Are hospitals doing this now? ,(Vent)

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Management have decided to use nurses and techs as transporters. They said we are short staffed in ED . So they want us to work in 6 hr blocks (7-1, 1-7) and transport pts up from the ED to the floor. Not just to our home unit but to two other units as well.

They said the staff member selected will have to log in the system so they can know when they have to transport someone

I think it's crazy. So I have to leave my patients to transport . The poor nurse left behind will have 12 patients to look after. What happens if I am the middle of something. How is that going to improve patient satisfaction scores?

The blocks start at 7. So do I get report on my patients before they want me to transport?

It doesn't make any sense Everyone is upset. There was no discussion. Management just said it will be starting next month.

Also the physical toll it will take is not something I'm looking forward to.

Nurses on day shift barely have time for lunch. Now this!

I think they are too cheap to hire a transporter that's the bottom line.

Sorry for the long vent

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Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.

That's horrible!

Why nurses? Why not just use techs? Or hire some people, that is ridiculous!

At my old hospital we would send a tech down to pick up a patient from the ED if they were swamped. But it was on our schedule. So we could control when they got there. That is the only benefit I see to this. But the charge RN should send a tech of her choosing, so that work flow is not unduly affected. It is ridiculous to break it up in blocks of time.

This smells like some dopey administrator ***.

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This is seriously in addition to your own patient care responsibilities?

Not great regardless but, at the worst, why couldn't receiving RNs just go down and get their own admissions? There aren't enough nurses on the other two floors so they can't go get their own?

Make sure you find out what you're arguing about. What is their rationale for this?

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This made me laugh because it's so ridiculous. At my first nursing job, we were expected to transport our own patients to and from places. It was a HUGE hardship. I can only imagine taking them from point A to point B when you're actually working at Point C.

If they're that unreasonable, you may just have to leave in search of greener pastures. I've had only limited success with inviting directors and managers to follow me for a shift and critique me.
"I want to meet your expectations, but I just can't see how that's possible. Could you come follow me for a shift? Suggest ways I can be faster, more organized, get everything done on time, fill out these ten new forms for every patient, etc."

They back off of me fast, but it doesn't change the "official" word.

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Specializes in school nurse.
40 minutes ago, Sour Lemon said:

This made me laugh because it's so ridiculous. At my first nursing job, we were expected to transport our own patients to and from places. It was a HUGE hardship. I can only imagine taking them from point A to point B when you're actually working at Point C.

If they're that unreasonable, you may just have to leave in search of greener pastures. I've had only limited success with inviting directors and managers to follow me for a shift and critique me.
"I want to meet your expectations, but I just can't see how that's possible. Could you come follow me for a shift? Suggest ways I can be faster, more organized, get everything done on time, fill out these ten new forms for every patient, etc."

They back off of me fast, but it doesn't change the "official" word.

Yeah, once again I'd like to suggest that all licensed personnel be required to work at least one shift a month on the floor. I'd be curious to see (if that actually happened) how much change there would be to policies and expectations.

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Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.

I was unhappily transporting my own patients on occasion (only because I'd leave 2 or 3 with a buddy who was busy on her own).

But daily? Yowsa. What does your charge nurse say to this?

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

If it was only transporting it would make sense. If you are doing this and also have a full assignment? Nope.

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Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.

We have transporters, but if a pt needs a nurse, we have a clinical transport group for weekdays. On weekends and nights, the care nurse needs to stay w/pt for transport. ED nurses will bring pts to us. Saturday, the interventional radiology nurse came and got one of our pts that needed clinical transport.

Weekends are rough. I had a pt once that needed to keep antibiotic running and I sent the pt to MRI. They did not have a nurse down there so they could not manage the lines (unhook the IV and run it through the window/gap) I could not go down for 45-60 min. It is getting better though.....

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Specializes in Cardiovascular Stepdown.

Wow... Just wow. When reading your comments, I assumed that it would be without an assignment.

All I can say is good luck ... To the nurses and to admin because I don't think it is going to work out.

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On 10/20/2019 at 9:37 AM, Lucinda4000 said:

Management have decided to use nurses and techs as transporters. They said we are short staffed in ED . So they want us to work in 6 hr blocks (7-1, 1-7) and transport pts up from the ED to the floor. Not just to our home unit but to two other units as well.

They said the staff member selected will have to log in the system so they can know when they have to transport someone

I think it's crazy. So I have to leave my patients to transport . The poor nurse left behind will have 12 patients to look after. What happens if I am the middle of something. How is that going to improve patient satisfaction scores?

The blocks start at 7. So do I get report on my patients before they want me to transport?

It doesn't make any sense Everyone is upset. There was no discussion. Management just said it will be starting next month.

Also the physical toll it will take is not something I'm looking forward to.

Nurses on day shift barely have time for lunch. Now this!

I think they are too cheap to hire a transporter that's the bottom line.

Sorry for the long vent

This is unsafe. How are you advocating and caring, assessing, and documenting for your assigned patient if you are continually moving patients? Does this hospital have a union? You, nurses, need to organize this is disturbing.

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That’s ridiculous, I would be looking for a new job. It’s tough when we as nurses already have to do so much and then you’re forced to do that on top of it! They need to hire more people, many people would apply for a job like that. When I was in high school many people I knew were hospital transporters, etc. good luck!

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Specializes in 7 Years ED, 6 Years TBI/PTSD unit VA.

Hay they want to pay me $78K Pushing Meat im in.

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