i have been LPN with AHS for 10years, now our unit started to try nursing care hub, one hub includes 2RN, 1LPN, 1NA; normally 1RN or 1LPN looks after 4 patients, RN's patients more acute, which I think it's reasonable; but now with the now hub system, the team leader (RN) only takes 2 patients, then the other RN and the LPN have to take 5 patients; the manager said the team leader take 2 more acute patients; but some times there is not acute patients for team leader....no matter how, the team leader only takes 2 patients, and the team leader will page the doctors for all the hub nurse if needed.....but on top of the 3 team leaders, there is a charge nurse to contact the doctor if needed;
I tried care hub on Monday, end up I have 5 patients (2 fresh post op patients, the 2rn totally had 6 patients who are not acute at all, and I was busy like crazy....
i am wondering what's the reason to try the stupid care hub? Just let senior RN sitting there do nothing, other nurse running like crazy? (Sorry I am not try to be rude, but that's my true feeling)
If you read fiona59's post, you will know, the team leaders just abuse her team worker by dumping the heavier pt to them.
If sometimes there aren't any acute patients for the team leaders to take, can they take the patients with the most comorbidities? Patients who have higher comorbidities have more to watch for and more potential to become unstable, from a patient safety perspective, it is reasonable that RNs be assigned to them.
I am familiar with the practice of dumping patients on PNs and NAs, management and charge nurses don't listen when staff discuss the issue as 'heavy' patients vs 'light' patients, you are better off referring to it as a 'patient safety' issue and make a case for patients who have multiple comorbidities to be looked after by the RNs. The RNs are going to resist, but they will need to come up with a solution that addresses staff workloads from a patient safety aspect.
The team leader usually is manager's pet, most of them only work 1-3years, but manager think they can be resources nurse for other team member, I want to ask, I have been nurse 10 yrs, do I need someone with 1-3yrs experience to be my resource nurse? I feel insulted;
Not to make this a LPN vs RN thing, but the team lead/resource nurse is an RN under the care hub model. You don't "need" to be told what to do by your team lead, but it is the role of the RN on the team to be the lead. That is how the hubs are set up. Of course, a good RN will take in opinions and experience of the rest of the team. Putting a RN with less experience than you as team lead isn't the manager insulting you. If you are having trouble with the RNs you're with, take it up with your manager and the RNs.
Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.
do u think I can complain to union?
You can always file a complaint with the union. But it will be largely a waste of time. Any collective agreement in health care says something like this:
"The Union acknowledges that it shall be the exclusive right of the Employer to operate and manage the business in all respects, unless otherwise provided by this Collective Agreement. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Employer reserves all rights not specifically restricted or limited by the provisions of this Collective Agreement, including the right to:
That basically says your manager is the one who decides who the team leaders are and what their responsibilities are. You seem to have a chip on your shoulder and there's not much about your job or your workplace that makes you happy. But I don't think it's the team leader's fault.
Thinking if your unit is like this: team leader takes 2pts, she/he can choose which pts she/he takes, you and other nurse have to take 5pts every shift, team leader and charge nurse have lots of time to chat regarding their family, their wedding...kids, other working bees running like crazy, put your feet to the working bees' shoes;
i know lots of working bees complained, some of them called sick, what the manager said:"if you are not happy with our unit, go to other unit;" but everybody know now how difficult to get another job;
put your feet into the working bees' shoes, how do you feel?
Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.
I am a worker bee. I do not have the luxury of a shared workload - no CNAs are permitted to do any form of patient care on my unit so it's all on me. I often do my charting on my feet, never finish a cup of tea while it's still warm, start my shift early and finish it late and in between I often run for 12 hours. There are some on my unit who are able to sit and socialize, but I don't see that as an insult to me, or any form of mistreatment aimed at me, as you seem to. And that is perhaps part of your issue.
I am an RN, and that makes me team lead on teams that I'm on. Do I try to take "easy" patients? Not particularly, and I try to split the patient load equally between me and the LPN that I'm working with. If my manager finds out that an RN have been unfairly dividing the patient load, the RN will be talked to, and actions will be taken to rectify the situation. I may be a team lead, but I am a worker bee too. As well, sometimes I will be paired with an LPN or CNA with more experience than me--that's just the way the dice rolls. It is not meant as an insult to the LPN or CNA that they're on a team with an RN with less experience than them.
And for what it's worth, on my unit, teams have 9-10 patients each. I take half the patients and assign the other half to the LPN. I make sure that we each have heavy patients and that we each have one "easy" patient. I make sure that the overall patient load is more or less equal between the two of us--no one will be stuck with two total care and an insulin drip and a patient who is decompensating. I will take the more acute patients. I help the LPN out when I can. I check all of our charts and labs. And I make sure to check in with the LPN and CNA regularly to see how things are going on their end and see if we need to shuffle the patient load as needed.
It could be just your manager who isn't managing the RNs properly in regards to team nursing, or that she herself doesn't understand how it works. To me, it sounds like your manager is not taking action with the RNs who don't pull their weights in the teams. Go up the chain of command if nothing happens when you talk to her about the problem.
Also maybe a re-examination of your view and attitude on the situation is needed.
Hope this is the last post regarding this care hub;
i have always been a working bee since I graduated, but our unit manager Always like nurse good at talking, talking slowing, talking in detail, manager like this kind of good communicator, she always choose this good communicator be a team leader regardless her experience; once the manager choose the team leader, she will do whatever to support the team leader even if tons of complaint from others; last week there are huge verbal fight from Nurse aides and team leader, the reason is same: team leader and charge nurse sitting in nursing station commanding nurse aide to do this, do that, even if NA is on dinner break; but management support team leader and charge nurse;
As a working bee, I always running out my feet, I don't have time to chat slowly, but that doesn't mean I am not a good communicator; I thinking complete my work load is more important than chatting; Working bee is not the style management prefer;
managment prefer the good communicator, they try to give them minimum workload (1-2pts) to encourage them to communicate, but how much communication is really necessary regarding the patient care?
If people are being called to work through their breaks, they are entitled to be paid for it. So bill for it. Nothing gets unit managers attention faster than having to pay for missed breaks.
read your contracts and call a shop steward.
frankly, I'm surprised that you are still working as a nurse, I thought you had mentioned running a business.
I have my business, but I need money to expand my business, meanwhile, I need the benefit from AHS; so I still work part time;
i have always been a working bee and proud to be that, but I feel working bees were taken advantaged by the management; never be respected by management;
regarding meal break, I can say 80% of my shifts, I only take 1 break instead of 2, but if the management fair to everyone (other nurse also only take 1 break), I can't complain;
aywl
140 Posts
If you read fiona59's post, you will know, the team leaders just abuse her team worker by dumping the heavier pt to them.