Nursing Staffing Post COVID Quagmire...

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Specializes in "Wound care - geriatric care.

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Covid did a number to nursing staff shortage like we never seen. Nurses call off all the time, some are leaving. The remaining staff is burned out from doing doubles and then some. Vacations declined and people arrive at their breaking point. This is quagmire. If I don't take a break from this I'll go insane and everyone is thinking the same. Management confined in their cubicles are clueless of what is coming at them. Corporation CEO's and mid management don't care, they will sell and move on.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Can you take a break from working at all? Also maybe look for another job. A lot of people here moved away from the bedside and succeeded in finding happiness.

I hope you can, too. Hang in there.

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Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.

Sorry you're dealing with this, has the pandemic eased in your area? In the past month we have seen a large decline in COVID patients and that has helped a bit with the overall feel of the unit. However, we are also dealing with staffing issues. I think when fully staffed we have about 40 RNs. Currently we have 13 open positions, with 9 of them being on nights. The fix has been travelers, right now we have 8 with 6 on nights. It makes the feel of the unit very different, but we're getting through. I hope that you can get some time off and recharge! I wish I had some words of wisdom, just wish you luck. 

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In home health, those who left, voluntarily or otherwise, are returning here and there to create more competition for jobs again.  To be expected.  Just looking forward to permanently leaving the work force as before. Remember, all get to "retire" sooner or later, you too.  Take care.

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
11 hours ago, SmilingBluEyes said:

Can you take a break from working at all? Also maybe look for another job. A lot of people here moved away from the bedside and succeeded in finding happiness.

I hope you can, too. Hang in there.

I tookk a month long LOA/Vacation last February and am so glad I did. It had been planned for almost a year and I was going to cancel but decidedto put the O2 mask on myself first!

Hppy

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Specializes in Cardiology.

This is happening at my hospital but mainly because of upper managements decisions and the unit level managers not really doing much for their nurses. 

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Specializes in "Wound care - geriatric care.

Call off. Call off every time you need. Do doubles and then call off again... 

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Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.

My floor is hemorrhaging nurses, it looks like a massacre. For a 25+ bed unit, we only have about 8 FT day shift RNs. In order to be fully staffed to meet our staffing grid, we need about 12 more day shift RNs, probably closer to 16 when you figure in parental leaves, vacation, etc. 

Upper management just won't listen. 

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Specializes in ER, Pre-Op, PACU.
9 hours ago, OUxPhys said:

This is happening at my hospital but mainly because of upper managements decisions and the unit level managers not really doing much for their nurses. 

Same. The leadership has changed and with that has brought nurses leaving rapidly.

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Specializes in SCRN.

Taking some welcome break in the form of maternity leave until end of the Summer. Would not call this a vacation, but hey, no COVIDS until then...

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Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.

We are bleeding nurses at the hopsital and we can't hire them fast enough. In the coming months, we have 15 new nurses to orient. It is a daunting task. We are going to have to utilize nurses that are probably not ready to precept, but when the pool of more veteran nurses is small, there is not enough to precept and be charge nurse. 

Many are going to other units/specialties, thinking the "grass is greener", but it's hard everywhere. The new grads got very little hands on training and it is going to take a long time to catch up. 

One of my pet peeves right now is that they are offering extra money to pick up OT and we got raises as RNs. The aides got nothing. SO frustrating!  We need our aides. They work so hard and need to be recognized as well. 

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
On 6/14/2021 at 8:32 AM, Leonardo Del Toro said:

Call off. Call off every time you need. Do doubles and then call off again... 

Interesting plan however you will soon find yourself without employment as excessive call-off are only tolerated for so long. No employee is so good that they won't be let go under these circumstances.

Hppy

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