Family claims hospital's staff shortage responsible for fatal crash

imintrouble, BSN, RN · Nov 9, 2013

I chose to be a nurse, I have nothing to do with staffing.
One hospital I've worked at was always short staffed, and if there was an open nurse, they sent someone home. Nevermind we might get critical admissions. We were tripled in ICU, ALL. THE. TIME. you'd end up staying late to chart, and there was always mandatory meetings or education. And online education that we were supposed to have time on our shifts to complete. They crucified anyone who made a mistake. We had at least two nurses get into car accidents while I was there.
I left, but not everyone has that luxury.

Yes, everyone does have that CHOICE. Quit, stay, attend meetings or skip the meetings. There are always choices. Always. They may be unbearable, but they are there.

Guttercat, ASN, RN · Nov 9, 2013

Scary stuff. I don't have access to do an online search at the moment, but, if I recall correctly, a leading cause of vehicular accidents in general is due to driver fatigue. "Falling asleep at the wheel" is a common issue, regardless of vocation.

This may be the ringer that gets the hospital out of this pickle.

I'd like to see hospitals treat their night-shift staff a little more tenderly.

Futterwacken · Nov 10, 2013

I'm glad short staffing/ work overload in healthcare is beginning to make headlines. I read a few days ago about this young inmate who died from severe food allergies, and an investigation cited that the severely understaffed clinic was a causative factor. The question is then, what are we going to as nurses when these corporations start spouting off the same garbage about 'the nursing shortage' being the reason for the way things are???

http://www.cnn.com/video/standard.html?/video/bestoftv/2013/11/07/pot-arrest-leads-to-death-sambolin-newday.cnn&hpt=hp_c3&from_homepage=yes&video_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F

Concerto_in_C, BSN, RN · Nov 13, 2013

CNN has a story. Husband is accusing the hospital of chronic understaffing and working the remaining employees to death. After her shift exhausted wife crashed her car trying to drive home and was killed.

The employer-Jewish Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mental note to self: "add to never to apply list".

http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/12/health/ohio-nurse-worked-to-death-lawsuit-says/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

kungpoopanda · Nov 13, 2013

CNN has a story. Husband is accusing the hospital of chronic understaffing and working the remaining employees to death. After her shift exhausted wife crashed her car trying to drive home and was killed.
The employer-Jewish Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mental note to self: "add to never to apply list".
http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/12/health/ohio-nurse-worked-to-death-lawsuit-says/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Good for him. I hope he empties their pockets.

neonurse97 · Nov 13, 2013

Many hospitals should take note. I hope he wins.

DidiRN · Nov 13, 2013

Threads merged

gcupid · Nov 13, 2013

I'm usually on the side of nurses bc I know how hard we work but that was a personal decision to take that risk of driving home. I had a coworker who recently told me that she was skipping out on breakfast and as soon as report is over she is headed to go to sleep in her car..

hope3456, ASN, RN · Nov 13, 2013

http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/12/health/ohio-nurse-worked-to-death-lawsuit-says/

This is so sad, God bless her family. However it looks like this case is starting to get a lot of media attention and calling into question staffing practices of hospitals.

BSNbeauty, BSN, RN · Nov 13, 2013

So sad. This is my worse fear every time I drive home from work from night shift. I've been in an accident from driving home after work and it scared me so much.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Nov 13, 2013

multiple threads merged

whichone'spink, BSN, RN · Nov 14, 2013

I once blew out my front tire from driving into a median after a night shift.