staffing issues

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I have been getting more and more fed up with the hospital I currently work at. We recently moved to a new floor. It is a smaller hospital, and they used to only staff one nurse on post partum. When we moved to a new floor they made a new rule that two people must be on post partum at all times because the floor is so far from l&d or nursery... there is no one to even hear if an emergency light is pulled.

On Christmas Day, they pulled my aide to l&d because they were really busy. I was alone with five patients. Am I unrealistic to think that there should always be two people on the floor for safety issues? I am at the point of quitting over this and some other issues. I am pregnant, and having no one to relieve me to even get a lunch break in 8-12 hours seems unrealistic to me.

Any advice?

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Staffing like yours is truly unsafe. I would take this up with management.

Failing a change, I would look for employment elsewhere. This IS unsafe and violates safe staffing standards for OB and PP nursing.

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Specializes in Palliative Care, NICU/NNP.

Ms. Bison, Not at all unreasonable! Not safe definitely. My advice, leave. This is another fine example of why nurses are leaving this profession. Unsafe practices and cruel to the two of you not to get lunch. Best of luck to you.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Not only unfair to nurses, but the patients who trust their care to us. This is despicable and so yes, voting with your feet is about all the recourse you may have. But you have to do something. I am so sorry about this.

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Specializes in Nurse Manager, Labor and Delivery.

YIKES. I agree with everyone else here. It is way out of standard, and just plain cruel.

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