Staffing levels

Nurses Safety

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I am in northern California, working in a skilled nursing facility. I have been a LVN for about 6 months now and wondering what others thoughts are on staffing levels. I understand Cali has a law of 3.5 (or 3.2 cant remember) nursing hours per patient per day. This includes CNA's, DON, MDS, LVN, etc. I dont understand how this is safe. I have 34 residents and its a heavy med pass. Gtube (with Q 2 hour meds) fresh broken hips, 9 diabetics with insulin. About 28 out of my 34 residents are on BP meds and monitors ( so a lot of BPs everyday) Parkinson's meds (time critical) and everyone has 10-20 meds a peice. I cant do anything but pass my meds, and I am lucky if my AM med pass gets done within 5 hours, and I am lucky to get a break or lunch!!! I have seen some posts on here about people with heavier loads than this. Cant we all get together like RN's in hospitals did to get their 5-1 patient ratios and get us a decent patient load, like 18-20? So we can take care of the elderly like they deserve.

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Specializes in Hospice / Psych / RNAC.

I'm right behind you! But where do we start? At least California has limits when some states do not. Yes the all infamous med pass in most LTC facilities is the talk of legends and it's dangerous, insane, and every adjective you can ascribe to not safe. Yes, yes, I agree, we need to do something ... but what?

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Specializes in Telemetry.

I agree. I've never worked in a LTC, but it's crazy for me to have 8 ortho patients without an aid or a secretary in the hospital. Also to have 5 cardiac patients (like two fresh thoracotomies and 3 fresh CABGs, 12 to 24 hrs post surgery) with an aid that has 10 pts. More than once I've had two at the same time get a little hinky on me which involves a lot of time and total neglect of the other patients I have. Can't ask other nurses to watch for them because they are overloaded themselves. Aids should also be limited on how many patients they can have, we ALL have to many.

Unfortunatly I think we are about to go into a HUGE economic depression...we've kinda already been in one...and staffing levels are only going to get worse.

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Specializes in LTC.

I am very with you. Over the weekend I had 21 residents. I actually felt like I had it together and I was done with the meds very early. So I had time to do the creams myself that we usually pass on to the CNAs. While I was doing that I changed their brief if needed, got them water, their snack, another blanket.

Tonight.. add on 4 more residents with more needs and things go back to crazy again/

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call your local news station, they can do an anonymous story about you..... that would get the attention of ppl and politicians get some nurses that feel the same way in ur facility, and if it a big company the news station would LOVE to rip them apart..... just an idea. i was very close to doing so when i was an LPN. but instead one day i quit like an animal(stayed the remeinder of my shift) but i blew a hole on everyone from the administrator to the DON MDS it was not pretty. needless to say i went back to school and got my BSN i also was 22 at the time

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