So we have enough nurses nursing supervisor, really?

[Workitinurfava, BSN, RN]

A higher up admin lady visited my unit and asked if we needed anything, if any changes could help the unit to run smoother and the nursing supervisor (this is the same one that rarely leaves her office to help the nurses out but she is great with delegating work to nurses that are already bombarded to help her buddy nurses out) said, we only need more techs but not anymore nurses, we have enough. Do we really? Where I work, the nurses are overworked due to not having enough nurses. We are each doing the work of atleast two nurses. Stuff like this pizzes me off. One of the nurses agreed. I disagreed. The nurse felt that if we hired more nurses it would affect the current nurses in that, we would not get raises. Well when the turnover rate is so bad that the loss in many of nurses leaving exceeds the cost to just higher enough nurses, creating stability for the unit, what is the point in not hiring more nurses?

[RNNPICU, BSN, RN]

Although,

If you had more techs, the techs could do the turning, lifting, feeding, bathing, etc, allowing more time for you to coordinate discharge, patient teaching, assessments, medication administration.

What specific things do you want to do that more techs could not help with?

[kp2016]

1 hour ago, Workitinurfava said:

I disagreed. The nurse felt that if we hired more nurses it would affect the current nurses in that, we would not get raises. Well when the turnover rate is so bad that the loss in many of nurses leaving exceeds the cost to just higher enough nurses, creating stability for the unit, what is the point in not hiring more nurses?

Sadly the other nurse appears to have Stockholm Syndrome. It depresses me how many nurses are willing to work unsafe patient ratios, work without breaks, be hounded to pick up shifts on their day off or be floated to some random unit all because they have really come believe (accept) that expecting to being paid fairly for a reasonable workload in the unit they hired onto is somehow an unrealistic expectation.

[Workitinurfava, BSN, RN]

RNNPICU I am not sure how to answer your question. Pretty much most places are short staffed. I like my job and am great at it, I just don't know how a nurse could say, we can't use more help. I don't get it and don't want to get it.

[ruby_jane, BSN, RN]

2 minutes ago, Workitinurfava said:

RNNPICU I am not sure how to answer your question. Pretty much most places are short staffed. I like my job and am great at it, I just don't know how a nurse could say, we can't use more help. I don't get it and don't want to get it.

We cost upwards of $25 per hour (depending on seniority, shift diff, OT, what have you). A tech costs half that. I totally get that you're tired of having the same old conversation.

[Workitinurfava, BSN, RN]

What cost more?, the high turnover rate or just staffing appropriately, which should help to maintain nurses. I worked at a place that hired 5 nurses in the 3 months that I was there. After a year of working at this place, 4 more nurses were hired. So many nurses would quit. This same thing goes on everywhere. You do the math. It cost more to hire nurses in such short spans of time. Nurses might stay longer, therefore costing the hospitals less money if the staffing was appropriate. If a place has orientation every few months, it can't be that worried about the cost of a nurse. The whole point of the post is that sometimes some nurses can be their own worst enemy.

[kp2016]

4 minutes ago, Workitinurfava said:

What cost more?, the high turnover rate or just staffing appropriately, which should help to maintain nurses. I worked at a place that hired 5 nurses in the 3 months that I was there. After a year of working at this place, 4 more nurses were hired. So many nurses would quit. This same thing goes on everywhere. You do the math. It cost more to hire nurses in such short spans of time. Nurses might stay longer, therefore costing the hospitals less money if the staffing was appropriate. If a place has orientation every few months, it can't be that worried about the cost of a nurse.

Interesting side note. From multiple posts i've read here, The high cost of recruiting and training new nurses is often used as the reason that nurses are forced to sign a penalty clause $$ if they quit within X time frame. It would seem that you have a point. Measures to improve nursing retention like I don't know staffing appropriately would save them money long term.

[Workitinurfava, BSN, RN]

15 hours ago, kp2016 said:

Interesting side note. From multiple posts i've read here, The high cost of recruiting and training new nurses is often used as the reason that nurses are forced to sign a penalty clause $$ if they quit within X time frame. It would seem that you have a point. Measures to improve nursing retention like I don't know staffing appropriately would save them money long term.

To me it is the same (for just a few minutes, let's throw out the idea of saving money because right now it isn't happening), they may as well put the money to a better cause (don't hire a ton more of nurses often, just staff appropriately, it's the same thing), they are hiring the nurses often (high turnover rate) that they claim are to expensive (when staffing appropriately).

[Green Tea, RN]

Working as a nurse, it did not take long for me to realize that the management cares their position and salary only. Dangerous nurse to patient ratio? None of their business. Sad.

[beekee]

If they hire more nurses, how will they afford all the studies they do on how to improve patient satisfaction?

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

2 hours ago, beekee said:

If they hire more nurses, how will they afford all the studies they do on how to improve patient satisfaction?

Is there anything else I can help you with...I have the time!

[Estateboy, RN, EMT-P]

CNA's on my floor DON'T do BP or accuchecks but if they can answer call bells and free a nurse for med passes or other duties that's a great thing. From a cost point of view, they are probably half the cost of a nurse and greatly reduce the stress on the floor.