Critical nursing mass

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Specializes in ED.

I was just curious. What is the critical mass for the nursing work force in this country? In other words, at what point do you think the system would cease to function? If 10 percent of all of the nurses called out tomorrow, what affect would it have? 20 percent? 40 percent? At what point do you think the system would stop functioning?

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Specializes in Legal, Ortho, Rehab.

Hmm...according to wiki answers, there are 2.9 million RNs in the country alone. Are you thinking of planning a nationwide strike?! LOL!

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.

That's a very, very interesting question.

I can tell you some of the places that would STOP functioning altogether or have major delays.

The OR and procedure rooms. If the nurses would ALL call out, they would have to staff them immediately--now the turnaround time for each room missing a nurse would be increased by at least one hour trying to replace the one room. If, like my hospital, you have 18 working rooms. How many surgeries would be cancelled or delayed? All would be delayed. Depending on the amount of nurses that would be willing to come in would precede cancellation of elective surgeries. This, of course, doesn't include emergency "bumps."

The doctors would have to reschedule. Extremely angry doctors would be in administration "talking" to someone. The patients would have to reschedule. They would reconsider coming to such a "disorganized" system. The money that the elective surgeries that it generated for that day is lost.

That would mean cancellation of afternoon staff for recovery rooms, as well as short stay areas. It would also mean cancellation of floor staff where the surgeries normally go.

It would be very, very chaotic and I wonder what administration would threaten the nurses with if they didn't come in. Or rather, do you picture a CNO as a "scrub" nurse?

Jo

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Specializes in ED.

I think it would cause systemic problems from the ground up. Clinics might be forced to send people to the ED. The ED would be overwhelmed. Then the patients wouldn't get out of the ED if there were delays in the OR due to short staffing. Staffing ratio requirements in critical care areas would prevent movement from the ED and other floors into the ICU. The floors and ED would be stuck holding sick patients, while already under-staffed. I think it would be mess. It's interesting to think about though, exactly how much could the system handle? It would also be applicable to what we could handle in terms of emergency situation. Could we handle a 10 percent patient load increase? 20? What is the breaking point?

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.
I think it would cause systemic problems from the ground up. Clinics might be forced to send people to the ED. The ED would be overwhelmed. Then the patients wouldn't get out of the ED if there were delays in the OR due to short staffing. Staffing ratio requirements in critical care areas would prevent movement from the ED and other floors into the ICU. The floors and ED would be stuck holding sick patients, while already under-staffed. I think it would be mess. It's interesting to think about though, exactly how much could the system handle? It would also be applicable to what we could handle in terms of emergency situation. Could we handle a 10 percent patient load increase? 20? What is the breaking point?

We would have to handle whatever comes through the door.--just like we did in Hurricane Andrew 1992 (the cat 5 that hit Miami)...where I couldn't go home for days and slept on a desk...and the CNO/CEO/CFO/and other OOOs were wheeling patients around. It was major trauma for EVERYONE.

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Specializes in Rodeo Nursing (Neuro).

Since I've started doing charge, I've come to the conclusion that we're already at about 10% call-offs. On Monday dayshifts, anyway.

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.
Since I've started doing charge, I've come to the conclusion that we're already at about 10% call-offs. On Monday dayshifts, anyway.

Tsk, Tsk. As if no one knows what goes on. Shame on these nurses.

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How can anyone possibly answer such a Q with other than speculation?

Why do you ask?

I think we'd have to function as best we could, just muddle through. SNAFU, you know? Just like normal, LOL. :yeah:

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Specializes in Rodeo Nursing (Neuro).
Tsk, Tsk. As if no one knows what goes on. Shame on these nurses.

It's shameful, I tell ya. And I should know. I've been off progressive discipline for absenteeism for, like, over a month.

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.
I think it would cause systemic problems from the ground up. Clinics might be forced to send people to the ED. The ED would be overwhelmed. Then the patients wouldn't get out of the ED if there were delays in the OR due to short staffing. Staffing ratio requirements in critical care areas would prevent movement from the ED and other floors into the ICU. The floors and ED would be stuck holding sick patients, while already under-staffed. I think it would be mess.

You just described the situation now - without any extraordinary disaster scenario.

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