I cant take it!~!!!

Nurses General Nursing

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What should I do? I work at a LTC as a charge nurse. Now when I started this job a week ago I noticed problems. Anyway today I came to work only to find out that I would be the only nurse in the entire building with 53 residents under my care :cry:. Everything was fine until it came to my break time finding out that I dont get one. Needless to say I'm 4 months preggers. I am so ready to call state is this right? What should I do I already quit once before within this 1 week span.

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I'd call the state and resign.

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If you were the only nurse for 53 residents, everything was NOT fine until it came to break time which you of course didn't get. You physically cannot care safely for 53 residents regardless of your pregnancy. Yes, I would call state. And I would look for another job.

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Specializes in Utilization Review.
What should I do? I work at a LTC as a charge nurse. Now when I started this job a week ago I noticed problems. Anyway today I came to work only to find out that I would be the only nurse in the entire building with 53 residents under my care :cry:. Everything was fine until it came to my break time finding out that I dont get one. Needless to say I'm 4 months preggers. I am so ready to call state is this right? What should I do I already quit once before within this 1 week span.

Well, what shift is this? Because in LTC on 11-7, it is not unusual to have 60+ residents with one nurse and a few CNA's.

Please remember that if you feel unsafe with an assignment DO NOT accept report from the off-going shift. The minute you accept report, you assume responsibility for the welfare of the residents. You have the right as a licensed nurse to not accept an assignment YOU feel uncomfortable with, without any resulting discipline from the BON. That is how it is here in Pennsylvania. It is not considered abandonment unless you assume responsibility and accept report. That is in place to protect us as well as the patients from compromised care.

Who told you that you can't take a break? You're entitled to it. If you were the only nurse in house, you wouldn't be able to leave the building, but you still would get a break! Give me a break! If this is any indication as to how this facility operates, I'd be out the door and not look back.

Best Wishes

:specs:

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Specializes in Hospital-Med Surg, Subacute, Rehab..

Get out of there before the stuff hits the fan and state shows up unannouced, then call the state. Those people are crazy and unsafe.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

Check out the state's regs on how many licensed nurses have to be on duty for 53 patients. It's not unusual to have 1 nurse to be responsible for that many patients on 11-7. For other shifts I don't know.

Either way, whether or not it's allowed, if you don't feel comfortable, quit. Best of luck finding another job and have a happy healthy baby :nurse:

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Specializes in Med/Surg, ER, L&D, ICU, OR, Educator.

Really...it's not unusual for 1 nurse to be responsible for 53 patients?

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Specializes in PICU/NICU.

Run...run...run Now!!!!

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No, it is not unusual for 1 nurse to care for 53 Patients but to be the only nurse there for an 8 hour shift is insane, also being that I only have been there like I mentioned before only a week. Yeah I've been thinking and thinking on what I'm going to do for the shift in the morning(6-2). I'm so confused and scared that I will not be able to find another job being that I am pregnant.AWWWWWW:cry:

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Specializes in nursery, L and D.

Regardless of how many pt there are, I would NOT be the only nurse in the building. How are you going to manage a code? A fire? etc, etc, etc.

I would run away as fast as I could!

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

I don't mean to sound harsh, but don't you check out potential employers before accepting jobs? How could you have gone thru interviews, toured facilities, spoken with residents, asked questions of staff and managerial employees, and NOT have noticed that staffing was dangerously low, both from the residents' and nurses' perspective?

I realize that sometimes jobs don't turn out to be what we expect, but you may be bringing the situation upon yourself by failing to check the staffing and reputation of facilities.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

Many times, facilities hide these facts until you start working there for yourself. And, I'm not sure if a perspective employee is able to make rounds, interview incumbant staff members and residents as well as obtain truthful information from the powers that be. In fact, many facilities seem to steer people away from situations where they can ask too many questions before being hired.

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