Patient Ratio 1:8 and no tech!

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After doing med/tele for 3 years in one facility, I decided to try travel nursing. I am two weeks into my first contract and I am kinda worrying about their ratios. They are 1:8 on med/surg and med/tele floors and last night I had 8 patients and no nursing aid. I was doing q4 vitals blood sugars and cleaning pts. 4 of these 8 were admissions that were given maybe 30 mins apart... I was so overwhelmed. One was on a drip and I refused to handle the drip bc I signed up as a med surg nurse and specifically said I have never done drips. They still gave me the patient but the charge handled the drip. Am I being too sensitive for complaining about this or is this wrong? Charge tried helping out but she was also a monitor tech and charge for the ICU... I didn't chart til I finished giving report and didn't eat all night or drink water. Please comment!!!

They must be quite understaffed which is why they needed travelers, but honestly if those are the working conditions in Florida they really need to give travel nurses a raise there, last I heard the pay rates in Florida for travelers were quite low.

It just doesn't make sense when there are other nice states paying higher rates, with much better working conditions.

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It's not just southern non union hospitals that have crappy staffing. I've worked in northern union hospitals where the ratios sucked too.

Legalized ratios seem to be working in CA. It was great when I worked there, but that was years ago. Quite unfortunately hospitals in MA have undercut the ratio law by "acuity tools" that manipulate the numbers to make the law meaningless. So, ratio laws are not the end all be all unless it is stipulated that the numbers can't be manipulated by hospitals. Basically 2 patients must = 2 patients, 3 patients must =3, etc... (vs. "he's not that sick" so he counts as 1/3). I was so happy when the MA ICU staffing law was passed and now it's just worthless. *Super* disappointing. :(

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Travelers are needed in the toughest units. You were correct in refusing responsibility for the drip. You should have also refused 4 back to back admissions. You will need to be firm every single shift.

This is about patient safety... and the safety of your license.

See my thread " Should I Go or Should I Stay". I ended up breaking that contract, but it's hard to do.

I got out successfully by ongoing documentation of the problems with my recruiter.

Best wishes, let us know how it's going.

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Florida has a sun tax - you will make less there, just as you will in places like the Virgin Islands, Hawaii, and San Diego. Treat it as a working holiday and you will be fine. If you want to chase the money, well, places like Wyoming and the Central Valley in California come to mind (no beaches). Or unionized areas.

Florida, like many other places in the South (I'm looking at you Texas) has multiple downsides: lower pay, hostile management, extra obnoxious docs, and higher ratios. That is not universal to every unit in every hospital, but is valid as a vast generalization.

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After doing med/tele for 3 years in one facility, I decided to try travel nursing. I am two weeks into my first contract and I am kinda worrying about their ratios. They are 1:8 on med/surg and med/tele floors and last night I had 8 patients and no nursing aid. I was doing q4 vitals blood sugars and cleaning pts. 4 of these 8 were admissions that were given maybe 30 mins apart... I was so overwhelmed. One was on a drip and I refused to handle the drip bc I signed up as a med surg nurse and specifically said I have never done drips. They still gave me the patient but the charge handled the drip. Am I being too sensitive for complaining about this or is this wrong? Charge tried helping out but she was also a monitor tech and charge for the ICU... I didn't chart til I finished giving report and didn't eat all night or drink water. Please comment!!!

I've had worse ratios working as regular staff and as a traveler.

I'm guessing you discussed ratios with the hospital before accepting the contract?

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It has been @ 18 years since safe staffing laws passed in California and we fought hard for them, we also had a democrat as governor in Gray Davis. The hospital association claimed that we could not afford it all the while spending millions fighting it.

I am astounded we are still the only state which has staffing laws. Anyone with a democrat for governor has a halfway decent change but you need to fight for it.

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It is a shame but it seems that nursing management can do whatever they want. Who over them is making sure this doesn't happen?, "crickets".

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That ratio, while highly undesirable, is not unheard of, especially for Florida. I have not heard good things about hospitals in that state.

What kind of gtt was it if you don't mind?

I'd finish the contract and get the hale out.

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Specializes in oncology, MS/tele/stepdown.

Oh Florida. One could say so many things.

I'm sorry you're having a bad experience. The problem with the Florida ratios is there is no space for complications, such as a sick patient or admissions. You cannot give the care you want to give. You did a great job advocating for yourself in terms of the drip; did you tell the charge you were getting four admissions? With her workload, she may not have really thought that through. It might not have made a difference, but always make it known just in case there is something that can be done. Just last week I spoke up and another nurse didn't, and she got the admission meant for me; yes of course I got the next one but I bought 30 minutes I wouldn't have had otherwise.

You MUST take your break. I know, there's no one to cover, the charge is busy, this patient needs this, whatever. You must find a way to take your break, or at least put a protein bar in your pocket and a bottle of water with your computer. And make sure you get paid when you don't get an uninterrupted one.

I'm on my second assignment in Florida. Kudos to you for working here for so long!

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Really considering breaking it. I just got notified to come in because they want to know why I stayed over twice in the three weeks I've been here to chart! I don't think this is fair.

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It was a nitro drip patient had chest pain all night. I didn't ask and I should of. I was told I'd be on a floor with 2 nurses 14 beds and a tech. That floor has not yet opened so I get floated around which I understand. I am new to traveling and now I know for next time to ask ask ask í ½í¸«

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It was a nitro drip patient had chest pain all night. I didn't ask and I should of. I was told I'd be on a floor with 2 nurses 14 beds and a tech. That floor has not yet opened so I get floated around which I understand. I am new to traveling and now I know for next time to ask ask ask ������

Did you have 8 patients, with the expectation to titrate a nitro drip?

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