I quit my job yesterday. They were going to try and staff my acute med/surg floor with me (1 rn), 1 lpn and 2 aids for 28. I told the floor no thank you, I quit, and I left the building. (I had not clocked in or took report). For several months 2 nurses (R/L or R/R) has been becoming the normal staffing pattern for my floor regardless of the number or acuity of the patients.( I believe the increase of code blues, rapid responses, and overall failure to rescue rate would speak to the complications the patients are experiencing from this).
I've worked at this hospital for 5 years, almost 2 as an RN. I'm kind of disappointed it ended this way, but at the same time I feel so much relief from not having to go back. I had been feeling burned out for the last several months and was dreading going in anyways (I had started thinking about calling in but than realized it was too late to call in and I would have received insuffecient notice from my hospital). I have been trying to transfer off this floor for a couple of months now and was told no one could leave my floor because we are so short staffed. I didn't even confirm the staffing for the floor that day until after I left the hospital and was calling Nursing Staffing office from my cell phone to inform them I was refusing to clock in or accept responsibility for that many patients. I have learned if things ever start to get this bad where ever I work in the future, I'm going to turn in a 2 week notice pronto so it doesn't come down to this.
Good for you!!!!! That took a lot of guts to go through with. There is no way that 2 licensed people can care for 28 patients in an acute care setting. The what if's are horrendous.
I would like to thank everyone that has responded so far!
I was honestly wondering if other nurses were going to view my behavior may is being unprofessional or out of line. I have heard that my Unit Manager is telling others she plans to take this "higher" , to which I assume the Arkansas State Board of Nursing. My state board puts out a nearly bimonthly "Update" that recently addressed the quest of abandonment:
Inquiries have been received by the Board regarding which actions by a nurse constitute patient abandonment and thus may lead to discipline against a nurse's license.
For patient abandonment to occur, the nurse must have:
*
Accepted the patient assignment, thus establishing a nurse-patient relationship.
* Severed that nurse-patient relationship without giving reasonable notice to the appropriate person (e.g., supervisor, patient) so that arrangements could be made for continuation of nursing care by others.
Once the nurse has accepted responsibility for the nursing care of a patient, severing the nurse-patient relationship without giving reasonable notice to the appropriate person may lead to discipline for unprofessional conduct pursuant to ASBN rules Chapter 7, Section XV.A.6.i
Refusal to accept an assignment is not considered patient abandonment
nor is refusal to work additional hours or shifts. It should be noted that the Board has no jurisdiction over employment and contract issues. While nurses who may refuse certain assignments may not be violating the Nurse Practice Act, While nurses who refuse to accept certain patient assignments may not be violating the Nurse Practice Act, the nurse must be willing to accept the consequences of such a decision on the employer/employee relationship.
I do believe this should cover it. I did not clock in, I did not take report, and I refused to accept any patients or responisbility for the floor.
This almost reminds me of a hospital I once left before I even got report when I was pulled to a floor where codes happen daily, all the nurses leave the floor for a smoke break, literally, and I would be responsible for the entire 32 patients! Please! You did the right thing and they shouldn't be able to push abandonment on you because you hadn't received report yet. As the other post mentioned, there are other better places to work for who will appreciate you. Good Luck
Specializes in vascular, med surg, home health , rehab,.
Wow, I am impressed. If I showed up at work and that was the deal, yes, I would have walked too. You can be sure, had you stayed and sucked it up, as so many of us do for the sake of the pts, you would be a) letting management know this was ok to do, b) putting your licence at real risk, c) putting the lives of every pt on that floor at risk. That amount of staff vs number of pts and no bad outcomes that day? A lot of finger crossing. Patients deserve a heck of a lot more of that when they check into a hospital believing they will be taken care of. A nurse deserves more than that when they come to work willing and able to provide that care. I wish you luck, just know better things are ahead, and that you can really be proud of yourself for taking a stand for yourself and every other nurse at that hell hole! You know, I bet when the director had to actually deal with that mess, they pulled staff out of the air, they always seem to when it their butts on the line. Had I been your colleague or pt, I would still feel the same.
Specializes in Day Surgery, Agency, Cath Lab, LTC/Psych.
