I'm new to the hospital, started 4 months ago on a Tele floor.
Our ratio is 5:1, from which I have seen here is fairly normal. My question is on aquity and whether or not what our floor takes patient wise is normal.
Example, last weekend my patients consisted of:
1) middle aged patient, chf, DM, relatively new onset a-fib. He was non Tele because he had gone into NSR and was due to be discharged. Half way into my shift, I found he had a HR of 150. STAT EKG revealed afib RVR. Back on Tele, cardizem drip after that.
2) elderly patient requiring bladder scans Q 4, DM, CHF, admitted for esophageal bleeding and had stable afib but was Tele. He was actually my easiest.
3) Deaf patient, uses pen and paper to communicate. So sweet but obviously time consuming. There for hgb of 6, so requiring blood transfusions. Tele due to cardiac hx, also DM. The low hgb was a chronic issue so he was pretty stable otherwise.
4) Middle age patient, both extremities BKA. Stage 4 decubitis, total care, Foley, central line, 4 days post OP. Sugars are crazy, constantly either too high or too low. FVE at the time so had IV lasix and IV ATB. Plus newer onset confusion.
5) elderly pt, 6 days post bowel obstruction and subsequent colostomy. DM and refusing to eat, total care, IV ATB.
3 of those patients on fall alarms, all accu checks.
Normal for a regular Tele floor? I was an LPN for several years prior so not totally green but naive to the hospital so seeking your opinions on this. I feel like I've handled it fairly well so far but having so many sick patients and 2 PCAs if we are lucky, is making me anxious.
I know the nurses on my floor feel the same but most of us have less than 3 years experience so I'm not sure if its that or we are truly getting more than we can handle.. I can't seem to find the time to give the kind of care I want to give when every shift I have at least 3/5 total care, not very stable patients
I don't mean this to be petty and critical, but I just thought you might like to know in case you have to write it in an email to a boss or something important like that, and I couldn't tell if it was a typo or just a misspelling: it is "acuity", not "aquity". Again, I don't mean to offend, but I wanted to be helpful. Please disregard if I am out of line!
Lol! No, I appreciate it. I admit spelling is not my strength and I even spell checked that word, just picked the wrong one it seems. But I didn't even notice so good to keep in mind for the future.
SaltySarcasticSally, LPN, RN
2 Articles; 440 Posts
Lol! No, I appreciate it. I admit spelling is not my strength and I even spell checked that word, just picked the wrong one it seems. But I didn't even notice so good to keep in mind for the future.