Short staffing - where do we stand?

World UK

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Specializes in ITU/Palliative Care.

Hello all,

I am new to this forum - I am a UK nurse working in a mixture of areas.

Nearly every other shift I do at the moment is short staffed with only 2 nurses caring for 16 specilist palliative care patients with complex symptoms and these are day shifts! We work 14 hours and are not able to go safely on break as 2 nurses are needed on the ward at a time.

I feel conpletely run down with it and when I have gone to managment their reply has been...well I don't get a break either. They do 8 hours of clerical work and therefore feel the comparison is off slightly!

The question I wish to ask is, where do we stand if we make mistakes on these shifts? Luckily I have not yet made any but we have been sent a lot of emails recently mentioning the increase in drug errors...no wonder!

I feel completely undervalued - us nurses never ever get thanked for picking up the slack and it is totally draining me.

Many thanks for any input

From a very burnt out nurse

Marnie

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

Are you unionized? Is there any mechanism whereby you can put management on notice that you are accepting an unsafe assignment under protest and can't be held completely responsible for outcomes?

Check with your Board of Labour or any other employee advocacy organization available to you. Good luck.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

You should be protected by laws to get breaks. Working 8 hours to 14 hours is no comparison and dangerous. Have you spoke to the union?

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Specializes in Emergency Department.

I agree with Silvergragon, this needs to be highlighted to the union in writing and then if anything happens at least you can say you have tried to point it out. You could also DATIX incidents that way they are in the system but it can make you a target.

Whenever it is time for your break contact whoever is your manager and tell them that you require cover to allow you to go for breaks and remind them about the Working Time Directive https://www.acas.org.uk/workinghours

Document, document, document. Who you spoke to, what they said, when they said it. That way when the sh.. hits the fan (and it will) you have evidence to cover you.

I stopped listening to management when one of mine told me, "the accountant says it is OK to work short staffed."

Good luck and "Illegitimi non carborundum."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegitimi_non_carborundum

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