need help with staffing issue

[Ms.RN]

hello

i was hoping that i can get some input from experienced nurses about my job situation. ive been a nurse for 3 month now and i work at nursing home. there is suppose to be 2 nurses in the unit but some days i work, i'm the only nurse who is staying the whole shift, and a morning nurse would stay over until about 8pm and go home and i am the only nurse in the unit until 11pm. i feel like my employers are putting my license on the line because if something happens to the patient, then i am liable even though the patient is not assigned to me. in the other units, there is always 2 nurses who have worked at this facility for few years. what do you think is the motive of my supervisor doing staffing like that and do you think i should quit this job?

[LPN1974, LPN]

hello

i was hoping that i can get some input from experienced nurses about my job situation. ive been a nurse for 3 month now and i work at nursing home. there is suppose to be 2 nurses in the unit but some days i work, i'm the only nurse who is staying the whole shift, and a morning nurse would stay over until about 8pm and go home and i am the only nurse in the unit until 11pm. i feel like my employers are putting my license on the line because if something happens to the patient, then i am liable even though the patient is not assigned to me. in the other units, there is always 2 nurses who have worked at this facility for few years. what do you think is the motive of my supervisor doing staffing like that and do you think i should quit this job?

welcome to the real world.

nursing homes are like that. they will push over on you.

i'm sure your facility is short staffed.

i would think your choices would be to quit, but just about everywhere you go you're going to find this same problem, or just put up with it.

how many patients are you covering for after the other nurse leaves, and has all of the 8pm med round been passed when she leaves?

has all of her charting been done also, and are they leaving you with any critically ill patients after 8pm that you know of? if anyone is critically ill, in my opinion the other nurse shouldn't be allowed to leave.

if someone were to get sick, do you have an rn on call to call for advice and is she helpful to you?

also how are your cna's for staffing? are they well staffed and are they knowledgeable, helpful, and observant?

these are just a few questions i have for you to consider.

i ran into alot of crap too, when i worked nights in a nursing home.

when i started working there i told them explicitly that i would not work my shift alone. some nurses would do it, but i would not.

in my state, my sbn says that you do not have to accept another assignment if you feel it's too much for you to handle. i'm not sure if they would consider this another assignment or not, but check with your sbn.

well, good luck, hun, you're going to need it.