How many patients are you assigned?

Specialties Orthopaedic

Published

I am a graduate practical nurse and our hospital here routinely assigns 5 patients per nurse. The do not have CNA's. I worked the ortho floor during my last practicum weekend and it was pure h***:devil: . The patients were total assist and there was no help! Is this routine for most hospitals to assign 5 total assist patients to one nurse without the help of a CNA? After that weekend it really soured me on ortho:( . Anyways just curious if it is like this all over.

Specializes in LTC, case mgmt, agency.

I was there, well between Joint Camp and ortho/neuro for 6 years. Loved my co-workers who are amazing. We have excellent teamwork. I am glad to hear yours is working out better. We had too many drama queens, patients were over the top demanding, for example, I remember one lady who demanded we give her a back rub and rub her feet every night before bed then bring her warm tea, fluff her pillows and tuck them just right. At exactly 6:00am she wanted her tea again and her " massage " again. ( usually I don't mind doing this for most patients when I have the time ) But this lady called our manager to complain we were not doing enough for her. ( yep, management got after us ) But it seemed like a good 75% of the patients we were getting were like that and a few who were worse. Now I know this happens on other floors, but not to the extent it was happening on Joint Camp. Anyhow, I am glad to here yours is going better.

I was working in a nusing home which housed 60 residents. Was assigned 20 residents with 3 nurses. 2 RN's and 1 Lpn. Came to work on 2nd one day and was told that I would have 10 more residents. This was yelled out to me by the LPN and I became upset, already knowing how hard it was to take care of the twenty I already had and getting 10 more that I didn't know. 2nd shift is busy and I had taken an extra 5 residents before. I got very upset and went to DON and told her what was happening and that i couldn't take care of that many residents. She looked up at me and said, "then you are leaving"? I said yes, I didn't feel safe with that many residents. She didn't say anything else, so I left. I didn't clock in, take report or keys to cart. I was reported to Board of Nursing and ask for a hearing. They want to fine me 1250 dollars and have me take course (3) in ethics which will cost $30 each. I live from paycheck to paycheck and don't have the money for this. I would like to know what you other nurses think about this and has anyone had this happen to them. I know that it is allowed for nurses to have 44 residents which is CRAZY.

Thanks,

Resa

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