All those thirty days of blood, sweat, and tears I put in for my med/surge orientation...took a week off after that, then got sick for another week... and was beginning to wonder why I hadn't heard from them. Thought maybe I just sukked and they wanted no part of me anymore...
Well, just found out from my good friend who works there (and was off visiting her dtr. in Taiwan these past few weeks)... she came back to work last week to a BIG SURPRISE !!!
They have put ALL staff on "short-time". Cut ALL fulltime positions.. nurses, clerks, computer ppl, EVERYBODY. Hiring freeze also in effect. Heck, they had JUST STARTED hiring back right before I signed on there !!! And cut the nursing staff so bad, there are now three nurses for thiry+ patients.. ratio of 10:1.
Well, there goes THAT idea ! I'll have none of that... value my license too much. No way with me being such a novice at all that, it was already crazy enough the way it was with 6-8 patients. Now this.
Well, guess I can kiss THAT one Auf Wiedersehen !
Oh well.. there's another little hospital down the road a WHOLE LOT closer... a real teeny little hospital... pay's competitive, too, as it's still in N.C., so I might just go do some snooping around there and ask a few questions...
In fact, you should spend the winter with me. We're short staffed and fluffing up the staff for the winter season which is our busy time.
ooooooooooooooh, I'd LOVE that !!!
Wish I could, Tweeters. 'Course, we'd be so busy laughing all the time, the rest of the staff (and patients) might just run us off !!!
No, Passing... the ten to one ratio is not nights... it's days. I remember once last year my friend was saying she had 13-15 patients to herself for several weeks when they pulled this crap once before.
And as they have now cut ALL staff to "short hours", that included the CNA's, housekeepers... everybody. So no added CNA's... LESS.
As for acuity... we have no surgical ICU there, and they've closed down the "stepdown" unit entirely... so anything that's not 100% critical goes to medsurge (and the ICU is only 4 beds anyway...)
About 80% of the "medical" end of the unit is on telemetry, too. Too many things waiting to happen there. Won't risk it.
I'm NOT a seasoned med/surge nurse... just a beginner here, still learning. Not willing to take a risk like that.. not for the patients or my license. My friend has been a med/surge nurse for 15 years and if SHE can't handle it, I sure know I can't ! She's ready to walk.
Ah well... guess all their "upgrading" and new construction projects are costing the hospital more than they originally thought... gotta make that up somewhere, right?
Don't know who owns the hopsital... really have no idea. But they have done this before... lasts about a year, then they go back and hire on again... wierd.
Wondering what the CEO pay rate is....or bonus due at end of fiscal year.
Yeh... not sure about admin... hope to get more word from my friend soon.. she was up to her ears trying to regroup from her trip around the world and coming home to THIS shocker !
Will find out more as soon as we have time to chat... keep ya posted ! :)
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Originally posted by passing thru
It's mind-numbing to think about.
________________________________________
You are Soooooo right Nurse Karen.....
Some CEO and CFO will whoop it up in Hawaii or Bermuda this Christmas/New Years with their bonus $$$
(reward for cost cutting)
while some other poor family's are grieving and burying their dead.....
from the infection that turned septic,
from the wounds that got infected,
from the cardiac irregularities that were not detected,
from the falls that deteriorated to bedrest to pneumonia,
from the aspiration that was missed,
*****************************************
SO very right, Passing-thru---------------------------
Welp what goes around comes around. Sooner or later these folks will need nursing care. May they get EXACTLY what they reap. It's sad to hear myself say that but in the end, we all get sick or injured and all need nursing care. I only wish cosmic justice could take place and serve these people right......
They will only sit up and take notice when the law suits come piling in............that is what it will take.
A couple of years ago, I was offered a position on an Oncology floor. I had really wanted to try it. I was (am) an experienced Dialysis nurse but had never worked on a hospital floor before. SO....the nurse manager makes me think I've been hired into the greatest place and answers my questions with credible sounding answers.
I go through general and Nursing orientation then on to the floor. Well.................It took me about 15 minutes to know I might be in trouble. They put me with a nurse that turned out to have 8 patients and was charging because she was the only staff nurse on the floor. All others were agency. After about 2 hours, she was called to avert a crisis and I was left to care for 8 patients with no help and no hospital experience. I called the nurse manager who was conveniently unavailable. I called the nurse supervisor who was dealing with a code. I was stuck. I felt I couldn't leave these patients without a nurse, so I did what I felt able to do and anything I was uncomfortable with had to wait. I gave meds (that was ok) but when I had to start fooling with pumps that I knew nothing about I drew the line. I asked for help from the agency nurses but they had, you guessed it. Ten patients a piece. They did get to share an LPN for PO meds (woohoo). When that acting charge nurse reappeared, I blasted her first for leaving me....any nurse....on a floor her first day with 8 patients and no help, then I proceeded to track down the Nurse Manager, who I let have it. I was an unhappy nurse and after 6 hours of hell, I told them both that those 8 patients were never assigned to me so I was leaving as they could not claim abandonment. I never, ever, ever went back and I told every nurse I knew to stay far away.
I suppose what ticks me off the most is that the hospitals are screaming nursing shortage and promising bonuses to new hires, but are working there staff like dogs to keep making a buck. If the nurses aren't available, then they aren't available. Close some beds until you get more nurses hired and oriented. It will save money in the longrun by cutting down on the lawsuits.
SO Sorry....went off on a tangent.
