Daily assignment help

[pizzatart]

Hello! I need some advice as a charge nurse how to create a better work flow on my unit. Our unit consists of 4 shifts:

8a-8p

10a-10p

12p-12a

8p-8a

The turnover rate of patients on our floor is very high. Cath/EP patients sometimes only have to stay for 4-6 hrs. Most of the unit is discharged early in the morning by the day shift and admissions come rolling in. The "slam-hour" varies depending on the cath/ep schedule and PACU.

There is no flow to the floor. Patients are randomly assigned. Of course if you do not have a patient at the time you will be getting the admission. However when admissions are coming in around 745-815 pm the 8a-8p nurses are still getting these admissions. Once the 8p-8a arrive the later shifts do not have to worry about getting an admission very close to the end of their shift.

Patients are left with just a monitor on/vital signs done but the nurse is no where in sight due to change of shift of the 8a nurses.

Does anyone have a system that works for these varying shifts?

The frustration of the 8a-8p is over bearing sometimes but I do understand where they are coming from. I would like everyone to leave on time (most days) and for patients to have a great experience on our unit.

I need advice on how to assign the next admission with keeping in mind the different shifts! Right now we just go down the list and it ends up being a disaster.

THANK YOU ALL

[bugya90, ASN, BSN, LVN, RN]

What we do is if a patient comes up within 45 minutes of shift change then the nurse is only responsible for getting a set of vitals and getting any IV meds hung. The actual admission is done by the next shift. We are all on 7-7 though so we only have one shift change.