teaming up, new concept. appreciate advise.

[fakemusician]

i am moving to san antonio because i took a position at baptist medical center as an RN. i am used to take 5 telemetry patients for myself. i think the system i am walking into is a team of one RN (me), one LVN, and one CNA caring for 12 patients. i only have about a year of experience and am a bit concerned about ultimately in charge of 12 patients. i was told maybe those patient are lower on the acuity level but still i am a bit anxious. any thoughts?

[ZASHAGALKA, RN]

I can't stand 'team' nursing and wouldn't take such a job; but that's just me.

It takes lots of trust and delegation; you have to excel at that.

I think, the few 'team' nursing environments that I've been in: I spend lots of time trying to make sure I'm not duplicating efforts. I'm just not comfortable with that. I'm not comfortable with not giving my own meds and having my own pulse of what med is doing what to my pt. I'm not comfortable with 'delegating' what to me is an essential part of my job: just having my own pulse on what is going on, generally. You just can't do that w/ 12 pts.

I wouldn't do it; but I think I said that.

I've seen it tried time and again: management seems to think that this allows them to 'spread out' their staff and save a buck. But, everywhere I've seen team nursing tried: it fails. Why? Because people get frustrated with it and leave. It doesn't matter how much money management thinks it can save on daily/monthly staffing if it's spending hundreds of thousands a year on turnover as a result.

~faith,

Timothy.