no more techs for us....

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Specializes in Emergency Room.

Small ER, (14 beds, 5 fast track from 11-2300). See about 100 per day during busy winter season (now starting, yeah:o). Been having 4:1 ratio (which I think is too high). Now......mgmt has fired all techs. No more techs. ????????? Something about having more nurses instead (hasn't happened). They base the amt of nurses allowed by how many patients we see. This seems so backwards; how do you know how many patients you are going to see???? You can't know until the day is over!!

Does anybody work in an ER without tech? We used to have only 1 tech for each 12 hr shift, but they were soooo much help. Now we do everything ourselves. If we can't, we have to find another nurse to help. We are all so busy, this is difficult. No float nurse, charge takes triage or full assignment.

ick

opinions?

I want my techs back.

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I know they did this at a hospital near me, my mom refused to work for the group of hospitals because they fire all their techs. Then when everything has gone to heck and all the nurses have left they rehire the techs. It happens every couple of years, housecleaning to get rid of experienced nurses I imagine.

If your place is going down this road I would bail it's just not worth the stress and heartache. I would try to find out if this is a pattern with this place.

Best of luck!

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Specializes in Peds, ER/Trauma.

a 4:1 ratio isn't that bad, it's pretty much standard nation-wide. In some areas, like New York City, the ratio is as high as 8:1 (which is pretty ridiculous), but 4:1 is basically standard.

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Specializes in ICU, ER.

We have 4:1 with 2 techs, a float, and a charge with no patients.

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Specializes in Emergency.

4:1 is what I've heard as standard. And techs, well we have one, but all the tech does mostly is just stock supplies. Other than that, its all on the nurses.

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Specializes in Rural Health.

My PRN job doesn't use techs and we have a 3:1 or 4:1 (depending on time of day) ratio. One a great day, we have a float RN or Medic that can double during our busier times, but since that doesn't happen often....we usually do it all w/o a tech or an extra set of hands.

My full time job uses techs, but our techs are mainly to stock, order supplies and give breaks to admission people. They don't do much in the line of patient care anymore.

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Specializes in ER/EHR Trainer.

4:1 patient ratio in 55+bed ER. Tech assigned to approx 10 beds-as ekg tech too! Never enough technicians! Don't know about you guys, but we have been holding patients quite a bit, so patients with a million orders and MI next to each other. Not a good combo. What kills me is that on the floors, orders are put up by secretaries, labs drawn by phlebotomy, neb tx given by RT, test follow up performed by unit clerk, etc etc. HOWEVER, while patient remains held in ER I must do all of the above, and care for my respiratory distress, MI or anything else. Lately, we have gone 5:1 and 6:1. Even using Fast track for complex patients. That's another whole story! Can you imagine? A steady stream of minor injuries, that need whole package-triage, notes, discharge AND several workups that need the works!

ER is getting tougher and tougher.

Stay safe. Hoping your patient loads are manageable.

Maisy

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Specializes in Emergency Room.

our secretary ( which butt must be firmly planted at her desk due to high volume of calls,orders, requests, etc., is now expected to "get up off her butt" and do tech work. HA HA HA! IF she has time to do "tech work" who ever is next to phone or can put orders into computer has to take over her work. What a bunch of bull. Of course, mgmt thinks this is great.

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Specializes in Geriatrics/Family Practice.

JMO, LPN's would be a great attribute to ER's. I would love too, even if it was a tech. We could do EKG's, resp. treatments, dressing, stocking, start IV's, give po meds, hand stock IV solutions, help with "data collection", not assessments, observe psych patients while the RN is doing other things and so much more, but no, we must stay in the nursing homes doing that stuff. And yes the hospitals around here use techs in ER, but no they are not LPN's, they are CNA's with special training. Sorry just had to put my two cents in, I'm one of those LPN's who just wants to be utilized and am not, please continue your thread.

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Specializes in Emergency Room.

i would take anyone. We have LPN's, they are great.

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Specializes in Adult and Pediatric Vascular Access, Paramedic.

I almost feel spoiled, almost. I work in a 25 bed ER (not including our 5 non-urgent beds), we have a 4:1 ratio which is fine and 3-4 techs on at a time. We see about 55,000-60,000 patients a year. I can honestly say if management said adios to the techs I would be saying adios to management.

Sweetooth

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Specializes in Emergency.

wow.....4:1 ratio plus 3-4 techs for the department! That must be awesome....must leave you with so much time to actually assess and follow up with patient care.

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