I could not believe my eyes when I showed up for work last noc and found that I had been assigned 10 patients. I work on a 36 bed Onc/Hem floor with many high acuity patients. For the whole unit we had 3 RN's for 29 patients with 3 aides. We are also a stem-cell transplant floor with many leukemia's and myeloma's. I did not feel safe at all.
I am just so mad :angryfire and frustrated at this and need to vent.
To top off m noc, I was giving an update to the nurse who was taking 2 of my patients, one of which is a relapsed leaukemic with VRE in his blood and stool, well while I was updating her, she noticed that the doc and three residents were going into the pos. pressure room, she said "Oh, you better make sure that they alll gown up" Well being the newer grad that I am, I did, and boy did the s__t hit the fan, the doc screamed at me and said that I had totally insulted him :imbar , well needless to say I looked back at the desk and she was laughing, she totally made a fool out f me...ON PURPOSE!! :angryfire Today I left the hospital in tears..
I am so frustrated with the unit I worl on, I want to quit right this second. The problems I mentioned are just a few of the many.
Specializes in correctional-CCHCP/detox nurse, DOULA-Birth Assist.
I'm sitting here by myself with 10 patients, not near as bad as yours though.
I would have thrown a fit, your a lot better than me. 2 weeks ago our census was @ 12 patients for nights but we kinda all banded together and said we would't take anyone once we reached 10 anyway, way to busy, draining, dangerous, stupid how ever you want to say it.
Go to the local library and look up the state federal licensing standards for hospitals. Unfortunately there are no staffing ratios for med/surg, but there are for open heart, ICUS, telemetry/step down units, pediatrics
This is why we need federal/state safe mandated pt/nurse ratios
Mama Val, ASN, RN
132 Posts
I'm sitting here by myself with 10 patients, not near as bad as yours though.
I would have thrown a fit, your a lot better than me. 2 weeks ago our census was @ 12 patients for nights but we kinda all banded together and said we would't take anyone once we reached 10 anyway, way to busy, draining, dangerous, stupid how ever you want to say it.