Low Census...and LOVING IT!

brandy1017, ASN, RN · Jul 18, 2011

I hear you, if only every day could be like that!

FLArn · Jul 18, 2011

Enjoy it while it lasts, it's your reward for surviving the other days! :yeah:

Orange Tree · Jul 18, 2011

Time to cut staffing. :uhoh3:

This message has been brought to you by the people who decide these things. :)

Forever Sunshine, ASN, RN · Jul 18, 2011

My hallway has had 4-5 empty beds for the last two weeks. Its heaven. I'm not rushed. I finish my meds at 9:30. I am out between 11 and 11:30. I feel on top of things. I can sit with the dying resident when her family isn't there. I can help the CNAs. I feel I can actually do all of my job.

coolpeach · Jul 18, 2011

Shouldn't every day be like this??????

I have been a nurse for a year and half, working for a little over a year. The way things is truly upsetting, sad, and scary all at the same time.

What other profession expects you to work 12 (13 hours) if you include shift reports, and we all know its more like 15 without meal breaks or usually any breaks for that matter and often 4 or 5 hours of sleep.

Then we get more than we can realistically do (which is why it turns into 15 hours). The other day one of the nurses complained that she had 6 patients (which right now is the max). The problem was that four had PCA's, 3 were contact isolation, 2 had dementia/confusion, one had an NG and continuous feeding with all meds crushed going in tube, and one had to have everything crushed and fed in apple sauce, and one had to have dressing changes 3 or 4 times per shift due to edema/weeping. When the nurse got her sixth patient she said...."Hold on, this is more than I can handle". The supervisor told her this is the load so get used to it, or I will give you seven.

I have told them I couldn't take anymore previously, and been told " I am sorry, but we don't have a choice". I got into this profession to make a difference, and I barely have time to keep everyone alive.

Not to mention they are constantly adding new tasks to our already overburdened workload, new things that must be charted etc, and when one thing isn't done its our behinds on a platter.

I forgot to chart that I took the tech took a foley out last shift, and I know I will be written up on Wed when I got back in. I feel like saying, "Hey I worked 3 shifts in a row (39 hours), plus stayed at least an hour over that the two prior shifts (41 hours), and two hours over my last shift (43 hours) in three days. With an hour drive each way thats 49 hours in three days with 12 hours sleep, and all I did was forget to chart a foley....we are all very lucky thats all I did.

coolpeach · Jul 18, 2011

Shouldn't every day be like this??????

I have been a nurse for a year and half, working for a little over a year. The way things is truly upsetting, sad, and scary all at the same time.

What other profession expects you to work 12 (13 hours) if you include shift reports, and we all know its more like 15 without meal breaks or usually any breaks for that matter and often 4 or 5 hours of sleep.

Then we get more than we can realistically do (which is why it turns into 15 hours). The other day one of the nurses complained that she had 6 patients (which right now is the max). The problem was that four had PCA's, 3 were contact isolation, 2 had dementia/confusion, one had an NG and continuous feeding with all meds crushed going in tube, and one had to have everything crushed and fed in apple sauce, and one had to have dressing changes 3 or 4 times per shift due to edema/weeping. When the nurse got her sixth patient she said...."Hold on, this is more than I can handle". The supervisor told her this is the load so get used to it, or I will give you seven.

I have told them I couldn't take anymore previously, and been told " I am sorry, but we don't have a choice". I got into this profession to make a difference, and I barely have time to keep everyone alive.

Not to mention they are constantly adding new tasks to our already overburdened workload, new things that must be charted etc, and when one thing isn't done its our behinds on a platter.

I forgot to chart that I took the tech took a foley out last shift, and I know I will be written up on Wed when I got back in. I feel like saying, "Hey I worked 3 shifts in a row (39 hours), plus stayed at least an hour over that the two prior shifts (41 hours), and two hours over my last shift (43 hours) in three days. With an hour drive each way thats 49 hours in three days with 12 hours sleep, and all I did was forget to chart a foley....we are all very lucky thats all I did.

Forever Sunshine, ASN, RN · Jul 18, 2011

It really should be peach. What good are we if we are running around like chickens without heads trying to get everything done. Rushing through meds and treatments?

Yet we get told to take the short staffing idea and sweep it under the rug. Well where I work its very obvious when we are short. In LTC there are family members who are there EVERY DAY. They know because they can see that we only have 3-4 CNAs on the floor.

Besides adhering to the budget. What good is short staffing? Staff morale hits the floor, family members aren't happy. Residents aren't happy.

Even if I have 4-5 less patients to care for, and we are short staffed, it makes a difference on the floor. I can answer call bells, help CNAs with residents who need total care, get my own vitals(which I'm thinking of doing anyway from now on), get them water, snacks, another blanket, a bedpan, make sure their heel booties are on, etc.

CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN · Jul 18, 2011

I was down by 2 res and a few went out for LOAs.....what a difference 2 makes even!!!

No Stars In My Eyes · Jul 18, 2011

Time to cut staffing.
This message has been brought to you by the people who decide these things. :)

:lol2: That's a good one!

lindarn · Jul 18, 2011

This happens because nursing has never organized under an organization who looks out for their best interest, and as never unionized, en masse, due to pressure and bullying by hospitals and nursing homes.

There are also too many nurses who fall under the category of, "Martyr Marys", who believe that it is their lot in life to endure backbreaking, non stop work, until they fall over and die. Without a whimper or complaint.

There are also the nurses who are too gullible to believe that, "it isn't professional", to belong to a union. They need to validate their self-worth and self esteem by holding onto that nonsense. Teachers all have at least at four year college degree, and are all, almost universally, unionized. They don't work short, they have benefits that nurses only dream of, and retirements that they can actually live on, and are made in heaven. They also have medical benefits while working and in retirements.

The individuals who take care of the sick their entire careers, frequently don't have it for themselves, and most certainly don't have it after retirement. It is a sad situation, and nurses have no one to blame but themselves.

JMHO and my NY $0.02.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Somewhere in the PACNW

Ruthfarmer · Jul 18, 2011

Lindarn, I would like to give you multiple kudos and bravos.