Godivaa

I would still LOVE to work there though!

I am surprised. That is pretty low. Is that with experience?

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner

Med/surg telemetry. 5-6 patients to 1 nurse.

Wow. That is crazy

It is getting dangerous, and that is why I have made a decison to leave. It is a visous cyle too. We are understaffed, they hire more nurses, the nurses get burnt out, then they are understaffed again. Then they feel the job was done with no major events understaffed, so they can keep it that way! It is crazy. All the while all this massive building and expansion is going on in most of the hospitals around here. If they cannot staff what they have, how is the new building going to be staffed? They have us drawing all the labs on our patients on a med/surg floor now. Then they just dropped the CNAs from 3-2 for 28 patients. Many times, they do not even have the 1900 vitals done until 2130! And I have no idea who thought that just because it is the weekend, that we need less staff. We still have the same amount of patients! Also, I am seeing more and more the complaint that physicians do not want to be called after 8 pm. What?! I would rather get yelled at then take that chance. Plus, add on all the tedious double charting, customer service scripts and paperwork. It is just overwhelming.

A couple things that helped at the facility I work at is first, CNAs do rounds at 6am. ( I work nights). They toilet patients, change briefs, reposition, etc. They also fill waters. At 6 am, the nurses do rounds for pain, check IV fluid bags etc. I think it is great, but it depends on the nurse you are giving report to. Some want to go over orders and labs from several days ago, and that can be done after report. It is like they are delaying starting their shift. I like it because you see all your patients, know that they are stable, check all your lines, and are not getting surprises when you go see your patient after report. It holds the nurses that like to leave messes accountable. Before the bedside report, there were nurses notorious for leaving IV bags empty, patients in pain, room messy, and IVs infiltrated or not working.

That is so dangerous! You need to look for another place to work at if they think that is okay. I am so sorry that you had that happen. This is why nurses leave med/surg or the profession all together. How many times can this happen to nurse and they not get burnt out?! Just the thought of them trying to do this again would make me leave. And I would have cried too out of frustration.

I feel the same way. It is time for a change, I just have to figure out how to get out! The "customer service" thing was just the icing on the cake. I have always had compliments from patients on how nice I am, but now they have scripts they want us to use. Enough is enough

I am in a similar situation. I told them that I would eventually need to go part time at time of hire, but every time I bring it up, they act like I will always stay full time. I have to give them notice soon too, so I will see how it goes!