NEVER say we are short staffed.

Nurses General Nursing

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I guess I am starting to wonder why we can't tell the patient that.

I thought I knew- that it was rude- that it equated to saying "I don't have time for you"- "you aren't important" etc.

However, in my garbled mind, I am starting to wonder who, exactly, this omission really protects.

As a nurse, slammed and hurried, rushed and prodded by the latest budget meetings, job stability feeling shaky in her mind... along with the disease processes, the calculations, the mental to do lists, the hourly rounding to be signed on the doors, constant charting- in multiple locations, phone calls, the sounding alarms, the delegation, the collaborative efforts, new orders, lab interpretation, the basic ABC's...

that's a lot going on... and that doesn't even take into consideration the patient...and it's true! We DO have harder times getting into patient's rooms, we do spend less time "actively listening"... hard to do with that work load on your back...

If a patient is attentive, they know that the nurse is overloaded... aside from avoiding a lawsuit, what is the point.

There are ways to say things that do not covey that the patient is not important..

Now- I am not going to say it, and I understand why it's not appropriate, but I just wonder....

Don't forget ... Part of what you are protecting your employer from is a lawsuit. And while we sometimes may really wish our employers would get sued, in reality, a lawsuit would be bad for us, too ... and we are usually better-off without getting sued. Most of us don't really want to be hounded on the witness stand by the plaintiff's lawyer trying to get us to admit to giving bad care, regardless of the reason for that bad care.

When push comes to shove, staff is giving the best care, UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES...:crying2:

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Specializes in ICU, ER, EP,.
I'm curious, for those who are staunch opponents against saying you are short staffed, what do you say when a patient directly asks you if you are short staffed (and the truth is the affirmative?)

"Management prohibits me from answering that question".

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Specializes in Emergency.

It's fun to notice this on days vs nights.

If we're a full house (12 pts) on days, we usually have 4 nurses and 2 techs. At night, it will either be a combination of 2 nurses & 1 tech or 3 nurses. On those three nurses nights, when we update the white board with our name, etc. I've had pts ask "where's the rest of your help?" To which I respond that it's just me tonight and they may see one of the other RNs if I'm helping someone else when they call. They frequently ask if we are short staffed. I've taken to replying with something to the effect of, "We might not have as many people as we would like, but no... we're not short staffed tonight." Even though we really are and management refuses to do anything about it, but they continue to create positions on days.

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Specializes in Mother-Baby, Rehab, Hospice, Memory Care.

My response would be "We are really busy tonight". On occasion a pt will ask how many other patients I have, and most of the time they are shocked with the number I tell them. They usually have no idea. Then of course there are the pt/families that don't care how many other pts you have. They still expect to be treated like they are the ONLY one!

Recently our NM made us sit through her mandatory presentation about "customer service". We spent over 30 minutes discussing this and had to come up with ideas to "improve" it. I don't why management spends so much time and energy on this when the real answer it obvious. Actually I do know - because that would cost them more $$. I refuse to say the line "I have the time". I am not going to stand there and lie to someone when I have 7-8 other pts waiting on me.

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Specializes in Emergency.
My response would be "We are really busy tonight". On occasion a pt will ask how many other patients I have, and most of the time they are shocked with the number I tell them. They usually have no idea. Then of course there are the pt/families that don't care how many other pts you have. They still expect to be treated like they are the ONLY one!

Recently our NM made us sit through her mandatory presentation about "customer service". We spent over 30 minutes discussing this and had to come up with ideas to "improve" it. I don't why management spends so much time and energy on this when the real answer it obvious. Actually I do know - because that would cost them more $$. I refuse to say the line "I have the time". I am not going to stand there and lie to someone when I have 7-8 other pts waiting on me.

Me too. When I was a health care tech, my manager wanted us to say that every time we left the room. I'm sorry, but when I'm working with anywhere from 12-18 other patients, I really don't. And I don't particularly like lying.

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Specializes in Home Health, Nursing Education.

Thank you everyone for your responses. I feel a little better knowing that it's not just me feeling this way. The system sucks right now-

"I have the time"--- I haven't had that meeting yet. But I am sure it's coming!

Anyhow- I will do the best I can do, but I do feel as though RN /LPNs / CNAs aren't really respected or valued by the hospitals.

Not so sure about any of it, but I can say- that I do truly love helping my patients. :nurse:

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By all of you trying to get around the words "short staffed" you continue to allow the problem to grow. What happened to having dignity in what we do and who we are? At this point as early in my nursing career as I am I would take the stand and admit to short staffing than to be in this position for the next 30 years. How can you as a human being allow yourself to do this? Its because you need your job and you need the money? How sick is it to really understand why you do not say "we are short staffed." The system has won AND the longer everyone here goes along with it...THEY win and WE lose. The patients lose too. Does that mean that we are not being patient advocates because we allow OUR patients to be under the care of less staff? yep and thats the kind of nurses we have become because we need the income. I want out of the profession because WE are just as bad as the CEO's of these hospitals and LTC facilities. We ALLOW it to happen.

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The REAL reason you should NEVER tell a pt. or family that you are "short staffed"? Because it will come back and bite you in the a-- if ANYTHING untoward happens to that pt. You have a responsibility, in all of the 50 states to refuse to take a pt. assignment that you KNOW to be unsafe. Telling a pt. you are "short staffed is an acknowledgement of the situation; and if you have not made a written protest, your but is in a sling if a lawsuit arises. STOP being doormats, nurses, and get yourselves into a union that can help you prevent/defend yourself when this kind of situation happens. YOU DON'T have to put up with these abuses anymore!

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I'm still planning for the day that I'm the only nurse that shows up in the unit.

I'll stand in the middle of the nurses station with an ambu bag in one hand, and a phone in the other.

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Specializes in Mental Health.
I'm still planning for the day that I'm the only nurse that shows up in the unit.

I'll stand in the middle of the nurses station with an ambu bag in one hand, and a phone in the other.

lol... that made me laugh.. :D

I can see why hospitals etc don't want you to ever say that.. it could be used in court against them..

"Nurse Ratchet told me they were short staffed, now I don't have a leg anymore"..

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Once I have worked for a nursing home, and was responsible for pushing meds to at least 50 pts. Most of them had GT and I had to flush all of them, hang feedings, do boluses, do accu checks, give insulin. I also was responsible for hanging IVs for every pt that needed an IV, since I was the only RN on the floor in 100 bed facility. I worked the night shift. The day shift was different: 2 LVNs pushing meds and RN is there just to supervise. I remember staying after the shift, which was "over at 0730am" and charting till 12 noon. Besides everything else I was required to clock out at 0730 am, since the company didn't want to pay overtime. This was the worst experience in my life. The company cared more about their reputation with the state and made sure that everything matched in their documentation, although sometimes it wasn't the right thing to do. Thank God I don't work there anymore!

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Well I said we are short staffed because I thought once we clocked in we had no way to refuse to take report. I work in a nursing home and its just awful. So early in my nursing career I am afraid I will lose it. I suppose since everyone now knows I said we are short staffed they will try and throw me under the bridge if the families who LOVE me try to sue! I thought by them telling administration maybe they would stop leaving MY floor understaffed because its "easier" for the supervisors for MY floor which is organized to be short! I couldn't take it anymore and I said it! Oh well!

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