Nurses regularly assigned tech station

Brookeylea · Oct 18, 2012

This happens in my unit more than often than not. It's unsafe and hard work for the nurses (I'm a tech). Today when I go in we have 15 patients and 5 people. 3 nurses 2 techs..... That should allot everything getting done with 3 nurses but usually it's 4 techs and 1 nurse.

ICAN! · Oct 18, 2012

Is it typical for nurses to regularly be assigned to run an entire tech station plus do the nursing duties on a chronic unit? If so, how do you ever get everything done. They are both full time jobs. Not just when a tech calls in, but scheduled? And if a tech calls in, the nurses (there are two) have to run both stations plus everything else. It doesn't seem very safe to me.

It happens in our unit when a tech calls in. We are supposed to have one nurse for 12 pts and 1 tech for every four pts. When I have to take a bay I am usually responsible for 4 pts as a tech while also performing all nursing duties for those 4 pts and the other 4 in that same bay.

jlynn2303 · Oct 18, 2012

We have 12 patients to a side. On Saturdays the nurse is automatically assigneda four person station plus being responsible for all 12 pt. There are a total of 24 chairs and. If a tech calls in that means each nurse runs a station and a side.

Temeika, LPN · Oct 18, 2012

Is it typical for nurses to regularly be assigned to run an entire tech station plus do the nursing duties on a chronic unit? If so, how do you ever get everything done. They are both full time jobs. Not just when a tech calls in, but scheduled? And if a tech calls in, the nurses (there are two) have to run both stations plus everything else. It doesn't seem very safe to me.

Yes, thats what Ive experience from working in a private office for dialysis. The company I work for is actually trying to ween away from PCT and get all LPNs so the catheter patients dont have to wait for a nurse. But I dont see the turnover rate being good for that company if they think they can pay PCT pay to LPN and expect all that they do.

GeauxNursing · Nov 1, 2012

Our nurses are expected to take a bay when a tech calls in. It causes us to be out of compliance. It doesn't happen very often. The RN isn't supposed to have a bay AND be responsible for RN duties for the whole clinic in this case, but it happens.

serenidad2004 · Nov 1, 2012

Recently had a traveler in our unit...she was amazed at how much staff we had... said that in her home unit there is only 1 nurse for 10pts!!! Of course there are techs too but I cant imagine being responsible for that many dialysis pts at one time.

I work in a 14 chair unit and we normally have 3 nurses and 2 techs and another tech that just pulls needles. I thank my lucky stars that I work where I do after reading some posts on here.

LOVE MY JOB AND THE UNIT I WORK IN!

Erikadawn RN · Nov 1, 2012

At my unit we never have 2 nurses, unless we finish early in our inpatient hospital unit, and we travel to our outpatient unit. I usually do this to catch up on paperwork and to make sure my paycheck is not short, if we finish up early at the hospital. We have 11 patients with 3 techs, I never take patients, may pull needles if my techs are behind. But in out hospital unit we have 4 patients, 1 nurse, 1 tech.

jlynn2303 · Nov 16, 2012

mcuatlacuatl Where do you work - and are they hiring? :-)

Vegan_RN · Dec 20, 2012

I very often (3 out of my 4 days a week) take a shift of patients, as well as helping the charge nurse. Personally, I think it's a waste of money. They pay me, and RN, what a PCT or LVN/LPN could do.