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)?
Haven't been in the ER long, but no lunches are common. That hour is critical to recharging the batteries and getting away from the hecticness. Managment is working on hiring more, but the process is slow. I hope I don't get burned out because I love ER Nursing.
Sounds like a typical weekend noc shift in our ER. But we have 6 working RN's and 1 Charge nurse who should be taking pt's but doesn't, (that could be another thread). 35 beds. Usually full when we start at 19:00 till about 0300 then trickles down. Unsafe staffing is a regular topic. Usually the thing that suffers the most is our charting, we aren't charting near enough, but we have to move the meat!!
:wink2::wink2:At times our Administrators think it is alright to put up with unsafe staffing but they do not realise how much we burn out physically and mentally. I take off my hat to you for making a brave decision.There are many places :lol2:out there that will employ you. All the best in your job search.
Just a quick update: I've been offered a job position in another ED (3 RN's and 1 EDT for 8 rooms :nuke:). Oh yeah, the pay is $5.00 an hour more too! They also have a 24/7 on-site cardiac cath lab, so MI's are whisked to the cath lab in minutes. I'm still interviewing with another facility, but just want to share my good news. I'm so glad I made the "jump" and left such a toxic environment. It was a very hard decision to make ("what if I don't find another job", "what if it is like this everywhere"), but in the end it was easy to understand why I left. YAY FOR ME!!!
Just a quick update: I've been offered a job position in another ED (3 RN's and 1 EDT for 8 rooms :nuke:). Oh yeah, the pay is $5.00 an hour more too! They also have a 24/7 on-site cardiac cath lab, so MI's are whisked to the cath lab in minutes. I'm still interviewing with another facility, but just want to share my good news. I'm so glad I made the "jump" and left such a toxic environment. It was a very hard decision to make ("what if I don't find another job", "what if it is like this everywhere"), but in the end it was easy to understand why I left. YAY FOR ME!!!
:yeah::yeah::yeah:Congrats to you!!!! I know that it will all work out for you!!!! YOu seem at ease!!!! TAke care... keep us posted...:heartbeat
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)?
Finding another ED sounds like the right choice. I worked in a small, insanely busy ED in NC. I found that moving to Mass., the "busy" is more so, but on a larger scale. There are more resources in a trauma or code AMI, but the same staffing issues. It's this unwritten code of silence that you're supposed to have, despite everyone knowing that you did your best. They had to call you out for something, likely because that person that was drunk had to stay where he was - the charge nurse should've taken the bullet on that one. I would have been angry with that choice. Rarely do we ever get a "you did a nice job" from management, but hopefully your coworkers have your back. They're the ones that count and will be at your side when you need it (though it sounds like you could've had MORE help on this particular night). Sorry, I feel your pain, though. Even when you do your best and try to prioritize based on A,B,C - you know your license is on the line. Because ALL of them were priorities, which one do you give the care to first? Suppose all are potential airway issues, it's not a disaster and you give care to the one with the "highest probability of survival" though I have been in your shoes. Flying by the seat of your pants. Going to another ER to give it a trial run is smart. Good luck.
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.
i can see why you'd have good retention rates in that er - where the heck is this, anyway? i didn't realize there were er's out there like that... it's like a dream!!
Specializes in tele floor,cardiac icu,emergency room.
The ER that I grew up in sounds very similar to yours. I left 2 1/2 months ago with regret but it will never change due to management and the things that they expect from the staff that they have. There have been a total of 12 nurses that also left since I did. Sometimes you have to cut your losses, the way I look at I worked really hard for my license and know that no upper management would not back me if anything happened. I feel that I lost my family I was so close to them and we did good work but it is just not worth it anymore. They need to change the system.
:lol2:out there that will employ you. All the best in your job search.
:heartbeat
CSHRN
27 Posts
Haven't been in the ER long, but no lunches are common. That hour is critical to recharging the batteries and getting away from the hecticness. Managment is working on hiring more, but the process is slow. I hope I don't get burned out because I love ER Nursing.