Night support staff optional? Is this common?

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I'm a brand new nurse working 12's at night on a 28-bed floor. Typically there are 4 nurses, 1 tech and 1 HUC. I'm finding it's not unusual for them to just not schedule a tech or a secretary here and there at night (they work 8's). Is this common practice? I kind of resent that the nurses are expected to pick up the secretarial slack just because they didn't bother to schedule someone. I don't think it's "beneath" me or anything but d&*#! If we're full w/ 7 patients who's got time to stuff charts and answer call bells and phones? Especially since the one tech with 28 patients doesn't really do much but vitals (assuming there's a tech working). Does this happen everywhere or do I need to be thinking of a change?

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Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.

It is not unusual especially in GA.

I have worked 40 bed units, where we only had access to a float secretary on nights.

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Specializes in m/s, icu.

it happens were i am. we hate it. (22 bed m/s, tele, peds, & snf, dementia patients) some nights all i can do is meds, dressing changes & blood sugars. hopefully the 10pm v/s get done by MN. forget fresh water, hs bed baths are just pits & peri. it takes so much energy to constantly fight with supervisors when they want to keep admitting people. i just do what i can until the help "they" promise is coming arrives, some day. i also tell patients that if they are unhappy with service to make sure they speak out when the pt stay survey arrives in their mailbox. i make them promise that they will complain! a little PR goes a long way in this small town! when patients complain because they rang an hour ago for their meds i tell them that i have 7 other people wanting meds and my choices are (in the sweetest most concerned voice i can muster): i could get the meds quickly for you or give them accurately, which would you like?

sometimes people think patients sleep all night.....only once in a blue moon does that happen.

hang in there. sometimes going the extra mile isn't noticed any way.

do what you can in the safest possible way. it has taken us a year to get more night staff. i'm told people are orienting this month....

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Specializes in Med/Tele.

Sadly, yes. I only work the 7a-7p. Sometimes, they may have a unit secretary till 11pm.......but most times they are own their own. I think it's ridiculous that hospitals try to have a few dollars by not staffing floors appropriately.......even though it is a 24 hour facility.

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Its the same for me. I could not take it anymore and on top of that i have on average about 2 admissions a night. That means no one to help put in orders and no one to take vitals. I am so sick of it. I put in my two weeks and am not looking back. The hardest part is completing the two weeks. I feel that is so unsafe and i have 7 total care pt. Sometimes i have two bakeracted pts at the same time. Its hell and i am so happy i am leaving!!!!

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Specializes in Rural Health.

I left my 1st nursing job after less than 3 months because we had no support on the night shift, I worked with horrid co-workers that just told me all the time "get used to it - this is how it is". It was a nasty, mean place to work. We had a US until 2300 but the staff was so mean to her on nights, she hid in the bathroom crying most nights until it was time for her to go home.

I would get an average of 3 admits each night and had to complete all my own admission orders - if I asked for help - I was laughed at. If I could find one of the 2 techs to help me get the patient settled and vitals, I got attitude the entire time.

I would have anywhere from 6-9 patients on a Tele floor which doesn't seem like a lot but I always seemed to get the rooms closest to the desk, which meant the ones that were #1 the sickest or #2 the craziest.

It was toxic.

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