Any advice appreciated. I am currently working in palliative care at a hospital. Although I really am enjoying what I am doing and everything I am learning, it is just too much. While interviewing, I was told the ratio would be 1:8. However, when I started working there, I quickly realized the unit had a total of 25 meaning one nurse always gets a 9th patient when it is a full house. I was also informed that there is an admission nurse and wound care nurse, but there have been more instances in which the admission nurse does not show up and the nurses have to stop what they are doing to complete the admission. Thankfully, there is always a wound care nurse on the floor but there have been times where one of the staff nurses have called out in which the wound care LPN has to basically take his or her place and you are left to do your own wound care. My co-workers are friendly, but you can seriously just see the burn out. I also do not think, especially with the acuity of some of these patients, that this ratio is safe. I feel like I am constantly trying to beat the clock to make sure my med pass is done on time rather than taking time to get to know and truly care for my patients. & when I do, I fall tremendously behind and am playing catch up the rest of my shift. I would really love to continue working there, but I do not think the ratio is doable- at least not for me. I don't want to just pass out medications, which at this point is all I feel I ever do! I really want to help my patients. I only have one more week of orientation and have really been considering applying elsewhere with safer ratios or going back to ambulatory/outpatient.
