WhatTheDeuce

I've spoke up at staff meetings in the past. I've asked, begged, reasoned, etc for more help. Not only did we not get help, our load increased and I was confronted by management regarding "my poor attitude"! Guess what, I was injured on the job! NOW everyone is concerned...where was the help before I got hurt? I went to the site and happily filled out form. I may be down, but I'm not out!

Thanks Kenny B. I'll keep in mind what you said.

Hey fellow caregivers, I hurt my Cspine about 3 weeks ago on the job. I can't lift anymore and I'm early 40's. Last week my managers mentioned a job opportunity as an Infection Control RN. They set up an informal meeting with the other RN who is currently at this position and would be my counterpart. This job would have definite overtime and on call every other week. I've checked online at Salary.com and got an idea of what fair compensation would be, but I'd like more sources to try and figure this out. Does anyone out there know from personal experience what a fair salary might be? I'm at a private hospital 15 miles from Chicago, 2200 employee hospital, associates degree and 5 yrs nursing experience. Thanks in advance and take care of yourselves!

Hi everyone! I need info regarding PCT to patient ratio on days on your tele floor. Ours is 10 or 12 to 1! Is this comparable to you out there? Thanks for your replies in advance:)

What I'm looking for is info re: other tele floor RN's and PCT's work load/description for comparison. I am a telemetry RN. Our floor is transitioning to tele/med surg floor for past year. Our grid has changed from 4 pts with one admission, 1-2 discharges to now: 5 patients with 2 admissions and up to 3 discharges per shift. We went from being an excellent floor clinically to being average and many times, less than adequate. We are burnt out! We've lost 12 RN's (total from all shifts) in last year and 6 PCTs. Our management says that according to their info, we are comparable to other hospitals, even overstaffed. We are MISERABLE and dropping like flies! We can't ever find coverage, we are always short PCTS and RN's, everybody hates to float to our floor, and agency and contract RNs never return. Are we crazy? Are we pansies? HELLLLLP! A typical day for our RN: 5 patients 2 to 3 isolation (MRSA, pneumo, flu, TB); 80% are 75-90+ years old; 3-4 are unable to roll/sit up independently, 1-3 iv abx per patient; 3-4 are incontinent of b/b; all have approx 10-15 pills at 9am, 5-6 pills before 7pm; 3-5 are ACHS diabetics; 3-5 have dementia; 1+ with open wounds and wound care; 2-4 are 250+ pounds, many 300+ (this requires mult RN's and PCT's bedside for one patients care be it boosting, bathing wound care etc); occasionally (1 pt per week) wrist/posey restraints. Other common duties: tube feeds heparin drip, cardizem drip, insulin drip pre/post cath pre/post pacemaker, mult tests which require transfer to cart by 2-3 staff Rn's have to take patients down in WC at discharge to their rides; hang blood products and of course dealing with the abusive, high maintenance families (people seem to get worse all the time.) We don't have an IV team. Both managers are mostly at meetings. We really don't see the unit manager at all and the asst manager early in am then she is mostly in her office. Our charting is Meditech. Our Charge RN is absolutely unavailable to us, only to quickly answer a question. She doesn't have time to assist physically with pt's do to her schedule (bed meetings, covering tele clerks for breaks 3xday etc). She is actually more stressed than us many times. PCT's: take temps and pulses. They have 10-12 pts/day. Isolations, obesity, incontinent, baths, and many complete patients keep them so busy that we assist them. I've been invited by VP of nursing to present my concerns to CEOs/Drs/Heads of hospital. I think it's payback to speaking up at that last staff meeting. I need numbers/facts so I can make an intelligent argument. THANKS FOR RESPONSES IN ADVANCE.