I am an RN for a ER in NYC. I am also a new RN, having been practicing for 15 months, so I am pretty new. In the 15 months that I have been practicing, I can say I love being an RN. What I don't like is that there's no RN to patient ratio. The most patients I have had in one go is 14. For an RN who only has 15 months of practice, I think it's crazy wrong. Let's put it this way, how often does administration think we can round on 14 patients, of which 4 are level 2 patients, how are awaiting ICU beds. 5 of those patients are on 1:1 observation, and because they are psych patients. On top of it, 1 of the 14 needs a blood transfusion. Mind you, 9/10 we don't have PCTs because they are moved to other areas within the ED, that means that I am also working to cover for the duties of a PCT, not to mention, I am also a waitress. Which leaves no time to perform as an RN, because I have not become a task nurse. I don't have time to look at blood work results, or imaging results. How can I provide proper patient care, when I can't even hardly see my patients again after performing the initial assessment? Then we have to do our own vital signs, which I don't mind doing, but when I am searching for a BP machine and a thermometer, I can't find one that works. So, I spend most of my days searching for supplies, or equipment that works. In my short practice I am realizing that hospitals are a business, and RNs are squeezed to the max in order for admins to say money, so they can get more money to deposit into their bank account. This is all on our backs. Is that nursing?
