Hospital Staffing Cutbacks Rant

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in ER, Cardiac Tele/ICU Stepdown.

Below is a rant regarding "hiring freezes" and inappropriate nurse staffing proceed with caution! :angryfire

All around me, I hear about new graduate nurses unable to find employment and about local hospitals having "hiring freezes"... HOWEVER, at my hospital we could use a couple (dozen) RNs!!! I work in the ER. Time after time, I have an admission that is "stuck" for hours down in the ER due to inappropriate staffing! I'm told by nursing supervisors that "I don't have a bed". But that is not the case at all. There's plenty of beds, if you want to just roll them upstairs and let them lie in it! There are not enough nurses to care for the patients. It does not make any since at all to me that there are nurses out there, ready and willing to work, and these kind of situations persist!!!

These "cutbacks" are not only bothersome, but dangerous for patient care. Train these new nurses (or hire experienced, whatever!) and put them to work for their sake, ours and the patients'! :)

Vent over :smokin:

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Specializes in ER.

New grad here, waiting for an opportunity.

Sign me up.

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I see it everywhere. Even in the doctor's office I work in. Our practice could use another LPN/CMA or two. It is ridiculous how busy things are right now. Something is going to be missed or a patient is going to get hurt. I know times are tough so we are trying to do our best with what we have. :banghead:

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Specializes in ER, OR, PACU, TELE, CATH LAB, OPEN HEART.

I am a nurse with 30 plus years experience. For personal reasons I have been doing per diem agency work since Jan 2008. I am experienced in ER, OR, PACU, TELE, Cath Lab, Endo, Open Heart, and have on occassion done Med/Surg. I was working 40-60 hour weeks till Jan of this year, then was cut to no more than 40 hours a week. Since Mid June I have gotten cancelled quite a bit, this past week I was cancelled 52 hours. The units I work repeatedly tell me "we worked short yesterday, however, I WAS CANCELLED". What happened to patient care and good nursing provided by hospitals? Sometimes I feel like a fossil. Since Jan I have applied for 10 permanent positions, been told the positions were eliminated, or are frozen. Several weeks later here come 3-6 NEW nurses with less experience, what gives???????????????

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I am a nurse with 30 plus years experience. For personal reasons I have been doing per diem agency work since Jan 2008. I am experienced in ER, OR, PACU, TELE, Cath Lab, Endo, Open Heart, and have on occassion done Med/Surg. I was working 40-60 hour weeks till Jan of this year, then was cut to no more than 40 hours a week. Since Mid June I have gotten cancelled quite a bit, this past week I was cancelled 52 hours. The units I work repeatedly tell me "we worked short yesterday, however, I WAS CANCELLED". What happened to patient care and good nursing provided by hospitals? Sometimes I feel like a fossil. Since Jan I have applied for 10 permanent positions, been told the positions were eliminated, or are frozen. Several weeks later here come 3-6 NEW nurses with less experience, what gives???????????????

They obviously don't want to pay for "more seasoned" nurses. You aren't a fossil! Some of the agency nurses that work per diem at my hospital have been complaining that their hours are being reduced too.

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