Objectivity welcomed ...

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Dec 15, 2008

I've been a nurse for three years, the last year and currently now, I am a travel nurse.

I'd say that situation would not be comfortable at all to me, being the experienced one or a new grad. Seems that unit is trying to stretch their resources to meet the nursing shortage. But, being surrounded by experience is always a good thing.

As a travel nurse, I walk into bad scenarios all the time. Most units/hospitals wouldnt have me around if not for there being some sort of staffing crisis going on. I rarely work in "ideal" environments. Here is how I deal with it:

Rules One through Nine: Take care of your license, take care of your license, take care of your license...............

Dont let unit needs pull you away from your patients. Do proper assessments, dont rush your medication administration, document well and do daily care as close to on time as possible (dressing changes etc) while exerciseing prioritization. Do not let other nurses or anyone for that matter keep you from doing this. Others will act like you should have the time to take care of other things for them, but until this checklist is complete........YOU DONT. Administrators and managers will try to make you responsible for as much as they can. If you let them put the weight of an entire unit on your shoulders, you'll find the safety of your assigned patients has been compromised.

Rule 10:

Mind you, I'm not saying avoid being a team member by any means. You must manage you time well and not milk pt. care. Always be tactfull with coworkers, and if you have time to assist someone, even if you are tired and would rather do something else, help. Some documentation can be saved for the end of the day, after shift report. Find a hidden away place to do end of day documenting once you've given report. Since you wont be interupted, you will be able to do it quickly and well. Also, as far as teamwork is concerned, a positive relation with your CNA should be priority number one. They can help you in ways you would never imagine.

Last but not least, when a situation is volatile, do say something to management. Sometimes they come off as obtuse and go out of their way to make you feel responsible for the units shortcomings. But, even as a travel nurse, I've seen actions taken from tactfull complaints I've made to ensure pt. safety.

nrsang97, BSN, RN · Dec 15, 2008

I wouldn't be comfortable at all.

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Dec 15, 2008

Um, uncomfortable. In the extreme. As in scared.

RNKPCE · Dec 15, 2008

Are you the charge nurse? Or do you have a patient assignment? Is this a rare thing or is this how the staffing is from night to night?

If this is how it is all the time I wouldn't be comfortable. I have had a night here an there where almost everyone but myself is inexperienced. I know where my resources are and am more likely to call a rapid response sooner than I might if I have a strong staff on.

If there are no other experienced nurses to be found you have to decide if this job is worth keeping. I would do good documentation like other posters have said. Also in writing document your concerns to your manager and his or her manager.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Dec 15, 2008

hello all,
i need opinions from experienced and new grads alike!
#1 - if you are of the experienced type, how comfortable would you be as the only experienced nurse on with 4 new grads, all with experience ranging anywhere from 3-5 months? medical telemetry- remote, with a night manager who oversees 3 pavilions (approx 100 beds), and roams ... along with a nursing coordinator who has her hands full with her own activities as your resources?
#2 if you are a new grad, how comfortable are you in knowing that there is only one experienced nurse on the floor, along with a floating manager for the crux of the hospital (100 beds), and busy nursing coordinator, to use as a resourse? and how comfortable would you be if things started to go bad with one of your patients, and your experienced nurse was tied up with her/his own chaos?
please let me know what you think? i know what i think, but i need some objectivity ... thanks ...

good question. as an experienced nurse, my answer is "not very comfortable." it would be better if there were one other experienced nurse to answer questions, help with troubleshooting, clap an experienced set of eyes on the newbie's patients, etc. 4-5 months is nothing. if i were the newbie, i'd be scared to death, too!

DeepFriedRN · Dec 15, 2008

VERY uncomfortable. I've been charge on days with this sort of situation, but at least on days there are tons more people floating around. Despite that fact, after this happened a few times I asked my manager if we could please be more careful about having at least a couple experienced nurses in the mix...not cuz the new nurses aren't good nurses, just cuz if something goes down....now they try not to do that.

Virgo_RN, BSN, RN · Dec 15, 2008

I've been in similar circumstances, and no, it's not a very comfortable place to be. If you are union, you should be able to fill out a form documenting the unsafe conditions. Do this each and every time you feel that the staffing mix is not appropriate for the acuity level of the patients you are responsible for.