One nurse for three busy providers. This can't be safe, right?

Specialties Ambulatory

Published

As of today, I am temporarily the only nurse available in the clinic where I work for three providers, which altogether see over 100 pts. per day. The two Nurse Practitioners see on average about 24 each per day, and the MD sometimes sees over 50.

One nurse just lost her father yesterday and the other is out for the duration of her first trimester of pregnancy, so about another month.

I am still new and have not had to work the whole clinic by myself, but if the supervisor can't bring in a nurse from another clinic there is a possibility I will have to do so. I don't feel this is safe at all. I don't feel it is safe for the patients and definitely not for me or my license. I was thrown out on my own on day three and have been there for only five weeks.

So my question is, what would you fellow clinic nurses do? Especially being new to the clinic?

Specializes in Clinical Documentation Specialist, LTC.
Wow, OP, hoping you hear back soon so that you can tell your current employer that you're outta there!!!! I just went from rehab to clinic (ophthalmology) and the MD I'm assigned to gets FOUR RN's and a tech. Compared to your situation, I fully expect to hear angels sing when I walk through the door each morning!

Thank you. I'm so happy that you like your job. That is so important for one's mental and physical well being.

If I don't get the HH job I am not going to give up. I am going to keep plugging along and keep the faith that God has something great for me.

Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

When will you find out about the home health position?

Specializes in Clinical Documentation Specialist, LTC.
When will you find out about the home health position?

Hopefully by tomorrow afternoon. The branch manager said she hopes to make a decision by tomorrow so there's still a glimmer of hope for me.

The lab tech was officially offered another job today. I will work at a grocery store or wal-mart before I take on doing labs on top of everything else we have to do. It's not safe or fair. I am so stinking depressed. I just want to sit and cry :(

Specializes in Clinical Documentation Specialist, LTC.

I didn't hear anything today :( I was so hoping I would get that call offering me the HH position but it didn't happen. She did say she *hoped* to make a decision by today, so maybe she just couldn't get around to it for some reason. Maybe if I don't hear anything Monday, I will give her a quick follow up call on Tuesday.

Oh, and both nurse Practitioners are leaving as well as the lab tech and another nurse. The place is falling apart.

Specializes in Clinical Documentation Specialist, LTC.

The HH company has put a hold on hiring, so I'm out for now. It's just as well I suppose as I have been doing some research, and that particular HH company has gotten some pretty bad reviews with only 2 & 1/2 stars out of a 5 star rating. Oh well...Onward and upward.

Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

Keep looking, there IS something better out there for you!!

The HH company has put a hold on hiring, so I'm out for now. It's just as well I suppose as I have been doing some research, and that particular HH company has gotten some pretty bad reviews with only 2 & 1/2 stars out of a 5 star rating. Oh well...Onward and upward.
Specializes in Clinical Documentation Specialist, LTC.
Keep looking, there IS something better out there for you!!

Thank you. I'm not giving up. I just can't win for losing at that clinic. I got in trouble for referring a patient to another clinic because the provider couldn't prescribe the medication the patient was asking for. Administration accused me of "turning the patient away" when all I did was refer her to another clinic in the SAME network of clinics. I didn't tell the patient "too bad. You're screwed." I just redirected her to someone who could help her. That same clinic sends patients to us all the time when they can't see them. What's the freaking difference? I'm done. I'm just biding my time. If I had a choice I wouldn't step foot back in that place tomorrow.

P.S. The provider told me to redirect the patient to the other clinic, but I don't believe in tattling. I just kept my mouth shut.

Who was unhappy with that decision? You were simply the messenger between the provider and patient. I'm curious as to which med the patient was requesting. I'm still wondering if you have sat down with the clinic manager at all to discuss all these problems.

Specializes in Clinical Documentation Specialist, LTC.
Who was unhappy with that decision? You were simply the messenger between the provider and patient. I'm curious as to which med the patient was requesting. I'm still wondering if you have sat down with the clinic manager at all to discuss all these problems.

Administration (who has not one clinical person in the building) was unhappy with it and made a big stink about it. I was accused of turning the patient away because the provider cannot prescribe narcotic medications, which the patient was requesting. The patient was signed in to see a FNP. I gave the patient the option of going to another clinic affiliated with the clinic I work in which that patient did. I did as I was told and caught heck for it. Threatened with a write-up even though I simply did as I was told. I was questioned about it like I was being questioned about a crime. The nurses get the backlash for the providers' decisions which I feel is extremely unfair.

Two other nurses and myself had a meeting with the manager yesterday and heard nothing but excuses and how his hands are tied. Two providers are leaving and nurses are interviewing for other jobs. It's a bad situation all the way around.

You are certainly in a no-win situation. Telling the powers that be that the provider told you to send the patient somewhere where his/her needs could be met is not tattling. I am not criticizing your decision to keep quiet, because we all do what we need to in any given situation. I am wondering how much worse this place can get.

Specializes in Clinical Documentation Specialist, LTC.
You are certainly in a no-win situation. Telling the powers that be that the provider told you to send the patient somewhere where his/her needs could be met is not tattling. I am not criticizing your decision to keep quiet, because we all do what we need to in any given situation. I am wondering how much worse this place can get.

I honestly don't see how it can get any worse, but anything is possible. It's unbelievably bad already.

A lot of PCPs are referring patients to pain specialists for narcotics with the cracking down on controlled substances and prescribing those (at least in OK). Here, a LOT of documentation and follow up is being required as to why the patient needs controlled medications. So a lot of providers are being safe and referring to pain clinic. Your manager should know this. Some managerd have no idea how things work on our side of thr fence. It upsets me how those clinic managers have a duty to run the clinic but have absolutely NO idea how things are and need to be. I have had one of those before and she made my job impossible.

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