How are staffing issues at your facility/department?

Nurses General Nursing

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I have been working at this particular facility for 1.5 years now, and the main issue that concerns me is staffing. We work short staffed on my unit most of the time (Women's Services), and Med/Surg is ALWAYS short!!!!! I am not living in fantasy land by any means, and I know that which ever facility I work at there will be issues of some sort--no place is perfect. :rolleyes: However, staffing is the #1 issue that concerns me, and I am wondering if being short of staff on a routine basis is to be expected no matter where I go.......

Specializes in Postpartum, L&D, Mother-Baby.

If I were to work bedside again, I would probably go with a unionized facility, and heavily do my research first.

This is my first nursing job, and I have never worked any other job that had a union. Is it safe to say that unionized hospitals help make sure you work according to staffing guidelines? What are some of the other pros/cons of working for a unionized facility. I am definately going to do research. Thank you!!!!!

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Specializes in geriatrics.

We are extremely short all the time. Frequently, they call on my days off, or ask us to pick up shifts. I've stopped answering their calls, and I'll often say no to extra shifts now. Fortunately, I am unionized, so they can only bug us so much.

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Getting w orse and worse. Our new staffing ratio is terrible.

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Specializes in Postpartum, L&D, Mother-Baby.
We are extremely short all the time. Frequently, they call on my days off, or ask us to pick up shifts. I've stopped answering their calls, and I'll often say no to extra shifts now. Fortunately, I am unionized, so they can only bug us so much.

I can relate to you!!!!! In the beginning, I would feel guilty for enjoying my off days because I would ignore calls to come in on off days. Our minds and bodies can only take so much!!!!! I have co-workers who work many days in a row. I work about 4 nights a week, but I must have days of rest (example: work 2, off 2 work 2). I am totally against pushing myself to or past my limit when it comes to work and all about maintaining my health and sanity, so I ignore phone calls on my off days, too!!! I work overtime every week as it is!!!!! I refuse to burn myself out, especially so early in my career!!!!!

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Specializes in geriatrics.

After a year of them having no staff, I've stopped feeling sorry. Administration needs to do something, and our head nurse could work the floor. Nursing is only one component of my life. You have to know where your limits are, too, because many employers will take advantage. I won't be effective if I'm burned out.

It really amazes me how unhealthy nursing can be, considering that the essence of nursing is HEALTH. I've had to remind myself....I work to live, I don't live to work.

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Specializes in Postpartum, L&D, Mother-Baby.
After a year of them having no staff, I've stopped feeling sorry. Administration needs to do something, and our head nurse could work the floor. Nursing is only one component of my life. You have to know where your limits are, too, because many employers will take advantage. I won't be effective if I'm burned out.

It really amazes me how unhealthy nursing can be, considering that the essence of nursing is HEALTH. I've had to remind myself....I work to live, I don't live to work.

Yes, Joanna, you hit the nail on the head. I always tell my co-workers that I am not paid to staff and that staffing is not my issue. I was hired as a nurse, so it's not my issue that this hospital cannot find the staffing they need and I am not gonna stress myself out working 6 nights a week to make sure they are covered!!!!! I LOVE your quote :I Live to work, I don't work to live.

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Specializes in geriatrics.

Think about it. Employers will try to rationalize all they want, but its not our fault these units are grossly understaffed. Sure, its nice to help out once in a while, and I don't mind. But, I take offense to them calling every time I have a day off, or asking me to pick up shifts when I get to work. NO!

Even if I don't answer the phone, the messages are bordering on harassment, IMO. My home is my private and personal space. The other side is, the more we agree to work, the less likely management will be to fix the problem. I'm also not receiving on call pay, so all the calls are still eating into my time.

I've even considered changing my phone number and telling them my phone broke, lol.

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Specializes in Telemetry, Med-Surg, ED, Psych.

My unit is having a TERRIBLE time right now with short staffing. Night shift is always short at least 1 RN and our new budget for the remainder of the year and all of 2012 calls for only one PCA on night shift. We only have a unit secretary until 1030pm and often times we get admissions well into midnight.

Many RN's have worked for a year and left entirely. We have the highest turnover in the entire hospital and we are barely getting by with what is left.

We have floatstaff and registry nurses working the floor. Management keeps saying the same old lines "Hiring Freeze" or "No budget for extra staff" or (my personal favorite) "The state legal limits for our unit nurse to patient ratio is 1:5 - if calulated on a daily basis our staffing trends have mostly been 1:4 - Your doing fine with what you have". Management fails to realize that we are a MIXED med/surg/tele unit. State mandated ratios for tele patients are 1:3 per RN.

I, to ignore my telephone when the staffing office calls me and begs me to pick up an extra shift EVERY TIME I HAVE A DAY OFF!!!

Once in a while is okay to work OT but I am not your solution to chronic and severe understaffing.

How about realistic wages - stop with this nickle and dime approach and then justifing it with the hospitals tag line BS of being a partner in Jesus's Healing Ministry (its corny and lame).

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