Unsafe ICU ratios

[Adpresto]

I work in a medical ICU in Florida. We do not have a union. Someone once tried to create a union and got fired for doing so as Florida is a "right to work state" and they can fire you for anything. My new CEO only sees dollar signs. We have 16 beds and are generally busy in winter and slow down during summer months, making it hard enough to get hours.

My problem is they have now implemented a new staffing grid for our ICU. The grid is completely unsafe, requiring us to take 3 patients almost every day. For example, 6 patients calls for ONLY 2 NURSES!! They'll put someone on call and after 1 (am/pm depending on night shift or day shift) you might get A 4TH ICU PATIENT!!!! We've already complained on multiple occasions about our work conditions and this is where we draw the line but we don't know what we can do to change this. It's unsafe for nurses and patients. Is there anything we can do bedsides leaving this hospital?

For anyone interested this is a Florida Hospital/ Adventist Hospital.

[calivianya, BSN, RN]

When you have that fourth patient, take documentation of your shift and go to the Joint Commission.

Your hospital will hire more people, or hire travelers, when the Joint Commission threatens to remove accreditation from the hospital. It worked at my job last year. Our staffing is much better since one brave soul reported my hospital.

[applewhitern, BSN, RN]

Just FYI, every hospital does not use Joint Commission for their accreditation. Mine does not, we use state.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

Just FYI, every hospital does not use Joint Commission for their accreditation. Mine does not, we use state.

Whoever does the accreditation should be notified.

Keeping Joint/Magnet/whatever accreditation is a very big deal to hospitals, and most will bend over backwards to keep it.

[gcupid]

I work in a medical ICU in Florida. We do not have a union. Someone once tried to create a union and got fired for doing so as Florida is a "right to work state" and they can fire you for anything. My new CEO only sees dollar signs. We have 16 beds and are generally busy in winter and slow down during summer months, making it hard enough to get hours.

My problem is they have now implemented a new staffing grid for our ICU. The grid is completely unsafe, requiring us to take 3 patients almost every day. For example, 6 patients calls for ONLY 2 NURSES!! They'll put someone on call and after 1 (am/pm depending on night shift or day shift) you might get A 4TH ICU PATIENT!!!! We've already complained on multiple occasions about our work conditions and this is where we draw the line but we don't know what we can do to change this. It's unsafe for nurses and patients. Is there anything we can do bedsides leaving this hospital?

For anyone interested this is a Florida Hospital/ Adventist Hospital.

refuse to accept report on any additional patient. if all the nurses stick together it will work. Start calling and reporting to news broadcastings of how unsafe etc.

[smartassmommy]

Support the federal staffing proposal