Change in the rules

[Joni's Mom]

We are being cut down on hours to 24/week, Mon, Wed, Friday only,6 chair unit.

1 tech comes in at 0500, 1 nurse in at 0530. RN to give the tech 15 min breaks, and 1 half hour lunch at 0830 to 0900 in which the tech clocks out leaving the nurse on the floor with the 6 pt's alone. The next nurse comes in at 1230, the first nurse is to immediately go to 30 min. lunch, come back and give the 2nd nurse her 30 min lunch once the 2nd nurse comes back, the first nurse is to clock out. In the mean time the 2nd tech arrives at 1300 and the first tech is to immediately clock out.

My question is: I thought that the rule is 1 staff member is'nt to be left alone, there should be 2 staff while pt's are on the unit. Has this changed?

[geminiBSN75]

I'm not sure about that rule. Can you ask your Nurse Manager? Or HR?

[Brookeylea]

Pretty sure has to be 2 staff even for 1 pt. if they code and the nurse needs to take care of pt while pct helps and calls 911

[Joni's Mom]

I do know I read it somewhere that there needs to be 2 staff while pt's are present.

Manager states if we have questions about this new schedule we should bring it up to her (seemed like a threat to me)another words sounds like we should put up or shut up.

I'm wondering if something did happen while the tech was clocked out whos fault would it be, mine or the nurse manager? And if the tech is required to clock out can the manager restrict her from going off the unit?

Do other small units have this problem?

[Brookeylea]

I would think it would ultimately be the RNs license at risk

[acutedialysis]

We have a small unit (8 chairs) that is run the same way, 1 RN +1 PCT. Both have to be in the building at all times, but they are given breaks. The state has been there to audit twice in 3 years (initial and renewal) and has never said a word about it.

[Joni's Mom]

Acutedialysi,

Do they have to clock out for a 30 min lunch? Breaks are easy no one clocks out, then no one leaves, for breaks, I'm talking 30 min lunch hour. What do you do for that? How many hours do you work? It probably helps that you have an eight chair unit, we have a 6 chair unit, making budget money tight, or so I'm told.

Thanks for you input.

[acutedialysis]

Yes, they clock out for a 30 minute break, but they cannot leave the building unless someone else is the the building (which rarely happens). Since the unit is kinda off the beaten path (way in the country), there really would be no where to go in a half hour. So we just veg in the break room, watch TV or what ever. I can be lonely though.