How often do you work short?

Not_A_Hat_Person, RN · Oct 26, 2009

I work every other weekend. I also work short every other weekend.

Chewie_123 · Oct 26, 2009

Every night!

Up2nogood RN, RN · Oct 26, 2009

I'm pretty sure that it's a given that all work short, some more frequently than others. I was a tech before RN so I know what it's like in that aspect. But for nurses it depends more on patient acuity IMO. You don't have to be short staffed to feel like you're giving substandard care. No matter what else is going on I always greet my patients with a smile and am courteous to them and my co- workers. Nursing is a stressful job and it just takes time to learn how to cope with it.

CASTLEGATES · Oct 26, 2009

I do it all the time but I think it's more a matter of genetics

MAISY, RN-ER, BSN, RN · Oct 26, 2009

WE work short every damn day!!!! I wish we had state law ratios....tired of having more patients who are very sick then I can handle.

M

pinkiepie_RN · Oct 26, 2009

I work nights and while we don't often work short a nurse (someone usually wants to pick up overtime), last night we were short a tech but no one (administration) didn't care because we had 3 nurse and 1 tech and although we were supposed to have 2 nurses and 2 techs, the staff on still added up to 4.

I will say that on day shift, they work short often enough. My colleague and I stayed over with another night shift nurse one day until 0900 because 1 nurse called in sick and one was on her way, it was understaffed to begin with and 1 nurse would have had to pass meds for 26 patients all in time for morning rounds with the attending. Not fun. But I'd do it again rather than have to be short. We work with what we can though.

lalalalexi · Oct 26, 2009

Although it seems to happen less often on my floor for the RNs as opposed to techs, I just dont understand why this has to happen so much. Obviously people call in sick quite a bit, but for our floor anyway, the problem is not having enough staff to fill shifts to begin with. I struggle with this. Jobs other than nursing are required to work with not enough staff sometimes too, but nurses deal with the critically ill. We should be one of the professions where it happens the least compared to other jobs and not have it seem to be "the typical". My mom, for instance, is a public school teacher. When another teacher calls in sick, there is always a substitute called in. The sick teacher's students are not pawned off on other teachers. The school has several "in house" subs and also uses a sub staffing source. When my mom calls in sick, she uses a computer program that she logs into, clicks the day she is going to be gone, does not have to give a reason why and can even request certain subs from a list if she prefers certain ones. She doesn't have to call in and worry about getting attitude or guilt tripped about not coming in. And she doesn't have to worry about leaving her fellow employees short handed and stressed. Why does nursing have to be different??

pinkiepie_RN · Oct 26, 2009

Although it seems to happen less often on my floor for the RNs as opposed to techs, I just dont understand why this has to happen so much. Obviously people call in sick quite a bit, but for our floor anyway, the problem is not having enough staff to fill shifts to begin with. I struggle with this. Jobs other than nursing are required to work with not enough staff sometimes too, but nurses deal with the critically ill. We should be one of the professions where it happens the least compared to other jobs and not have it seem to be "the typical". My mom, for instance, is a public school teacher. When another teacher calls in sick, there is always a substitute called in. The sick teacher's students are not pawned off on other teachers. The school has several "in house" subs and also uses a sub staffing source. When my mom calls in sick, she uses a computer program that she logs into, clicks the day she is going to be gone, does not have to give a reason why and can even request certain subs from a list if she prefers certain ones. She doesn't have to call in and worry about getting attitude or guilt tripped about not coming in. And she doesn't have to worry about leaving her fellow employees short handed and stressed. Why does nursing have to be different??

When I worked in psych as a mental health tech, I was a float pool tech and I know there were plenty of other float pool techs who filled in gaps in schedules or if there was call-outs. I know float pool nurses exists but I don't know much of float pool techs in hospitals that might fit that bill.

Lacie, BSN, RN · Oct 26, 2009

You will find this on a daily basis in most out-pt dialysis clinics also as there are NO state or CMS guidelines for staffing ratios. (At least in my state). I cant remember when I had a second nurse on the floor with me and I was the DON working daily on the floor also. (One reason I quit lol). With medicare/medicaid cuts and profit making clinics needing that $ it will only get worse. Makes me question continuing being a nurse to be honest. I am looking into other alternatives as tired of the abuse.

questionsforall · Oct 26, 2009

We work short everyday even with people working overtime.

cardiacmadeline, RN · Oct 26, 2009

One more reason I like where I work-I have never worked a shift where we were short. However, since our staffing isn't based on acuity, sometimes it seems we are working short if we have heavier (more work) patients on the floor.