So Frustrated!

oh floridamom, i am so sorry you are going through this. sounds like the new hospital touted themselves highly and this was an untruth.

i don't have any words of wisdom for you, but i do want you to know that we care about you and hope things will improve for you. :icon_hug:

I'm sorry you were going through that. At my last job, the unit manager told a friend of mine that the ratio was 3-1 when in fact it was more like 4-5 to 1. I think you should speak to your manager about what you were told when you got hired. If not, I would complain to HR. They should not have lied about the true staffing of their unit. And i'm sorry I worked on a progressive care unit that have vents and drips and 4 patients was enough. I can't believe you have 5 patients. That's just wrong. Complain to HR. I would also suggest possibly transfering to another unit within the hospital.

All the "fun" is taken out of nursing when things get really busy and we suddenly realize we are staffed for the "good" times.

They will always try to cut as near to the bone as possible.

I know you won't like this, but until you work at a safe slower pace and then let them know why everything can't get done, nothing will change.

As long as there are no reports from below, those above are confident that the barebones staffing they implemented is just the ticket.

Being sent home because of "overstaffing" is the way they have their cake and it too. If they do not give you the hours you were hired for then all of you must let them know that treating you like little pawns will not be tolerated.

Speak with your feet and always talk to floor nurses at your "new" hospital before taking a job there. They'll usually give you the facts.

And if they won't let you talk to the nurses, run fast and never look back

I learned a long time ago that the grass is never greener on the other side. I have been at the same hospital for 11 years and seen many people leave, because they were offered what they thought was a better position, and then a year or 2 later I have seen a lot of them come back. All of them say the same thing. It was no better, and sometimes worse, than where they were. I hope everything works out for you. :hgu:

That is true. The grass is never greener on the other side. I left one hospital for another and was told by my unit manager that the hospital I was transferring to was "different". I think she was referring to the patient population because it was located in the inner-city. When I started my new job, everything my manager told me was not true. The patient population was mixed. I had middle-class patients that would never consider going to the uppity-suburban hospital that I previously had worked at.

Thank you all for all of your comments and advice. I emailed my manager today and told her my concerns and she stated that at this time the hospital is going "lean". She actually wrote that and stated she was really sorry but that this was only temporary and that the ratio will go down soon. As far as me getting cancelled it depends on if census picks up I guess. Right now I'm not too hopeful but we'll see. I've come to realize that I can only do so much and that nursing is a 24 hr job and if I can't get it done someone else will have to. It's just frustrating that I was told one thing when it's actually not that way. Oh well tomorrow is another day. Thank you all again for all your comments. Much appreciated!!