Essential equipment a luxury?!

[Darknights]

I need some advice on how to convince health service people responsible for finance that correct sized BP cuffs are not a luxury item.

For approximately a year now we've had three automatic obs machines on my ward of 30 patients. We've had one cuff for each.......2 extra large adult, and one very small adult. Occasionally our manual sphygmo with a normal cuff will work.

My very remote health service covers an outback region about the size of the U.K but with a total population of only about 20 000 people. And it is broke. Nurses in some hospitals have used their own money to buy dressings from the local vet. Other nurses had to go out and buy food so their patients got fed.

In my hospital we have just learnt to work around what supplies aren't available. It is a longstanding joke that when the brand of something we use suddenly changes it means they haven't paid their accounts and have changed companies to get credit again. When we run out of bandages we cut up other things to use. If we only have extra large bandages we cut them up too. If we run out of pill cups we use styro coffee cups to distribute meds. If we run out of particular dressings we use what we do have.

For the last year we got complacent about not having the right sized cuffs because we were told they were going to change to manual sphygmos, one for each bed, and wouldn't waste money on cuffs that wouldn't be used. But.........about a month ago we were jolted out of our complacency when a patient became unconscious and our auto BP reading gave a systolic of 78. I suggested a nurse go to the other ward in the hospital and borrow their manual sphygmo and we obtained a systolic of 110. That entirely changed the situation. I told admin anyone would think we were working in a bush clinic in a third world country, not Australia. They promised they would get us some normal sized cuffs at least.

Yesterday my NUM told me she'd been told we wouldn't be getting more cuffs until next year as there is no money. Even she said it like they are luxury items and we just can't afford them. How can I convince these people that it is essential we have the correct sized cuffs to take BP's? To do any less is negligent. I am at the stage of just buying at least a normal sized cuff for each machine myself.

[tyvin, BSN, RN]

Where ever I've worked I have my own. It just became a royal hassle in the you know what so I got one with an adjustable cuff that can accomodate large to small adult (expensive). I also got a wrist one that works well; the only concern being the patient has to be sitting upright and be alert in order to use it.

Most of the nurses I know refuse to buy such equipment saying that it should be provided but I would rather have it with me and know I can go about my business instead of chasing the house ones around,

[PostOpPrincess, BSN, RN]

Look for evidenced based information and look up your Standards of Care. DO NOT SPEND YOUR OWN MONEY.

That's just enabling them.

Show proof.

[GHGoonette, BSN, RN]

Yes, it sounds very 3rd world...

If it is Government owned I would write to the local representative, with follow-ups to central government. Have you tried getting one of the more influential newspapers to run an article? Nothing like an in-depth investigation to loosen up the purse strings...

[AprilRNurse]

I can't imagine working under those conditions. I'm lucky to always have what we need. Our hospital just approved VS machines in every patient room- that data validate to the computer system. I can't wait- they're set to be ready to go in a few weeks.