Florida LTC nurses: Time to reduce maximum patient load?

[Tina6240]

Hello nurses;

I've been an LPN since 8/05 (a mid-life career change for me) and worked in LTC

the whole time--because it is my love and my passion. But I am frustrated

beyond belief at the unrealistic workload and unsafe environment of my

current job.

I work 3-11 on the secure unit of a large facility and am responsible for 37

Alzheimer's/geri-psych patients. The initial plan at my hire was that I would

be the second nurse on the unit to improve safety and quality of care--

that never happened. Other units in the facility have slightly better

ratios--one wouldn't want an alert and oriented rehab patient who can

COMPLAIN to suffer this type of staffing, now, would you? (GRR.)

Because of all the cost-cutting going on with medicare/medicaid and

the state of health care in this Country I am afraid things are just going

to get worse. I've just drafted a letter to my Senator to ask for

support in changing Florida Statute to reduce the maximum number of

patients one nurse can care for in a SNF to 30. (FS 400.23--requires

one hour of licensed nursing care per resident per day but never

to exceed one nurse having more than 40 patients)

Florida changed the constitution of the State to make sure one high

school teacher won't have more than 25 students per class to educate.

But we can allow one nurse to care for the medical and psychosocial

needs of forty vulnerable, frail elderly and disabled persons??

I think it is time we each communicate with our local legislators and

start petitions demonstrating public support to change the law in

favor of the people we care for each day. If we don't act now,

I hate to imagine what LTC nursing will look like in a few years...

Can I get a witness?

[oramar]

From your post I take it you want input from Florida nurses. I am not a Florida nurse but I want you to know I highly approve of the fact that you care and want to do something about the situation. I guess you could say I am giving your moral support.

[ItsTheDude]

op, things are only going to get worse. health care cost are a drain on our country. health care across the board will be doing more for less/same amount of money, that's been the trend for a long time.

nurses aren't near the political force that teacher unions are.

[makes needs known]

I work in New York state and I hear you and I agree 100%. I don't think it's nurses that can make this change I think it will be the public. Day care centers for infants and children have safe staffing ratios, why is it that 1 nurse and 3 cna's can watch over 40 very ill elderly people.