Short-staffed

[wisegirl07]

What are some experiences you have had when you have been forced to work a shift or are short at least one RN?

[virgil2915]

What are some experiences you have had when you have been forced to work a shift or are short at least one RN?

Oh, lets see. Having 75% of the ICU staff, 200% nursing supervisors, 100% respiratory therapist and two attending physicians (CRITICAL CARE AND ED) tied up with a 24 year old with fulminant liver failure bleed out, with 25% of the ICU staff (1 nurse) caring for 10 other patients (half on ventilators and vasoactive medications IV) That situation was full press code for 3 hours; or having 3 staff already tripled with other nurse doing dialysis and having a 40 year old newly diagnosed primary site bone cancer with already diagnosed PE and DVT return from Telemetry unit with a saddle PE? Intubated, cored, unsuccessfully, for 2 hours. Having to tell the now widow with 3 kids that we could not save him. Dealing with the Post Code support of the staff. And, of course, still being responsible to respond housewide to Codes and Rapid Response calls So far, thats been the worst of a very bad management view of "the acuity does not warrent more staff"

[Promin]

Yea, you leave feeling like roadkill, but the pts always came first.

The golden rule is that your own safety always comes first.