I get to work and here is the following memo. Like it is so shocking to me. What's more shocking is the complacency that fellow nurses accept this as normal behavior. Are we a sick profession or what???? It is like we have become abused partners in a co-dependent sick relationship. Check this out! Did you have the same reaction that I had? Or is it that I have been in nursing too long and I am just Soooo over crap like this? I high-lighted in bold what really blew me away. This is from a big major cardiovascular hospital in Atlanta; so it isn't like it happened in the boon-docks.
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Memorandum
To: XXX SSSS Nursing Staff
From: XX CCCC
Date: June 5, 2001
Subject: Time analysis
Quadramed (previously known as Medicus) has been commissioned to help us define/examine how we spend our time during our shifts. . . what activities are we engaged in, what are our barriers to giving care, what do we do that perhaps could be done in a different way? This is a wonderful opportunity for us to assist in better defining how we function and to help determine what we can potentially change about our practice, affording us greater satisfaction while delivery high quality patient care. This is the first time ICU East will be monitored. In the past they looked at CCU and ICU West, but not us.
Some key notes about the study:
Every nursing unit will be surveyed at least 9 times. . .a representative sampling will occur on all shifts and on the weekends.
Each staff member will be assigned a number for that worked shift and that number will be worn on her/his back during the shift. This number is NOT for tracking of individuals, but by skill level only.
All activities will be recorded anonymously. . no way to track back to individual staff.
Activity of each staff member will be assessed every 15 minutes.
All activities will be recorded, even idle time when you might be waiting for a return phone call from an MD or medication to be tubed from the pharmacy.
A log will be kept at the nurses' station so that all staff can record every trip off the Unit for any reason.
If you have any questions, please see me. Thanks for your continued support.
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Ok, so what do you think? I think this means increasing our workload while decreasing our job security and real earnings after inflation. When you point something like this out as SICK, Administration says it involves two problems: our lack of flexibility and bad morale.
[ June 07, 2001: Message edited by: RunningSoLate ]
and bad morale.