HELP!! No charge nurse, no supervisor and OUTRAGEOUS ratios!!

Nurses Safety

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Hello!

I am a nurse in NC at a small hospital on a medical-surgical floor. We also have telemetry patients as well. Our facility is implementing "swing" beds which according to our administration only counts as "half of a patient" in regards to nurse to patient ratios. This is a status change on a patient so they can stay in their same room to continue with rehab therapies until ready to go home. Well, we have decided that the care is not changing, they are still patients that require nursing care as well.

That's only the beginning...

They have now done away with a house supervisor and a charge nurse.

They gave us 7-8 patients each yesterday on day shift. HELP!!

Can I refuse this patient load? Can I just not clock in? This is UNSAFE for patients.

Specializes in Med-Surg.
is it legal??

Yes, in Florida employment is an "at will" and you can be fired for whatever whenever.

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Sounds like disaster.

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I would run!!!!

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As to what are a nurse’s rights, this is a difficult question. This situation puts nurses between a rock and hard place. If you refuse the assignment, it can be deemed patient abandonment and you can get fired. However, if you do take the assignment and something happens, then you are also responsible. I suggest you take the assignment but document a note to your employer stating that you accepted the assignment but feel very uncomfortable for the following reasons and just wanted to let them know and request not to be placed in that situation in the future. Please, keep that note because if there is a problem in the future; you did your due diligence informing your employer of your concerns. However, if your employer is consistently giving you assignments that you are not comfortable with, it may best to get another job and not put your license in jeopardy. –

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Sounds like they need to get some more people in there! I would find the biggest boss there is and complain. HAve your coworkers do it to. ITs not fair to the patients to not get the attention they need nor is it fair for the nurses to be on complete overdrive! I hope things get better for you and quick!!

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Hello everyone,

I have been employed with a SNF/LTC Facility in Hernando, Florida for about 2 months now. I have been a nurse for 2 years. I work the 11-7 shift where the only supervisor on is me and three other nurses. Well, sometimes 3, sometimes 2 other nurses. The reason I am writing this post is because I want to know what the laws are in Florida for Nurse to Patient Ratio. We are a SNF/LTC with 120 patients. When there are 4 nurses on, that is 30 patients a piece. I am good with that. But, when a nurse calls out, the patient load for my unit turns into 60 patients to 1 nurse. They look at it as well you have 3 nurse on at night (11-7) that's 40 patients a piece. But the other 2 nurses do not come to my unit to help at all. So, I am left to care for 60 patients on my own. I have done up to 40 pts on my own. Never 60. What I want to know is: #1 - Is this legal? #2 - Can I refuse the assignment and what will happen if I do?

This is no where near safe, nor could this be legal. How can I provide the best possible care to my patients if I have to care for 60 pts on my own. About half my patients are Alzheimer pts. I can not afford to quit my job. Can someone please help me out with this. Any advise will do. Thanks guys! :unsure:

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Specializes in PCCN.

As far as I know, California is the only state with laws on ratios. Everyone else is SOL.

Employers know this . They don't care if a person quits- they'll just find some other desperate person to take the job until that person can't stand it , then they'll find another person who will take the job til they cant stand it, etc etc. There is no shortage of nurses. Dime a dozen.

I'm sorry.

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Specializes in ICU.

we have 5 on our telemetry unit, often flexing up to 6... and 4 often flexing to 5 on our telemetry/intermediate teams!

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I used to work in a unit where my load was 14 sometimes 28 if there was no other nurse on shift its so unsafe

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wow why 6 weeks?? What state are you in? I'm in NY, an "at will" state where you can be fired for anytime, any reason but you can also quit anytime, any reason (ie without notice). I worked somewhere with unsafe ratios, no charge, etc and got a new job putting in 2 weeks just to be nice (altho i'm still per diem there). It's really pretty impossible to change a defective system all on your own, better off just leaving.

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