Team Nursing

Wuzzie · May 28, 2023

That isn't team nursing that's your facility's way of short-staffing you while at the same time blowing smoke up your proverbial skirts. Team nursing is an entirely different model and does work. It was popular when I was in nursing school but then transitioned to primary nursing. The "team" in team nursing was an RN, LPN and an aid. Patient load was 10-12.

Cricket183, BSN, RN · May 28, 2023

This! ? What Wuzzie said!

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · May 28, 2023

disneygrl said:

Has anyone's unit done this? Mine is going to try it out and as I understand, it'll be 2 nurses paired up and assigned to 16 of the patients. One will pass meds, the other will do the assessments and chart. I don't see this as a good thing. My unit is a very heavy med pass. Just curious about your experiences with team nursing? Thanks

That is not team nursing. That is stick it to the nurses nursing. It might work if you have 3 assistants to do the physical work. Think about it. One nurse passes meds.. on 16 patients. The other does the assessments and charts. Who bathes the patients, ambulates the patients, feeds the patients? Run don't walk.

toomuchbaloney · May 28, 2023

Yeah... there must not be any older nurses on your unit who actually know what team nursing is/was. The facility is gas lighting you.

Just say no to unsafe care.

JKL33 · May 29, 2023

toomuchbaloney said:

Yeah... there must not be any older nurses on your unit who actually know what team nursing is/was.

LOL, I've said that all along about pushing out experienced RNs in favor of new grads. It may or may not be cheaper financially, but it is DEFINITELY beneficial as far as being able to push complete crap without all the "complaining" for which nursing employers have such great disdain. Complaining = calling BS, by the way.

JKL33 · May 29, 2023

Wuzzie said:

Team nursing is an entirely different model and does work. It was popular when I was in nursing school but then transitioned to primary nursing. The "team" in team nursing was an RN, LPN and an aid. Patient load was 10-12.

Yes. It was being done when I was new also.

The job overall was a great experience for me, but times were different and I would not sign up for a program now where I have to sign others' assessments. Back when I did team nursing I did find/make time to confirm the assessments (I.e. do them myself), and it was difficult then. I sincerely believe there is no way to do justice to that type of situation now, especially with the enormous documentation demands.

JKL33 · May 31, 2023

disneygrl said:

One will pass meds, the other will do the assessments and chart. I don't see this as a good thing.

....and we haven't even yet mentioned the disconnect involved in piecemealing the basic nursing process for which every nurse is individually responsible. The nurse administering (not "passing out") medications must also assess and document to some degree, and the nurse responsible for the assessments is responsible for interventions, including medicating a patient or whatever else might be necessary.

These obligations can't be legally turfed to "somewhere" just because an employer wants to save money.

mtmkjr, BSN · Jun 3, 2023

JKL33 said:

....and we haven't even yet mentioned the disconnect involved in piecemealing the basic nursing process for which every nurse is individually responsible. The nurse administering (not "passing out") medications must also assess and document to some degree, and the nurse responsible for the assessments is responsible for interventions, including medicating a patient or whatever else might be necessary.

These obligations can't be legally turfed to "somewhere" just because an employer wants to save money.

I was going to comment that this is just an 8:1 ratio, but due to the necessary overlap that you are pointing out it's worse than that but hard to quantify.