No nurses, pt died.

[mandi131]

I have worked on a cardiac floor now for two years and have seen it go from top notch to bottom of the barrel. When I started there were great experienced nurses to learn from but politics have set in and most of them have left. We are now left with mostly new grads who have not taken ACLS and I am not kidding 2 nurses who have been RN's for more than a year on night shift. This is critical care and most of the nurses couldn't run a code if there life depended on it. There was a case a couple of weeks ago where a woman in her 40's was on my floor for an hour, coded, and died. All the while no one had remembered to turn on the the equipment to record the heart rhythms. So this woman died and there is really no documentation. Is this not just a crazy, unsafe way to run a floor? I know at this point I don't even think I would go to this hospital for myself. This is not just an isolated event. Situations like this happen all of the time. There needs to be a balance of new and experienced nurses.

[pickledpepperRN]

Of course this is wrong.

It should be reported to the agency that licenses hospitals in your state.

Usually it is the department of public health or the department of health services.

[TrudyRN]

Before reporting, try to come up with some solutions. I have found that bosses usually don't want to hear only problems. They want suggestions for solving them - suggestions for which, often, they will take credit. But, if you offer these to not only your immediate boss but also to her boss and on up the line, simultaneously, you might get credit. You might also expect trouble if you "report" to regulators. Be prepared. Have some back-up employment plans.

[steelcityrn, RN]

This needs to be reported for sure. It sounds like mng is turning their heads to the severe problem there. All patients are at risk, all employee's also.

[bigredrn57]

Hi Mandi, sounds like the PCU where I came from. I remember one night I was charge when I had 2 patients go bad with a critical ER admit all at the same time. I could not rely on the floor staff. I took the most critical pt and called the ADON and ER for help. Luckily someone was watching over us and they all survived. If the RRT is available call for them also. Ask another nurse to watch over your team while you concentrate on one pt. If everyone helps each other a team spirit will form. You can't do it by yourself. Be careful about going to management. I went to management with critical issues many times and was greeted with a hostile attitude. It cost me my job. Sometimes it is best to skip going through channels as this risks exposing yourself to management. Keep it quiet and report it to state. Be good to yourself.

[bigredrn57]

Unfortunately this is what happens when management wants to get rid of experienced staff. Their profit goes up and the patient pays for it. :uhoh21: Take care.

[Medic04]

Unfortunately this is what happens when management wants to get rid of experienced staff. Their profit goes up and the patient pays for it. :uhoh21: Take care.

AMEN

Mandi , sounds familiar. Sorry for you, the pt and the facility that is so stupid and their head stuck in their.......

[Bill Levinson]

Unfortunately this is what happens when management wants to get rid of experienced staff. Their profit goes up and the patient pays for it. :uhoh21: Take care.

This is why I have ZERO sympathy for health care providers that want legislative caps on malpractice damages. The financial consequences of cutting corners (e.g. by understaffing) have to be far worse than the cost of maintaining adequate staffing. This, apparently, is the only thing that many managers understand.

[Jedi of Zen]

Funny how sometimes bosses do nothing but get in the way of the real work...

(kidding...sorta... )

[blueheaven]

I have worked on a cardiac floor now for two years and have seen it go from top notch to bottom of the barrel. When I started there were great experienced nurses to learn from but politics have set in and most of them have left. We are now left with mostly new grads who have not taken ACLS and I am not kidding 2 nurses who have been RN's for more than a year on night shift. This is critical care and most of the nurses couldn't run a code if there life depended on it. There was a case a couple of weeks ago where a woman in her 40's was on my floor for an hour, coded, and died. All the while no one had remembered to turn on the the equipment to record the heart rhythms. So this woman died and there is really no documentation. Is this not just a crazy, unsafe way to run a floor? I know at this point I don't even think I would go to this hospital for myself. This is not just an isolated event. Situations like this happen all of the time. There needs to be a balance of new and experienced nurses.

Document document document!!!!! CYA. Was an incident report filled out?? Did the MD throw a fit?? Where is the supervisor/DON in all of this or is she in the dark or ignoring it? People wonder why malpractice insurance is so high.....DUH!!!!!!

My mom was on a tele floor, and I walked in one evening and looked at her monitor and she was having bigeminy, couplets, runs of VT. When I asked the nurse "taking care" of her about her rhythm...she said "she's been doing that all day," :angryfireI asked her what she had done about it, and was told nothing. :angryfire I stood there until she called the MD and got the order for lidocaine. She did fine, and has been on an antiarrhythmic ever since. Thank GOD none of her PVCs hit on a T wave!!!!!!!!

[interleukin]

My humble advice...let the director of nursing know that family members were witness to the chaos and/or near catastrophic event. Nothing--and I mean NOTHING--will move them faster than;

1. they are told of event and that it a direct cause of understaffing or other preventable issue (now they're accountable)

2. the public witnessed the event and were very upset.

Management hardly blinks when we tell them what's going on. Still, you need to tell them because they will, invariably, say "I never knew" if the shf and someone needs to be accountable. If the situation is truly dangerous, they will do something about because they know, that you know, and you must have the courage to speak TRUTH TO POWER.

When you speak Truth to Power the issue can be deflected for only so long before they will fry.

Why, because even in this cynical society, there is no more powerful tool than truth and only a certified fool or delusional personality will go toe-to-toe with truth and expect to prevail.

Write down the facts, be courageous. The people around you may jump ship but it is only because they do not have the guts or are simply too lazy to break with the pack. The masses are like that. Those who remain will be individuals you will be proud to call your colleagues.

Take a stand and you may stand alone. But it will be you who will spoken of as the one who had the foresight and courage to do the right thing.

[suanna]

A little off topic but related. The situation you describe is all too common. I don't see much of a nursing shortage in my area but I do see a shotrage of experienced nurses. That is fine for the hospital- new grads- low pay scale, lower health care costs, fewer demands for benifits, safety regulations, retirement options...One solution our union has used is to require a ratio of new grads (