question nurses at the bedside

[ghansen99]

I was asked what would keep nurses at the bedside of PT more?

my answer: Round every hour to decrease call lights?

I am unsure if this is correct. Any suggestions

[ckh23, BSN, RN]

Lower ratios would certainly free up more time to be with the patient.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

What else do nurses have to do that isn't bedside care? Is there a way to get somebody else to do those things?

[hodgieRN]

Time management and work efficiency.

If you can learn to chart more efficiently, you'll have more time.

[MendedHeart]

I like having a computer in the room with me when I do assessments and other charting and document while in there..

[loriangel14, RN]

Less charting.Lower staffing ratios.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

Less repetitive incessant charting. Working computers in every room so I don't have to spend 20 minutes hunting one down to scan meds. A transport team so I'm not running stable patients back and forth to tests all day long. 24 hour secretaries.

[MendedHeart]

I feel bad for you..we have all that except comps in rooms..but we do have comps on wheels

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

We are happy to help......what ways do you think would be helpful to help nurses stay at the bedside more? LTC facilities have 40-50 patients per nurse. Nurses in the hospitals in non critical areas can have up to 8 or 10 on nights.

Use you developing critical thinking skills....what have you seen at clinicals that has surprised you and what would you like changed when you become a nurse?

[eatmysoxRN, ASN, RN]

Either better staffing ratios or more proper acuity placement. I can take 8 stable patients but if 2 of those are on cardiac drips or every 2 hour glucose checks... Well, it gets hard fast.

The problem lies with higher acuity, higher workload, less staff, and more duties placed on nursing.

Who has to clean the puke off the floor? Not housekeeping. Nursing.

Who has to put the patients breakfast in place over their bed? Not dietary. Nursing.

Who has to help everyone to the bathroom? No one but nursing apparently.

Who has to call the doc for everything? Nurses. The core measures team makes a round and makes a list of things the primary nurse needs to make time to do instead of one of them calling themselves.

Nurse aides are able to do less and less which means licensed nurses have to do more.

Raises are few and far between. We are also blamed for using too many supplies so they either take them away or restrict availability.

We get yelled at by patients when we don't have snacks or juice while management complains that staff must be eating and drinking it all up because there are no variations in how much patients eat/drink.

It's hard to do those core nursing things sometimes. Educating patients must be done while doing ten other things with the patient.

~ No One Can Make You Feel Inferior Without Your Consent -Eleanor Roosevelt ~

[MendedHeart]

8 patients...what in the world..the nurses in my hospital never have more thsn 4-5

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Then you have a very well staff hospital. 8-10 is very high for nights on a med surg floor but not unheard of. But the average is 6-8 on nights.

You are very lucky to have good staffing.