Unsafe staffing revisted - what is the cause at your hospital?

[LilyBlue]

At my hospital, the problem isn't that they aren't willing to staff better. There have been openings posted since 2006 on some units. The problem is, there simply aren't enough nurses interested in the position. This may be due to the fact that we are a smaller (but not rural) hospital, that is within one hour's drive of a major metropolitan area (several of them in fact).

[NotReady4PrimeTime, RN]

We don't have travellers in Canada, and we don't have agency nurses here either. I haven't seen an agency nurse in a hospital here in at least 10 years. The hospital where I work doesn't have a critical care float pool either. We used to have an NICU/PICU float pool but the nurses who were primarily NICU trained didn't like having to take the older kids and they all quit. And yet the PICU nurses can be floated basically anywhere in the hospital and aren't allowed to complain. They've even started admitting adults to our unit. They thought we were short before... well the stampede for the exit that's just getting started is going to explode in their faces.

[flygirl43]

I worked a surgical unit in Ontario, that hired an appropriate number of staff....but couldn't keep them. We lost 37 nurses in 2 months. (mostly new) Mgmt was terrible, tyranical and used public humiliation as a way of dealing with RNs. Needless to say, we closed 28 beds due to a "nursing shortage" We hired enough nurses, we just couldn't retain them. Upper mgmt never looked into the situation on the mgmt level (NEPOTISIM!!!!!!!!) Instead, elective Sxs were cancelled, quality of care went in the toilet. Wonder how many pts expired??????

[madwife2002, BSN, RN]

We used to be allowed 7 RN's per shift, now we are allowed up to 6 RN's per shift and 2 nurses have to flex up.

There is NO consideration given to the nurses acuity so why we do that I have no idea. We have been told that if we only have say 4 nurses on shift and empty beds well tough you will get admissions and the 4 nurses cope with it. They no longer will look for an extra nurse to help out.

Last week we were asked if anybody was thinking of leaving, reducing hours or would consider moving as the hospital has at least 80 jobs to lose. So we shut up and put up because we dont want to lose our jobs.

[NotReady4PrimeTime, RN]

I worked a surgical unit in Ontario, that hired an appropriate number of staff....but couldn't keep them. We lost 37 nurses in 2 months. (mostly new) Mgmt was terrible, tyranical and used public humiliation as a way of dealing with RNs. Needless to say, we closed 28 beds due to a "nursing shortage" We hired enough nurses, we just couldn't retain them. Upper mgmt never looked into the situation on the mgmt level (NEPOTISIM!!!!!!!!) Instead, elective Sxs were cancelled, quality of care went in the toilet. Wonder how many pts expired??????

Change the type of unit and the location and you could be talking about where I work. For now.

[loricatus]

Mgmt was terrible, tyranical and used public humiliation as a way of dealing with RNs. Needless to say. We hired enough nurses, we just couldn't retain them. Upper mgmt never looked into the situation on the mgmt level (NEPOTISIM!!!!!!!!)

That describes the place I am working at now, to a tee. I feel like I have a case of PTSD from my job.