Preeps

Certainly Florida hospitals prefer BSN nurses however due to the shortage of experienced nurses (at least in my area, Central Florida) they will be happy to have experienced AS/AA degree nurses. The hospital that I work out starts out looking for BSN with at least 2 years experience but when they fail to get applicants its usually RNs with two year degrees or grad nurses. The facility that I work at is experiencing a huge shortage. It is a 1000 bed hospital and the last I heard they were running over 300 nurses short.

Yes. Because RNs are overworked, overwhelmed and unappreciated. Nurses at FH Orlando do all vital signs, all accu-checks (formerly tech jobs) and must travel with all PCU level and monitored patients to all tests and procedures in addition to assessments, meds etc. They will not let techs do tech work. We have few techs and all they are suppose to do is water, bath, and toilet patients. But there are so few that whenever you need them they are usually busy with other patients or on break. Many times we have to leave the floor at 0800 am to take a patient to a test while our other patients are calling for pain meds etc. We are expected to be in 2 or 3 places at once. There is little to no help. And they always tell us to "use our buddies" but our buddies are in the same boat as we are running around like chickens with the heads cut off. Furthermore, anything that goes wrong it is always the nurses fault. If one of our patients falls, it is the RN's fault. Then RN must then go, the next Thursday to a meeting of the higher-ups and explain what they could have done to prevent the fall. If a patients blood sugar goes too low they also have to attend same meeting and explain what they could have done to prevent this. Nurses are leaving in mass exodus. That is why they are putting on the umpteenth "hiring even" early June to try and get new experienced nurses and are offering 20K bonus plus moving expenses.

I understand what you are saying because it seems on every corner in Florida there is a new private "nursing school" opening their doors. But if there is a glut of RNs running around they certainly are not helping my hospital's nursing shortage. We don't have enough. And the only ones that apply are grad nurses. We just had a bunch come through and some are all ready leaving. Many come to the floor very excited, with high ideals and wanting to make a difference. But oh are they shocked! Stating something like, "I never dreamed nursing was like this. . " Or some variation of same. And most are planning their escape. Whether through higher education, or yes, marriage. Many want out. And fast~

Now Florida Hospital Orlando is offering an "incentive bonus." If nurses will work overtime for 6 weeks with no call outs they will get 75 extra a day on the over time shift (plus the ot rate of course) and a 300 bonus at the end of the 6 weeks if there are no call outs. I guess the nursing shortage and high call-in rate has finally caused them to offer this bonus. I just wonder if nurses will be interested. That is minimum 48 hours a week for 6 weeks. Very interesting.

Sorry, but nothing good. It is close to a sketchy side of town and the patients reflect this. Obviously a lot smaller than FH Orlando but I've heard it's a nightmare.

I think that you summed up nursing at Florida Hospital Orlando very well. I have friends that work in Apopka FH community hospital and they have techs that do accu checks and vitals. In Orlando we are responsible for all nursing assessments, meds, etc. plus minimum 3 sets of vitals per patient, accu-checks which is 3x daily (minimum) for 4 patients. We are responsible for all lab draws and are now phlebotomists. Plus we are required to accompany all PCU monitored patients to all test procedures. Sometimes we have 2 patients that go off the floor out the same time and if we call our charge RN they always say, "ask your buddy for help." Of course our "buddy" is just as crazed as we are. We are so busy doing every other departments jobs that we have little time for actual nursing. Of course we are also expected to hourly round as well as round with the doctors. How on earth could one person accomplish all of this? And doing the job well is impossible. I cannot believe this is how Florida Hospital wants to treat their patients not to mention their employees. Something is rotten at Florida Hospital Orlando. The nurse managers are very aware of it but they are so afraid of keeping up their image and/or losing their jobs that the refuse to intervene on our behalf.

Latest update at my hospital. . . we were handed a SCRIPT, a full page of what we are to do/say. Part of this script includes our "closing words to patient at handoff. The script states, "prior to leaving the room ask the patient the following." 1) thank you for letting me take care of you today" 2) Is there anything you need before we leave ,we have the time now" To me this is just insulting. Are nurses professional health care workers or scripted robots required to follow the screenplay that the hospital dictates. I think most of us are fully capable of communicating with our patients in a intelligent meaningful way without this dialogue "help."

Well congrats on landing the job. CTU is pretty much where people go while waiting to go to the correct floor. It is kind of like an over flow so you will get all different diagnoses. The good thing about it is your goal (I think) is to care for your patient while waiting to transition them to the correct floor. So I think once they are stabilized in the ED they go there to your floor. You may get some direct admissions as well. I am not sure if you have techs and I am surprised the ratio even mentions 3:1. I thought it was 4 or 5: 1 on that floor. But maybe you don't have techs so you have a lower ratio? But if it is 3 patients with techs then you are one of the very few floors in the hospital with that kind of manageable patient load. Just keep in mind it is a stepping stone for you. You will get your feet wet and if you don't like it you can move on. Good luck.

Yes. Yes! Me too.

Yes if it is full then you would have to wait. Have you tried other hospitals? I don't know where you are in Orlando. How about South Seminole Hospital in Longwood (small 200 plus beds). Longwood is a bedroom community of Orlando. Also South Lake Hospital in Clermont (20 miles west of Orlando) or Florida Hospital in Apopka or Altamonte Springs? Also Florida Hospital at Celebration? The other think you could try is if you know a nurse at Florida Hospital see if they can get you an interview with their manager.

I think the new grad class starts in March. So maybe they don't want to offer a grad nurse a job until you graduate. They will probably have plenty of openings for you just make sure you apply as a grad nurse. Good luck.

Are you being serious? What did they do implant a micro chip?

Yes. This is part of the problem. At least at the hospital I work (it is enormous) the "powers that be" are so out of touch with clinical nursing they have no recent experience in providing care. Most haven't taken care of patient in 10 years or more. They are so desperate to keep their jobs and "look good" to the powers that be that they will sacrifice their employees and not use reason or common sense. They are so wrapped up in the "patient experience" that they forget the people are admitted for medical care not to have a resort vacation. The only "experience" they should have is healing, compassion, and safety.

This sounds very (sadly) familiar. We too have to use the white board to put what time we gave the pain meds, and what time it is due next. We also have to write what is the most important thing we can do for them on the board (in addition to verbalizing it). We also have to sign and check each hour that we went into the room. And then like you said go out to the computer and chart it all again. We also have to address the 5 P's and also asked them if their room is up to their standards in cleanliness. I must say that I have lost ALL respect for management, upper and lower, in the facility I work out. They are so out of touch and have no clue.

Yes! Exactly! We have papers we have to sign hourly in each room also. I am a very honest person and I resent hugely that we are forced to lie!! I use to fill them out honestly. . .but my nurse manager noticed that the 2pm hour was not signed on many days. . .that is the time I try to get my 15 minute lunch in. . . so I may not get into all of my rooms from 2-3pm. .this is not acceptable and my manager told me I had to sign that I was in each hour. So now I fill in all the hours. Now I ma usually in each room 3-4 times an hour or maybe a few rooms multiple times in an hour and another room in an hour and a half. Whatever is safe and reasonable and necessary. I have NOT changed my practice since this ridiculous hourly rounding has come about. I was always a present pro active RN and this has not changed me one bit. I will now play the game and say the script when I am being "tested." But then I go back to the way I have always practiced not like some scripted monkey.