I've been a member of allnurses since before I started nursing school, and I've always come here to find answers to questions and see other nurses perspective on things. I sort of got a more realistic view on what nursing might be by reading the boards on here haha! I was not deterred. At least not enough to quit :-p
I am writing this post because I'm hoping to get some feedback on how you do staffing of nurse techs on your floor. My manager is tired of having to deal with nurse techs quitting/no shows, and is very interested in going over to primary nursing. I (and most/all nursing on my floor feel this is going to be a disaster). I'm trying to get some ideas on how to utilize techs better, maybe make them more happy in their job... or just be using their time better!
Some background: I'm an RN working on a busy surgical trauma floor. We have have a pretty high turnover rate both with RNs and nurse techs... it's understandable. We're very very busy, our patients are dealing with the worst moment of their lives and need someone to take it out on, and we are the only level one trauma hospital in our area. I do love my job, but it is extremely high acuity for a floor. Very very busy and most days we are running all day without a break and lucky if we get a fully 30 min for lunch.
Our typical ratio is 5:1 and we are lucky if we get three nurse techs for the whole floor of 30 beds, but often it's just 2 or even 1 because we get a call out. So even right now with the techs we have, the nurses are doing most of the toileting, cleaning up poo/pee/linen disasters, blood sugars, post-op vitals (techs will "forget"), and assist with meals. The techs primarily will do baths and assist quads/head injury pt's with feedings, along with sharing the other duties mentioned above. Depending on the tech, depends on how much you do yourself lol.
Manager is thinking of bringing in a "fluff and puff" tech who will come in and just round on pt's rooms, bring ice, be the "extra hands" to help turn pts, sit with suicide pts when their sitter needs a break, etc. She wants one of these techs on either side of the hall mon-fri 8-5, then NOTHING the rest of the time. She says our ratio will be 1:3. Not really.... not when we have call outs all the time, are getting new orientees with preceptors being taken up with only 2 pts, etc.
So here are my questions for you: How do you all do techs on your floor? What are their responsibilities? How many pt's are they assigned to? Are they content with their job and is the retention rate high? Anything else helpful you want to add?!? :) I would love any and all feedback!!!
