Some GOOD news concerning staffing....

nycegyrl · Jul 13, 2004

I have been thinking about this a lot since reading the board yesterday on strikes. There are so many posts on staffing issues. Problems that are so severe and on going that nurses feel the need to strike. Health care workers everywhere are feeling this and it goes on deaf ears. This is not right. And everyones voices are not being heard and taken seriously. This is a crisis situation in my opinion. I am not a nurse yet and I am fearing what is out there and waiting for me. The only thing I can think of that would really get the attention of the hospital is for patients to complain. C/o lack of attention. C/o not getting the care they need. Many many complaints from patients would have to be addressed. BUT.....that would make the nurses look bad. It would result in disipline. It would have to be a unifed effort for all nurses to NOT over work themselves. To truly treat the pt or res with the best possible care at the time they are with them and move on the next one and do the same thing. When you focus on who you are with and give them the treatment or care they deserve and you are taught to do, you are being a great nurse. When you do as much as you can as fast as you can and skip what you can get by with, you are being a good nurse. I don't know how it makes sense. Either you do what is right or you do what will get you by. It sounds so stressful and intense. If it was just rush periods it wouldn't sound so bad but the way the board reads it is like this for all nurses every freaking day. Without support from administration. Think how much better your job would be if they cut your patient load by a few people. How much better care and understanding could you give someone. I wondered when I was in the hospital why I never saw anyone. I felt so alone and not cared for. I should have complained when I got the survey to fill out. Patients and residents and their families should complain. Complain a lot and complain often. That would have to be addressed. It could not be ignored. Then of course impecable charting and note keeping would be only thing to save your butt. (At such and such time helping so and so to the BR. At such and such time I was cleaning BM out of so and so's eyes. At such and such time I was irrigating this and turning so and so over and lotioning.) Every single detail would need to be noted of where and what you were doing. To show that you were so darned busy you couldn't scratch your nose. You know what I mean. (Like anyone has the time to do minute by minute note taking.) And it goes on and on. How will it ever be taken seriously and made better? Just my thoughts on it.

husker-nurse, LPN, LVN · Jul 13, 2004

you sound like you will be a very good, compassionate nurse. I agree that patient and family complaints will get the administration's attention, but you are also correct that the nurse will be the first to hear about it. (you know the old saying, fecal matter rolls downhill!) By the way, are we notified of nursing COMPLIMENTS by patients or family? maybe sometimes. Some of your ideas are good, but we have to justify, in writing, every minute of overtime where we work. I have used the excuse "patient care comes before charting", but admins don't agree with that one. Thanks for all your support; I will be proud to have you as a fellow nurse!

missmercy · Jul 13, 2004

Thank goodness there are managers out there who are listening!! As the staff development coordinator of a relatively small institution, I am constantly being asked to come up with new programs to help with staff retention. Over and over and over I have reminded that when you are working your folks to the point of exaustion, all the programs in the world are not going to make them want to stay -- fi they will be too tired to participate anyway. I beg and nag repeatedly to spend the money (some of it) on hiring some extra help: be it sitters, STNA's LPNs or RNs -- as opposed to some other agenda. We can educate all we want, but untillour staff really see that we are looking out for them -- we lose!

oramar · Jul 14, 2004

I was just thinking of doing a post about the shift I just completed. I guess this thread would be a nice place to put it. People always talk about the shift from hell, this was the shift from heaven, for first time in long time I had 5 patients. If that was standard proceedure I would go full time I swear. Oh by the way, state inspectors were in the building, what a coincidence.

RN92 · Jul 14, 2004

i have been thinking about this a lot since reading the board yesterday on strikes. there are so many posts on staffing issues. problems that are so severe and on going that nurses feel the need to strike. health care workers everywhere are feeling this and it goes on deaf ears. this is not right. and everyones voices are not being heard and taken seriously. this is a crisis situation in my opinion.
i am not a nurse yet and i am fearing what is out there and waiting for me.
the only thing i can think of that would really get the attention of the hospital is for patients to complain. c/o lack of attention. c/o not getting the care they need. many many complaints from patients would have to be addressed. but.....that would make the nurses look bad. it would result in disipline. it would have to be a unifed effort for all nurses to not over work themselves. to truly treat the pt or res with the best possible care at the time they are with them and move on the next one and do the same thing. when you focus on who you are with and give them the treatment or care they deserve and you are taught to do, you are being a great nurse. when you do as much as you can as fast as you can and skip what you can get by with, you are being a good nurse. i don't know how it makes sense. either you do what is right or you do what will get you by. it sounds so stressful and intense. if it was just rush periods it wouldn't sound so bad but the way the board reads it is like this for all nurses every freaking day. without support from administration. think how much better your job would be if they cut your patient load by a few people. how much better care and understanding could you give someone. i wondered when i was in the hospital why i never saw anyone. i felt so alone and not cared for. i should have complained when i got the survey to fill out. patients and residents and their families should complain. complain a lot and complain often. that would have to be addressed. it could not be ignored. then of course impecable charting and note keeping would be only thing to save your butt. (at such and such time helping so and so to the br. at such and such time i was cleaning bm out of so and so's eyes. at such and such time i was irrigating this and turning so and so over and lotioning.) every single detail would need to be noted of where and what you were doing. to show that you were so darned busy you couldn't scratch your nose. you know what i mean. (like anyone has the time to do minute by minute note taking.) and it goes on and on. how will it ever be taken seriously and made better? just my thoughts on it.

such is life.....one of the most important things i learned in nursing school is to "know your limits"..never accept more pt care than you know you can handle.once you've accepted report - you cant take it back. its only negligence if you accepted the responsibility to begin with... hmo's,insurance co's, selfpay or no-pay pts raise the cost of pt care/and are paying less, in return, hospitals cut back on costs including staffing. pts have been complaining - but with hospitals and business, it really comes down to the almighty dollar.