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Discussion

Team nursing

Just wondering if any other hospitals use or are transitioning to team nursing?

Our covid numbers are through the roof and we have expanded making more beds in our hospital. We have a staffing crisis now where we just don’t have enough nurses. 
 

Anyway long story short we are told we will manage the staffing crisis by transitioning to team nursing where a med surg RN will be in charge of more patients, but will have support RNs for tasks like meds and dressing changes. The support RN can’t take a full assignment because they could be pulled from any outpatient setting, potentially not having worked in a hospital in a long time. 
 

Just looking to hear how team nursing has worked out for others, what the ratios look like, how exactly does it work in your hospital? 

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    We are starting to do this now. I don't have specifics yet but a big part of it is pulling nurses who have been away from the bedside back to the floor to be "helper nurses". 

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    It's just crisis staffing.  Hopefully it will only last for a couple months. Please try to care for yourselves. 

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    In 1980 I was an LVN, who had taken and passed a critical care course. We had Team Nursing. Our team was two RNs and one LVN for six patients. Each RN was assigned three patients. I was assigned to assist the RNs. I would take vitals, listen to lung and bowel sounds, and document other data. RNs performed ongoing patient assessments, the planning, supervision, implementation, and evaluation of the nursing care provided to each patient. I was assigned tasks such as administering routine medications, dressing changes, and many other tasks. 

    I think it was not ideal. I think in this current shortage of nurses LVNs could be very helpful.

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    I "grew up" with team nursing. They were still doing it that way when I left the hospital for private duty home care (something like 35 years ago). 

    Right now, with so many nurses willing to help but not up to date with hospital nursing, team nursing makes the most sense. You could use a mix; primary nursing when you can, and team nursing when the 'helper nurses' need more direction.

     

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    13 minutes ago, Kitiger said:

    I "grew up" with team nursing. They were still doing it that way when I left the hospital for private duty home care (something like 35 years ago). 

    Right now, with so many nurses willing to help but not up to date with hospital nursing, team nursing makes the most sense. You could use a mix; primary nursing when you can, and team nursing when the 'helper nurses' need more direction.

     

    Yeah....us old timers started that way.  It was one of the unit management concepts we learned in clinical rotations. That was the way that the local med surg floors functioned, largely (back in the day).   

     

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    We have started this in my ER. I feel like I spend all day tasking rather than truly assessing and taking care of my patients. However, it’s nice to have a second set of hands nearby. 

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