Any Peds nurses out there? I have a few ?s to ask...

Nurses Safety

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As stated in the thread title, I'm looking to ask a few questions to any peds nurses out there. If you're in NYC, that'd be even better.

I am currently finishing my first year as a pediatric nurse in a hospital in NYC. I didn't start as a peds nurse, I was moved there by chance when some rearranging of units happened and my hospital (I was in Post PACU care before). I have to admit I fell in love with pediatrics and would like to continue doing it, but there's a bit of an issue. The unit I work in is quite small, 16-bed max, and despite the presence of a Peds ER, there is no PICU. We have a very high turn over and there are nights when I have to float elsewhere because there are no kids in the floor at all. The problem I have is that even if there are 2 or 6 kids on the floor, administration still leaves only one RN to run the entire floor whether there are admissions or not, no CNA, no clerk, nothing. Just one RN. Every night I am alone I am terrified one kid may go south on me while I'm taking care of another, leaving me with absolutely no clue what to do because I obviously cannot split myself in three. The fact that there is no PICU is even scarier, because if something like that were to happen, it's the adult ICU doctors who have to come in to stabilize the kid for transport, and while they are highly skilled and trained, it's still just not the same.

Now my question is. Who can I go to to present my concerns? I fill out an unsafe staffing paper every single night, but it seems like nothing is done. The managers even act like I inconvenience them by asking for help. I work almost every night with no break time because even when I have help, it's usually a CNA, and while I greatly appreciate any help I can get, I just cannot go off on break and leave the floor to the CNA to handle. What can I do? Does this happen anywhere else? Particularly in other NYC pediatric hospitals? I don't want to go to work every night being afraid a child my crash on me while I'm busy with someone else. A human life is precious and my RN license didn't come in a cracker jack box....

Please help???

We always have 2 RNs on the floor, even if there is only one or two kids. We do have another side that takes a few adults and we usually will split the floor, one stay on Pedi and one on adults but we are two pedi RNS right there. No adults and one 1 child-still two RNs. I would never be the only nurse on a pedi floor. What if you are in the middle of an emergency and there is no one to scream for to help?

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I am so sorry that you are so stressed and understaffed. I am a new peds nurse too. It doesnt matter how many patients you have, as a new nurse left alone to handle the situation on your own, it is very stressfull. After my shift last night, I think I am loosing my hair. When I finally called my sup for support, she made me regret calling her at all. I think that is what she wanted. At least now I know when I am on my own, nobody has my back. Why did I want to be a nurse again? I hope you find a safe way to protect your patients and yourself.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

KareBear - Don't say "just" a CNA. We couldn't work properly without you guys. Believe me, I know, because I've had to do it and those end up like one of the worst nights ever.

kcksk - Goodness, can I go work where you are? Always having two RNs on the floor is a dream...

Lyssa - You know, I also question why I ever became a nurse... But I try to remember those few and far between patients who just truly appreciate what we do. ANd I don't mean the kids because most of them just want to get better and go home and realize when you're trying to help, I mean the parents.

Things are getting worse at work... managers still leaving us alone on the floor, sending us to other units to do NA jobs and leave our floor alone because they took the NA away and now the nurses in the other unit are rightfully overwhelmed... accusing us of insubordination when we refuse to do stupid things like that... it's getting bad... really bad. People with 10+ years in that place are dying to get the hell out of dodge...

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I'm not in NY, but we are in a similar situation sometimes. I work in a small Peds unit and we too float when we have few (or no) kids. The unit used to be the way you describe, only one RN was even scheduled at a time but when I was hired in January I was told it was to change this to always have two RNs on for safety reasons. However, now if we have one or two patients, we both come in but often one nurse is required to float to another unit and their argument is another Peds nurse is in house. Safety is still a major concern! The time it takes for someone, anyone, to make it to our unit while I'm there alone (and I've only been a nurse for just over a year, Peds nurse less than) could make a major difference. And my own safety - family dynamics are a whole different world in Peds and we are a locked unit. I am a small person...if someone were to come at me (parent, visitor...even many of our teens are larger than me) what am I going to do? What if I can't make it to the button or the phone? Even if I can get out, I can't abandon my patients. Another issue was brought up recently that many of our parents do not stay and patients of any age are left alone. Say a teen concocts a story of some kind of abuse - who is there to defend you? It isn't unheard of.

I don't have any advice...we plead our case and budgets are thrown in our face. I don't think any nurse, ever, should be left entirely alone with any number of patients. Good luck!

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Nenja - I wish you the best of luck as well. Call me naive, but I wish administration would just drop the budget ******** and actually remember what all of this is really about. But that's just too much common sense I guess...

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Things are getting worse at work... managers still leaving us alone on the floor, sending us to other units to do NA jobs and leave our floor alone because they took the NA away and now the nurses in the other unit are rightfully overwhelmed... accusing us of insubordination when we refuse to do stupid things like that... it's getting bad... really bad. People with 10+ years in that place are dying to get the hell out of dodge...

My heart goes out to you, it is terrible to see the children placed in an unsafe environment

due to poor staffing. It seems like you need to get the resume moving and get out fast

before something terrible occurs. I will send you a PM with further thoughts on this...

In the meantime, best wishes finding a safe working environment that you can enjoy caring

for your patients...

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Thank you, jahra, :) Your words are encouraging. I'll be waiting for the PM.

I have my resume ready, I think, heh, but I wish I had someone to look at it before I send it out. Does this site offer that?

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Specializes in Pedi.

I work in peds (at a large pedi hospital) on a 26 bed unit. If we had one patient on the floor, there would STILL be 2 RNs on overnight. It's not safe to have just one.

I believe it came about because there was a time when they kept only one nurse if there were so few patients that only one was needed. But if there are 2 patients (both of whom are potentially VERY sick) and the one nurse has to rush one to an emergent CT in the middle of the night, who's there for the other one when he starts seizing?

I would not stay in a place that didn't provide safe staffing. As others have said, your job isn't worth losing your license.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Kel - That's my concern exactly. Yes, sure, there are only two patients, but what if like you said, they're both very sick and one goes south... who watches the other? And since my Peds unit is very small (16 beds), there are only a few regular Peds nurses (so few of us, its ridiculous...) and a few Peds trained nurses (most don't even like working in Peds, so I don't know why they trained...)... so while I may be super busy with one kid, there literally is NO ONE to watch the others because obviously, the resident will be busy with me. It's really scary.

I've already sent out a few applications and am looking for other places, so wish me luck, ^_^

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