I do believe this should cover it. I did not clock in, I did not take report, and I refused to accept any patients or responisbility for the floor.
You were really smart to not clock in. I always clock in at the start of shift, prior to receiving an assignment. I believe you made absolutely the right decision that day, both for the patients, the staff and yourself. Organizations need to have a little "reality check" occasionally to alert them of need for change. That hospital needs huge change, from the top down.
Good for you for standing up for yourself. I once refused an assignment, though it was nowhere near as bad as the assignment you've written about. I'm kinda embarressed to admit it, but I refused an 8 patient asssignment on a post surgical care floor. This was a busy unit with nearly all fresh post-ops, lots of surgical drains to keep track of, several PCA's, and nearly all of the patients required at least moderate assist and needed to be ambulated. This situation still pales in comparisson to you're situation, but I did refuse to take 8 patients by myself and miraculously, before I could gather my things to leave, they found another nurse. This actually worked in their favor because we ended up getting three admits that shift, which was fine with me since we had the staffing to handle it.
WOW I can't believe they actually tried that. It was hard with 1 charge and 5 nurses and they think that is safe with just 2. Good for you.
Even if you had clocked in you just clock right back out. You didn't recieve report therefore you didn't accept an assignment. Let them talk all they want about reporting you it won't do anygood.
Specializes in med surg, geriatric, clinical, pool.
I quit my job yesterday. They were going to try and staff my acute med/surg floor with me (1 rn), 1 lpn and 2 aids for 28. I told the floor no thank you, I quit, and I left the building. (I had not clocked in or took report). For several months 2 nurses (R/L or R/R) has been becoming the normal staffing pattern for my floor regardless of the number or acuity of the patients.( I believe the increase of code blues, rapid responses, and overall failure to rescue rate would speak to the complications the patients are experiencing from this).
I've worked at this hospital for 5 years, almost 2 as an RN. I'm kind of disappointed it ended this way, but at the same time I feel so much relief from not having to go back. I had been feeling burned out for the last several months and was dreading going in anyways (I had started thinking about calling in but than realized it was too late to call in and I would have received insuffecient notice from my hospital). I have been trying to transfer off this floor for a couple of months now and was told no one could leave my floor because we are so short staffed. I didn't even confirm the staffing for the floor that day until after I left the hospital and was calling Nursing Staffing office from my cell phone to inform them I was refusing to clock in or accept responsibility for that many patients. I have learned if things ever start to get this bad where ever I work in the future, I'm going to turn in a 2 week notice pronto so it doesn't come down to this.
Any support, advice, or critics?
You did the right thing. I tried and I stayed on my med/surg floor. It didn't work. An elderly lady died one night. I had to be off the floor with a new pt I had to take to the ER for xray, ( and I was over loaded with pts) the other nurses were supposed to be watching my pts, guess not. It was really a blessing in disguise. I left and got a job working as a pool nurse and loved. No more politics! New people all of the time. Workers appreciated me showing up for work, they smiled at me, if I didn't like a place I gave it two chances and if I didn't like it the second time I didn't go back. Lots of the places I worked wanted me on staff, I said "no thank you". I had had enough of the back stabbing ways of other women nurses, who would have thought women were so twofaced? Guess I was naive.
I told the floor no thank you, I quit, and I left the building. (I had not clocked in or took report). For several months 2 nurses (R/L or R/R) has been becoming the normal staffing pattern for my floor regardless of the number or acuity of the patients.( I believe the increase of code blues, rapid responses, and overall failure to rescue rate would speak to the complications the patients are experiencing from this).
, to which I assume the Arkansas State Board of Nursing. My state board puts out a nearly bimonthly "Update" that recently addressed the quest of abandonment:
:yeah:
Kashia, ASN, LVN
284 Posts
RIGHT ON!
So 28 patients divided by 2 if you work with competent LPN would be
14 patients each with barely any assist CNA coverage
if this is acute care I would say criminal.-
I refuse to work long term facilities that give ratio 1:34 with aids
I work through agency.
I would say you are an awesome nurse- in the highest sense- for caring about the outcomes of your patients.
I know it took so much strength but you absolutely did the right thing.
Hard to believe this is legal