tynkrbl82

I need some help and advice. I am a new charge nurse for a small PICU. The PICU I work in is also new and most of the staff are new as well. Here's is my concern. We have recently started filling up our beds and much like other areas of nursing we are understaffed the majority of the time. What tool or gauge do I use to determine how to do staffing? The nurses that I work with are talking about calling safe harbour if they have to take 2 patients because one is on a vent. Other times they are threatening to do the same if they have to take 3-4 four non-vented patients. It might also be helpful to know that, with the exception of the vented patients, most of the patients we are seeing right now are high acuity pedi patients and not really PICU patients. I need some advice on how to address these staffing concerns and protect the unit. I've read the NPA and looked through all the information on the BON site but I'm still lost. Any suggestions would be helpful.