At my hospital, Pitt County Memorial Hospital in Greenville, North Carolina (on the eastern side of the state), the administrators have just installed the new Pyxis System (all this without even consulting the nurses OF COURSE). To say this new system is a disaster, is putting it very mildly. Now, if you even want ONE alcohol swipe or a small tube of doppler jelly, you have to select the patient's name and then punch in for EACH one you take!!!! In one of the machines, there are even individual disposable cups!!! While up on the unit, there was a code. Literally, supplies could not be found. As we all know, seconds count in a code and you don't have time to be scurrying around hunting down scarce supplies and typing in information into a tempermental machine. Suddenly, it seems as bad as a third world country around the hospital. I keep my OWN vacutainer and my OWN tourniquet for drawing labs on my person at all times.... because new ones simply CANNOT be found!!! Infection control has been a BIG issue at this hospital... 43% post-surgery infection rate!!! Been in the news and in the newspaper, and the administration is trying to "educate" staff about proper infection control. Now, if you can't find proper supplies for asepsis (not EVEN an alcohol pad to wipe off your stethoscope after each patient visit) and have to keep reusing supplies that are supposed to be used once... how is this going to help the infection problem??? Our hospital is also having a TERRIBLE time retaining nurses... Units are having to close down beds to sick patients simply because there are not enough nurses. Some units are 50% travelers... Now the moral is SOOO LOW and nurses are SO PI$$$ED OFF
Forgive me for ranting, just have to vent:o