Updated: Jul 25, 2022 Published Jul 20, 2022
PureNurse
2 Posts
I’m an RN and I work on a Med-Surg floor. For the last year our hospital has, per management, been having a hard time hiring CNAs. I work night shift and we have had only 1 full time CNA, but a few weeks ago management decided to let our only CNA go, leaving us with 0 support on the night shift. Our ratios are 1:6, and prior to loosing our only CNA we were having to take 6 patients most nights with no support staff, now we are having to take 6 patients EVERY night with no support staff. Day shift isn’t much better as they are also often left to take 6 patients of their own with no support, and often our charge nurses will take 6 patients. The few of us staff nurses who are left have voiced our concerns to management multiple times, but we are told that what’s happening “isn’t necessarily unsafe, but rather, is just not ideal.” Management also tell us that this is the case at most hospitals. When we ask the travel nurses they’ll tell us they’ve never worked at another hospital that doesn’t offer their nurses support staff. I guess I’m wondering… has anyone else heard of this situation at their hospitals? Also just wondering if anyone has any advice on how to get management to listen. I’m getting to the point where I may just leave…
Okami_CCRN, BSN, RN
942 Posts
The way you get management to listen is by leaving.
Management has seen that a ratio of 1:6 with no nursing support staff hasn't led to a dramatic increase in patient safety events and so they will continue to push their cost cutting measures.
I guess then I’ll just ask… Is it just my hospital where management is making these decisions? Or if I leave is it like this everywhere? Is it really THIS bad everywhere?
RNperdiem, RN
4,592 Posts
CNAs especially night shift are hard to find these days. The labor shortage is widespread. If CNAs have an opportunity to move into a job with better conditions and pay, many will. The shortage of ancillary staff is far worse than the nursing shortage and totally underreported. I wonder how long-term care is doing, as I know they depend on CNAs much more for patient care.
mtmkjr, BSN
536 Posts
I work inpatient rehab. Our ratio is 6: 1 paired with a CNA with similar assignments.
Yes we are short frequently, but we nearly always manage to scrape together the staff we need, either by floating staff from other units or our own staff working extra.
Elektra6, ASN, BSN, RN
582 Posts
Just came from helping my private duty patient with quadriplegia at the hospital. Mom has been taking care of him 24/7 while he is inpatient and I go in to help out and relieve her. I don’t know how you can keep patients safe without CNAs. I mean how can you feed and keep clean complete care patients that have no family? It’s not fair of the hospital system unless you had two patients only let alone 6 (our nurse said she had 6). I did not see a nurse’s aide or PCT assigned to him this week. The nurse did everything and she definitely did not have time to order food and feed someone. It’s sad.
NightNerd, MSN, RN
1,130 Posts
We are getting to this point in my hospital with 1:6 ratios for nurses and sometimes just one tech for the floor. I don't blame our techs for moving on one bit, as they are not well compensated for the work they are doing, nor is their work valued by management. I'm counting my days here, as it sucks working in an environment that doesn't appreciate not only my work, but that of the nursing techs who are so crucial to providing good care.
HiddenAngels
976 Posts
When you see what others cannot see, you can do what others cannot do.
How businesses get away with trimming the fat..
Tweety, BSN, RN
35,551 Posts
CNAs are hard to come by these days. However, my hospital does provide them for our night shift and they have 6:1 ratios. Problem is when one quits or calls off it's hard to fill that position and they sometimes go without. Same with us on days.
When hospitals cut out staff to safe money then it's time to quit.
Hoosier_RN, MSN
3,965 Posts
Country Bumpkin General and Hillbilly Healthcare, the 2 area hospitals, have both done primary care nursing for the last 10-15 years. Nurses and patients just love it, and such ?. Both facilities have ratios on Med Surg ratios of 6:1 on days, 7or 8: on nights, because they all sleep ?. The nurses put up with this because the don't want to drive 1.5 hours 1 way to next nearest hospital. Patients complain because the care at both is suboptimal, to say the least. But, both hospitals have pretty interiors, and admins have nice offices and are doing nicely in the pay department ?. Too bad that so many think the hospital is the only place to work, or the only place that matters
1 hour ago, Hoosier_RN said: Country Bumpkin General and Hillbilly Healthcare, the 2 area hospitals, have both done primary care nursing for the last 10-15 years. Nurses and patients just love it, and such ?. Both facilities have ratios on Med Surg ratios of 6:1 on days, 7or 8: on nights, because they all sleep ?. The nurses put up with this because the don't want to drive 1.5 hours 1 way to next nearest hospital. Patients complain because the care at both is suboptimal, to say the least. But, both hospitals have pretty interiors, and admins have nice offices and are doing nicely in the pay department ?. Too bad that so many think the hospital is the only place to work, or the only place that matters
Do they at least get pizza and a "heroes work here" banner?
nursej22, MSN, RN
4,541 Posts
Lack of aides and increased acuity helped to convince me that I was aged out of acute care. Our two aides scheduled for a 29 bed step-down unit were routinely floated off the floor for sitters on other floors. That left the RNs to manage insulin, dobutamine and cardizem gtts, ambulate open heart patients with chest tubes, and administer IV ativan to CIWA Patients. And of course, you never gave a full ampule of ativan, so you spent a ridiculous amount of time searching for someone to waste with, every @#$% hour.