Enclosure Bed company recently received FDA Clearance for its Enclosure Bed product as a less restrictive, restraint option. This product will also meet CMS requirements for less restrictive devices. I believe this product is better than another alternative which is chemical restraints. Facilities have the option to purchase or rent this product. With the average cost of $16 an hour for a Sitter (X 24 hours a day = $384.00 day) - an Enclosure Bed saves money (average is about $50 day). I know of several rental companies that offer this product as well as manufacturers who will sell it.
  9. Aug 10, '12 by
    Enclosure beds have their purpose, but it sounds like they are being overused. Patient safety is a risk in those beds, not to mention they get so filthy. I wouldn't want to be zipped up in one.
  10. Aug 11, '12 by
    Ugh. Enclosure beds SUCK.