pt rights & staffing

[caroline205]

In a LTC facility, does the resident have the right to know how well a shift is staffed?

If it were myself or my family, I think I would want to know that the facility was short staffed as this does effect the care.

Am I wrong?

[Riseupandnurse]

Hmmm...I think they have the right to know, BUT I would not want to be the staff member who they ask. We need legislation to mandate that the ratios are posted daily, IMHO.

[kstec, LPN]

The poor residents at my facility know exactly when we are short staffed. They either have to wait to long for something, the nurse is passing meds late because she is pottying people and answering call lights alot, or they just say "I know you're busy and short staffed, but can someone either clean me or toilet me?" Pretty sad. That nurse is me, I'm always behind in my med pass except for insulins, b/p meds, etc. Why? Because I don't know about you but when I have to go the the bathroom, I go, when I'm thirsty, I drink, and of course I would not like to be dirty and sit in my own urine and/or feces. To do it all is impossible, but I think the residents have the right to know, so that maybe, just maybe someday someone will hear them and change some of the coorporate greed that keeps them from getting the care they deserve.

[flashpoint]

We post our staffing roster daily...in a font size that is easily legible to most residents. Right now, we are lucky because we rarely work short.

[RN1989]

I've seen the posting of the staff done before but it really doesn't tell anyone useful information. Unless a person understands acuity as well as educational background of staff they really cannot correlate how many staff persons SHOULD be working.

People can guess when it is really short-staffed but on most days, people don't know what they should be getting versus what they are actually receiving as far as care goes.

No facility that I know of would ever post something that said "Today we are short 1 RN, 2 LPNs, and 3 CNAs and we have 10 people that require Q2H turning with Q2H diaper changes along with 15 people being feeders, so don't expect to be cared for in a timely and appropriate manner".

Without all the background and knowledge, numbers don't tell the story.

[ltcconsultant]

Under the medicare conditions of participation for nursing homes, at the beginning of each shift the census must be posted along with the number of RNs, LPNs, and CNAs working. It must be legible and posted in a conspicuous place. Any person, resident, family, or whoever else, has the right to get a copy of it upon demand.

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

Hmmm...I think they have the right to know, BUT I would not want to be the staff member who they ask. We need legislation to mandate that the ratios are posted daily, IMHO.

There is a reg. I forget what it is called, but it has to be posted.

[ltcconsultant]

The reg is tagged at F356, the essential text of which is posted right above you.

[Riseupandnurse]

Very interesting. So why is staffing posted for nursing homes but not for acute care, where surely it matters more, at least in the short term?

[IowaKaren]

3rd shift fills out the daily census/staffing paper posted on a bulletin board for that day since 3rd shift starts the day. It is not changed for call-ins or no shows that were not replaced but it basically shows that staff was scheduled at one time.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

Very interesting. So why is staffing posted for nursing homes but not for acute care, where surely it matters more, at least in the short term?

Very simply because long term care is more closely regulated than acute care.

[beauty1216]

Were I work were have a staff ratio sheet that sits in the lobby and on message boards on each floor. That staff ration sheet mentions who's in charge, and how many RN's, LPN's and CNA's there are.

What I find unusually funny about this, is that if a residents complains it's taking too long to get a nurse, we are not allowed to say it's because of a staff shortage.