Unsafe Working Conditions and the News

[Wake88, BSN, RN]

I'm working as a nurse in a hospital that is severely understaffed, knowingly. Patients keep falling because there aren't enough staff to watch the TBI patients. It's getting to the point where it's truly dangerous, and not right.

What can be done?

I'd like to mention this to our local news. The things they don't know would be actual stories. Can you report a hospital? And yes, the wrong people can run a hospital and they can be bad people.

How do you hold hospital administration accountable for putting your patients at risk?

[Davey Do]

I first try to deal with any areas of concern within the institution, Wake88. When Administrative Officials failed to meet my satisfaction over dealing with Patient safety concerns, I have gone to outside resources, such as JAHCO, Public Health, and OSA, with disappointing results.

For years I have brought any areas of concern to my Supervisors through letters and emails. Some have been addressed and resolved, but the majority were never addressed or were completely ignored.

Recently, a patient suffered a fall and was sent to ER. The Patient was brought back to the unit by a Psych Tech and a Security Guard. There was no Nurse to Nurse report or any Doctor's Orders to resume treatment as before. I contacted the ER, got a Nurse to Nurse report and Doctor's orders to resume treatment as before.

Then, I utilized the ERS- the Event Reporting System and wrote up both the Nurse and the PA responsible for this negligence. The ERS is reported to, among other Administrative Officials, my Supervisors and also the Administrative Safety Officer.

We'll see if utilizing the ERS has any more effect.