unlicensed personal in hospitals

[CJM]

Iam not a registered nurse but I worked as an nursing assistnt in a hospital for 21 years and saw all the changes that are taking place. It is scary how nursing assistants are takiing on the role of RN's by drawing blood,adminstering tube feeding,putting catheters in patients and God knows what else. Hospitals are trying to fool the public by giving them medical sounding names like Multi-skilled partner or patient care tech. It's a total sham! I think nurses aids have a role in the hospital but not to replace the RN. The loads are horrible! 12-17 patients to give personal care to . Four patients to feed and given only 20 minutes ot do it in. I felt like I was on an assembly line at a factory.

[Jacci59]

"It is exactly that.An assembly line of cash flow.Your patients are no more than a widget that needs processing.The more widgets they can process,the more money they can make."

Boy, did you hit the nail on the head. why is it taking the powers that be, so long to figure this oneout, or are they just too stupid ?? I have said all along that this is the bottom line cause of the Nursing shortage. Who has any power over these CEO's who are doing this?? I'd love to know.

[oramar]

There is a big fuss going on in my area aboaut a patient who died in a PCH. The most training anyone in the home had was a two week NA class. They are hauling these unskilled personel up to the witness stand to testify. One of the things these health care businesses do when they get rid of licensed personel and replace them with non skilled personel is lose their fall guy. No one with a license to pass the blame off to. I have to tell you that PCHs in my state do not have to have licensed personel on duty.

[Tiara]

I was shocked when I saw a list of employees needed at the hospital where I used to work. The list comprised mostly Patient Care Technicians. They wanted them for ER, OR, and Critical Care. From what I've been hearing, it looks like the hospitals are either importing nurses or hiring these Care Technicians. Unfortunately, if you're the RN in one of these situations, you can bet your responsibility is increasing at a real fast rate! I can't imagine taking the responsibility for people who through no fault of their own, have been put in positions they are not educated or trained for - - this is making scapegoats out of nurses. Just my opinion.

[hollykate]

If there is the time to train a PCA or CNA to really do the job well- and they are happy and satisfied with the below average pay, then they can be a great asset to a department. I have worked with some Nurse Aides who have been aides for well over 5 years, and have seen them follow better sterile technique than some of the nurses we worked with. In general, though, I think the CNA's and PCA's are very poorly trained for the work expected of them, and they are also not fairly compensated or respected by other staff, making it difficult for them to feel motivated about coming to work and doing a good job.

[Hypoxic Pixel Eyes]

It is exactly that.An assembly line of cash flow.Your patients are no more than a widget that needs processing.The more widgets they can process,the more money they can make.

If the same corporation that ultimately decides how many patients(widgets)can be processed by the lowest common denominator,wages and personnel per procedure actually produced our inanimate widget,they would be subject to the Fair Labor and Standards Act that would protect the widget workers from mandatory overtime,unsafe work enviroments and staffing policies.

The widgets have a law(s) that protects them

indirectly by enforcing ethical standards of care for them.

Thank God for whatever skills you brought to the care of your patients and your compassion in performing the difficult workload in the best interest of your patients.

God bless you.