vents- just a little angry

TazziRN, RN · Jun 15, 2007

Bless you and people like you, 'cause I could not do it.

RN4MERCY · Jun 15, 2007

Tonight was one of those nights that I wish I had become a cop.. just so I could shoot people...
1 nurse and 1 aide for 40 residents!!!! It took 2 hrs for them to get us help... and the help they gave us--- we would have been better off alone
Supervisor nowhere to be found..:angryfire
And the activities department decided to have entertainment tonight and stole almost my whole unit-- Does anyone care about the med pass????
It was just one of those nights.. of course I didn't get to leave
until after midnight.. had to do all that charting....
Forget being a cop.... I'm gonna be a ghost hunter!!!!!!

Have you considered contacting the Licensing and Certification department and reporting this unsafe situation? That facility must be collecting money from state, federal and private sources and that money is supposed to be for the provision of proper care of the patients. There should be a senior ombudsmen program and maybe that person could be persuaded to make a visit, or give you some other ideas.

Have you talked with family members? How about a visit to your district representative's office? Call the mayor, talk with one of the staffers about setting up an appointment. Bring documentation of your concerns. Ask how he/she would like his/her mother to be in such a place and enlist their support. Do you belong to a union so that you would have protection against unjust discipline for speaking out? Your silence will not protect you or your patients.

Is there another nurse-colleague who feels the same way about not being able to meet the patient's needs in a timely matter? Maybe you could go together and meet with the hospital adminstration just to have the general discussion about your concerns, to be sure they're aware and keep documentation of the date and time and who you talked to. That way the facility is liable for any injury that befalls a patient.

Talk to your friends and neighbors, and ask them to write letters to the editor about deteriorating conditions and the shameful care that the elderly receive in your neighborhood. It sounds like you really care and I hope you will take some action "tell" someone.

bethin · Jun 15, 2007

Here's a :beer: for you. I would suggest speaking to your managment about the unsafe conditions. This is the reason I left LTC. No help.

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((a great big hug))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

ShayRN · Jun 15, 2007

Can't add much, just wanted to lend my support. (((HUGS)))

Rizpah · Jun 15, 2007

There are minimum staffing requirements that have to be met. If the facility is not seeing that those minimums are met, it's not safe for the residents or the staff that are there. How does the facility do on annual surveys? Are there a lot of citations? Is there a lot of skin breakdown and dehydration? Wt loss? Functional declines? As charge nurse, you have to consider your license. I don't know about you, but I had to work mighty hard for mine to put it on the line with the circumstances like you are describing. I agree with RN4MERCY - this needs to be reported. In the facility where I work - the phone # for the state complaint hotline is prominently displayed for all to see, so ANYONE could make an anonymous phone call (if you make that call yourself, don't tell a soul that you work with - it will get out). Good luck and Bless you for caring for your residents!