Left ED job due to unsafe staffing...

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Specializes in Emergency.

So, I finally left my ED job because I felt that things were unsafe. One night I had 2 chest pain admits (nitropaste, continuous cardiac monitoring etc), a fresh chest pain, a drunk guy with a large lac who I could not wake up, and a MVA on backboard/c-collar who was having an allergic reaction to the IM morphine I gave her (so, that makes 4-level 2 acuity patients and 1-level 3 acuity patient). I was struggling to get things done with these 5 patients when I get the call - PNB coming in, and I need to go help out. In the meantime, my drunk guy was now passed out in a mini-waiting area and the charge nurse put a vag. bleed in the drunk guy's room. I told the charge nurse that my drunk patient could barely walk and needed to stay - her response was "I saw him walking just fine, you need to put him in the waiting area". And when the PNB came in, I went to grab the code cart; and it's cracked. The triage nurse just happened to be walking by and jumped in to do chest compressions. And here I am running across the ED trying to get another code cart. That night there was 4 nurses for 22 patients, and 2 of the nurses had less than 1 year ED experience. To make matters worse, the next day I was written up for having the drunk guy in the mini-waiting area "when I was told he had to go to the waiting room". I didn't get a "wow, you did a great job last night".

Guess I'm just curious if this is the norm in other ED's. I've been interviewing and I get "the look" when I say that I left my old job because of unsafe staffing. I was working 12-hour shifts and maybe once a month I would get a "lunch break" (barely 15 minutes, if that). I love ED nursing, and I don't want to burn out. I also don't want to injure someone or get injured myself. At the ED where I used to work there was hardly ever an empty bed; and your rooms were always full. No one could cover your rooms to go on break because everyone was too busy.

Why can't management understand that happy staff = staff retention (thus, saving money which would have been spent on training new staff had the turnover rate been high)?

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Specializes in ER.

If what you described is a typical shift, then you are correct to leave. I have had occasion to be slammed with critical patients, but there is generally someone to help out in the crunch time. No, it is not like this in every ED. Just keep up your search, there are good places out there, but you may need to travel a bit to fine one. Having a safe staffing ratio is critical to safe care and staff satisfaction.

BTW, what is a PNB? Person not breathing?? That was all I could think of.

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Specializes in Emergency.

PNB=Pulseless, non-breather.

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Specializes in ER.
PNB=Pulseless, non-breather.

Thanks, I had never heard that term, we just call them FA, "full arrest".

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Specializes in Emergency Room.

what you describe in your ED is beyond crazy. sometimes i can't believe that we put up with so much in this nursing profession. i would definitely quit. the no lunch issue also is so ridiculous. where i work we are staffed VERY well and for just that reason alone it makes me love being a ED nurse. i always get a break and lunch and just having that alone has inceased our retention rates. you deserve better and the patients definitely deserve better. i hope you find a good position.

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Specializes in ICU, ER, EP,.

Unfortunately standard staffing where I worked ER, after 11pm we went down to 3 rn's for 21 beds with one charge not taking patients. Great staff and teamwork made it do-able. I couldn't do it full time, much as I loved it. You're not alone, but it doesn't make it right. If "they" could controll the ratio's and not keep adding stretchers with all out acuity, we'd keep our great ER nurses.

Sorry to hear an ER lost another nurse, hope you find something to your liking.

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Good for you. The more nurses who put up with conditions like that only puts more feathers in the hat of administration as they sit up there in their plushy offices pulling in 300-500K a year based on how many nurses they WON'T let work because of some ridiculous staffing grid.

You are not abandoning your fellow staff and you are not abandoning patients who need you. You are standing up for how you would want to be treated as a patient.

I left under similar conditions and am sooo glad I did.

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Kudos to those of you who left unsafe staffing positions :flowersfo

Keep looking for a job with adequate staffing - they are out there. I worked for a while in an ER that had great staffing, float nurses (ER nurses who would be available in crunch time and for breaks). We got our lunches and breaks off the floor and our patients had a nurse to care for them! No more than 4 patients (3 for newbies) for the most part. Also an admit nurse who did all the paperwork for ER patients admitted to the hospital.

There is a way to staff effectively and safely - people just have to stop putting up with it in the first place.

I wish you the best! You should be proud of yourself. :yeah:

steph

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Thanks, I had never heard that term, we just call them FA, "full arrest".

Full Arrest here too. I had no idea what PNB meant . . . :D

steph

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Specializes in Emergency.

Thanks for all the support - I appreciate it! :wink2:

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Kudos to those of you who left unsafe staffing positions :flowersfo

Keep looking for a job with adequate staffing - they are out there. I worked for a while in an ER that had great staffing, float nurses (ER nurses who would be available in crunch time and for breaks). We got our lunches and breaks off the floor and our patients had a nurse to care for them! No more than 4 patients (3 for newbies) for the most part. Also an admit nurse who did all the paperwork for ER patients admitted to the hospital.

There is a way to staff effectively and safely - people just have to stop putting up with it in the first place.

I wish you the best! You should be proud of yourself. :yeah:

steph

I wish more hospitals would see the benefit of staffing to the grid and then adding one more RN per shift to cover breaks, lunches and increased acuity. It is AMAZING the effect that one extra nurse could have on morale ! But wait...that would cut into the CEO's 300K salary, wouldn' t it? :nono:

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Keep on looking!!!! YOU will find the right place to work... Don't give up your passion to be a ER nurse... You just have to find the right place to work.... Good luck to you!!!!!

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