Feel like throwin' in the towel!

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I have been an RN for about two years now. My fiance is in the military so we have moved around a bit. So in the last two years I have been through four hospital orientations. I understand that there is a nursing shortage, and during your interview, the nurse manager will say that her unit is always staffed properly, blah blah blah. "4-5 pts per nurse, one tech for every 10 pts." But as soon as I start my new job, same ol' ****. 6 pts a piece, lucky if you have one tech on the floor. im working on a medcine stepdown/tele floor currently. i was told the ratio was 1 : 4. and one tech for 9 pts. but this is not the case. im frustrated because i feel as if im not giving good pt care. for example, last night 3 out 5 of my pts were incont. of stool and i was not able to keep them clean and turned because so many other things were going on. there were only 2 techs for 36 pts, so i was basically on my own. it sucked, and i felt like crying. i really feel like giving up on nursing. is this really what i spent 4 years in school for and now $50,000 in debt? any suggestions, or words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated.

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I'm sorry:(

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Specializes in Med/Surg, ICU, educator.

It's like this everywhere. And they wonder, when the economy is good, why nurses run for the hills!

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Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.

I think it's always been like this. I thought I found the Utopia of a nursing floor, but now they have changed the staffing. Same set up as you with 5 pt's. I can't keep them all on my radar. One goes bad and I hope that somebody who ambles by is watching the telemetry.

I was one that ran for the hills but had to come back to work, due to a spouse and health issues.

Why not transfer into an office situation? I would if I could afford the pay cut.

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.

I agree with the orientation observation I get sick to the back teeth of the stuff they feed us all the time.

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One word: Union

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

unions are NOT the answer. The states with the worst economies in 2009 were the ones with strong union representation. Also, they are limited by law in what they can actually provide.

I agree, this is a sad commentary. Our hospital currently collects 29 cents on the dollar. Maybe that has something to do with the poor staffing. Make lots of noise to the right people.

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I think it's always been like this. I thought I found the Utopia of a nursing floor, but now they have changed the staffing. Same set up as you with 5 pt's. I can't keep them all on my radar. One goes bad and I hope that somebody who ambles by is watching the telemetry.

I was one that ran for the hills but had to come back to work, due to a spouse and health issues.

Why not transfer into an office situation? I would if I could afford the pay cut.

Good luck in finding an office situation. :icon_roll

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The ratio on my unit is 1:3 and the majority of pt.'s are independent. I don't know how you do it. I really don't.

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

The ratio on my old floor was 4 patients, 9 for the CNAs. We had a ward clerk and a monitor tech, unit based lab satellite and pharmacist. We still had a huge morale problem among the nurses due to issues that boil down to poor leadership.

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I understand your plight because I have been there many times before. Situations like what you are dealing with can be stressful. I suppose since you state that you are "on your own" with your patient care that there is no teamwork with the other nurses, yet teamwork seems to be the only thing I can think of that can help alleviate the burden. If you can find another nurse that you can buddy with on the shift you work...you help him/her and he/she helps you that may help. When I worked on a unit that did this it made my shift run a little smoother.

I wouldn't give up on nursing just yet because there has to be something out there for you if this job isn't a fit for you. Does your hospital have a resource/float pool? A change of environment within the hospital may be an option.Changing hospitals may not be the best option because the grass may be just as brown in the other pastures.

Be encouraged!:nuke:

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I know what you're talking about, been there more than once. But you do have options. Have you considered moving to a state with ratio laws? Here in Cali it's 5:1 max on M/S, 4:1 on Tele...hospitals get fined if they don't comply and for the most part they do.

Another option is to move away from floor nursing. Areas to consider would be dialysis (never met an unhappy HD nurse), endoscopy, cath lab, radiology (that's what I do these days).

I hope you find something that makes you happy. Nursing is a wide field with many different paths.

Best of luck!

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