In my short nursing life I have noticed nurses are everything to patients and their families. Not the "everything" where we are respected and appreciated for what we do. But the "everything" like a child would see a parent. Yes, I know I can't say every single person is like this. This is more of a vent than anything. I don't want to give too much details, fearing that I come across people I know on here. But where I work, we are short-staffed and over-worked. There have been several patient complaints due to call lights not being answered the second it turned on. And the facility frowns on any staff who tells patients and families we are short-staffed. The expectations on nurses to perform tasks that are physically impossible for one person to execute within the expectations of the patients and families. There are so many things I want to write to just get it all off my chest, but its all too specific and I can't go into any details. What gets me the most is that the solution the higher ups came up with is to give more work for the nurses to do ( didn't even address the issue of not having enough staff).
I know what I must do, look for another job. I am looking. I have a couple of interviews lined up. Several of my co-workers have either left or looking for jobs. What's sad is that almost every job I have looked into have the same problems if not worse. I get that companies want to make money but nurses are people too and we have our limits. We can only do so much. And taking care of patients (ranging from 12 to 18 in number, sub-acute) is just too much for 1 person, I am at my wits end.
How do nurses fight for safe patient-nurse ratios? How did California get to where they are now with their pt-nurse ratio?
HAHAHAHA when state comes and they are all running over the floor to show "we all work together" but as soon as state steps foot outside the building it's "ok back to my office you got this?"
The last state visit that I went through, one of the auditors looked at our DON and said, "we're smart enough to know this is only going on because we're here!". Surprising the DON was PO'd
HAHAHAHA when state comes and they are all running over the floor to show "we all work together" but as soon as state steps foot outside the building it's "ok back to my office you got this?"
That's when you see all the administrators you never knew existed. LMAO
Really? It's sad that I can totally believe that. I bet one of their rationales is "oh well these nurses won't mind because they are altruistic and will do anything for the patients."
Yes, believe it. I worked in Cal and did anything and everything you could possibly think up, none of which was nursing and took time away from patient care, not good for anyone and the union was useless.
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
Strong unions and persistence is key for staffing ratios. You think the hospital lobby didn't fight tooth and nail against mandated increased staffing? We usually have 2 CNAs for a unit that can go up to 30 patients (telemetry) but when you have a 1:3/1:4 ratio it really makes a huge difference. Yes we do more total care, but we also have more time to think, prepare meds, educate, and of course chart. Occasionally not having a secretary is sort of a bummer, but I honestly don't know how nurses handle having 7+ patients!
The hospital lobby was bad enough, but the real insult to injury was when the ANA joined forces with the hospital lobby to defeat the legislation in California! I think they recently did the same thing in Massachusetts but haven't followed that story closely.
Your complaints are relevant and spot on! I'm a new nurse too and I am appalled at how dismal conditions are for floor nurses. Things did not get this bad overnight, sadly, for decades this profession has allowed itself to be bullied into a corner. There are 3 million of us and we are all guilty of inaction. If nurses worked as hard at speaking in one voice and demanding change to unrealistic, untenable, and unsafe working conditions as they do undermining and backstabbing one another for a bone tossed from management, we could be a force to be reckoned with.
Hospitals are not convents. Nurses are not nuns obligated to an oath of silence! Your nurse manager is not Mother Superior and the DON is not the Head Priest!!
Nurses have to unite. We have to stand up and be counted. Do it for the sake of Patient care and safety. Do it for the sake of each other as a proud profession. When you are in a staff meeting or huddle learn how to AIR YOUR GRIEVENCES!! STOP BEING AFRAID!!
Most hospitals and facilities profess their affiliation with Jesus these days when the God they really worship is Mammon.
We have to come together as a profession, form unions, press our government officials to pass laws that improve our working conditions before we reach a tipping point. We are all in this together...lets start acting that way!!
Horseshoe, BSN, RN
5,879 Posts
Having worked primarily ICU (2:1), stepdown (3:1), and OR (1:1), I agree.
The sad thing is, there are probably nurses who would be okay with 7 patients, because they are typically assigned more than that.