So I feel like I've been lied to, like I definitely took the bait hook, line and sinker. And it's a bad feeling. I wanna run go find another job, but there's always the possibility that I'm being irrational.
A little background. Our tele unit is actually 3 units. They have 12, 11, and 14 beds respectively. Ok. One reason I applied was that in school the nurses looked like they had reasonable ratios. No problem. In the interview there was a long bit of gibberish from the director about one of the units which basically amounted to a stated goal to staff it better at night. I had not the foggiest idea what she was talking about, and my being nervous precluded me asking smart questions.
Fast forward to coming off orientation, at night, and finding out that it's common to run the 11 beds section with 2 nurses. That wasn't pleasant, and for a while it was 2 and a tech. I love our tech! She's wonderful and makes it doable! ...anyhow. Over the course of my employment there have always been apologies if we wound up with just 2 nurses, for that 11 patient section, and many times someone would be called in to help, etc. So I felt like an effort was being made to staff it appropriately.
Now I'm getting the word, no, sorry, we're going to just go with 2 there period due to the hospital being over budget this year. WTH! Now I have walked more miles than I can count in that unit, I know where everything is and isn't, all the little quirks, all the electrical outlets that might not work, which heaters have to be smacked to work properly, which windows won't open and which BP cuff used to fly off the wall if you tugged at it too hard. I've spent most of my worst nights there, and not all of 'em were understaffed either. But the entire time I've had the idea that people in charge of me wanted me to have adequate staff, and were trying to find it, so I've been trying to do my best. I've tried not to be too loud or too much of a witch about the staffing.
Now I've got to go to work knowing that there is not any intent whatsoever to give me what is needed to work that unit properly. And the 12 bed unit is facing the possibility of running with a new definition of "3"; 2 nurses and 1 tech =3 people. So that'll be 3 nurses each night with possibly 6 patient loads when days usually gets a 3 patient load (frequent discharges and admissions and all the heck of changing orders being their downside- make no mistake, it is hectic).
I'm partially venting, but also asking for advice. There are different routes to take, and I wanna know, what would you do?
If I choose to be a passive aggressive type, I can stop doing extra things night shift did try to do to make it easier for the oncoming shift. No coffee, no making the report sheets make sense, no stocking, people can find their own stuff, and restarting IV's? Are you kidding? Neaten up the desk? That's funny.
I can also talk to my DON and /or ADON and ask what the problem is. I feel that if I do this, with my current lump of disappointment and pissed-offedness sitting in my tummy the way it is, I will talk my tired butt out of a job. Our units have had some of the best ratios in town, even for nights. I'm more upset over the "bait and switch" than I am over the ratios at the moment. If the beds were all together it would seem like our help was closer, even if we had more patients. Argh.