Jnette-------I'm glad you won't have to face what the other nurses at that hospital are, but don't you all think that as long as any nurses let admin get away with something like that, they will just keep sticking it to 'em. They all need to leave!
This all sounds so familiar. I just put in a 15 hour day on med/surg. 2 teams with 10/1 RN ratio, no acuity taken into consideration. I think at one time today i actually had 12 patients. One bonehead patient with a chest tube to suction, dr was nice enough to take the suction off so he could walk,, and he went straight down to SMOKE no less. Had to go retrieve him. It goes on and on. 10/1 ratio is the norm it seems, and the common thread when you complain they arent even meeting their own requirments of staff/patient ratios, you get, " we dont have anyone"!!
I hate to see people leave med/surg,, but i sure do understand your uneasiness, been there done that! I hope you find something that fits what you are looking for.
Just read your post and, in the words of other posters, be glad you ran, not walked away from this mess. Sounds like they will have a real shortage on their hands in no time flat. 10/1 on days is just asking for trouble.
Be glad you were able to scratch the itch to learn some med/surg skills and take the trip to that other little hospital. You sound like a great nurse and a competent team mate, YOU will find something soon.
I have not been too impressed with what I have been offered so far in NC. A lot of places seem to have a freeze on, even while advertising for nurses. Maybe I am missing something, but I think when I put down my expected salary, they figure than can get a nurse at a cheaper rate.
Anyway, enjoy the holidays and then you can start another search. This has been a valuable lesson both for you, and bb participants. NEVER, trust the management to do the right thing for patients and staff when MONEY/Profits are the only bottom line they understand.
Hope you will keep us posted on your next job. Good luck!
All those thirty days of blood, sweat, and tears I put in for my med/surge orientation...took a week off after that, then got sick for another week... and was beginning to wonder why I hadn't heard from them. Thought maybe I just sukked and they wanted no part of me anymore...
Well, just found out from my good friend who works there (and was off visiting her dtr. in Taiwan these past few weeks)... she came back to work last week to a BIG SURPRISE !!!
They have put ALL staff on "short-time". Cut ALL fulltime positions.. nurses, clerks, computer ppl, EVERYBODY. Hiring freeze also in effect. Heck, they had JUST STARTED hiring back right before I signed on there !!! And cut the nursing staff so bad, there are now three nurses for thiry+ patients.. ratio of 10:1.
Well, there goes THAT idea ! I'll have none of that... value my license too much. No way with me being such a novice at all that, it was already crazy enough the way it was with 6-8 patients. Now this.
Well, guess I can kiss THAT one Auf Wiedersehen !
Well, I guess DH and I won't be moving to your neck of NC!
Wow, jnette! What a bummer! Goes to show how much employees are valued by their employing companies, eh? One can never feel too 'safe' in their job. Change is always sneaking up on us leaving us unprepared. Thank God that HE is always the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. What would I do without my Father God.
A couple of years ago, I was offered a position on an Oncology floor. I had really wanted to try it. I was (am) an experienced Dialysis nurse but had never worked on a hospital floor before. SO....the nurse manager makes me think I've been hired into the greatest place and answers my questions with credible sounding answers...............................................................
I suppose what ticks me off the most is that the hospitals are screaming nursing shortage and promising bonuses to new hires, but are working there staff like dogs to keep making a buck. If the nurses aren't available, then they aren't available. Close some beds until you get more nurses hired and oriented. It will save money in the longrun by cutting down on the lawsuits.
............................but don't you all think that as long as any nurses let admin get away with something like that, they
will just keep sticking it to 'em. They all need to leave!
Just my $.02 cents (ok more like 10)
GO AHEAD GIRLFRIEND! YOU PREACH THAT TRUTH!
Seems like the recruiters can pull the nurses into the hospital, but the trap has yet to be unfolded until the nurses are in the muck good and heavy.
Specializes in Gerontological Nursing, Acute Rehab.
Wow, that reminds me of my only foray into med/surg nursing. After 2 days of orientation, I was put on the floor working 12 hr shifts having about 10-12 pts. Plus, we had no IV team and had to draw all our own blood work. I stayed there about 6 months, then realized that I didn't have to put up with it. It was such a horrible experience, so I feel for you. Get out. Now.:roll
Hiring freeze also in effect. Heck, they had JUST STARTED hiring back right before I signed on there !!! And cut the nursing staff so bad, there are now three nurses for thiry+ patients.. ratio of 10:1.
jnette, ASN, EMT-I
4,388 Posts
ooooooooooooooh, I'd LOVE that !!!
Wish I could, Tweeters. 'Course, we'd be so busy laughing all the time, the rest of the staff (and patients) might just run us off !!!
No, Passing... the ten to one ratio is not nights... it's days. I remember once last year my friend was saying she had 13-15 patients to herself for several weeks when they pulled this crap once before.
And as they have now cut ALL staff to "short hours", that included the CNA's, housekeepers... everybody. So no added CNA's... LESS.
As for acuity... we have no surgical ICU there, and they've closed down the "stepdown" unit entirely... so anything that's not 100% critical goes to medsurge (and the ICU is only 4 beds anyway...)
About 80% of the "medical" end of the unit is on telemetry, too. Too many things waiting to happen there. Won't risk it.
I'm NOT a seasoned med/surge nurse... just a beginner here, still learning. Not willing to take a risk like that.. not for the patients or my license. My friend has been a med/surge nurse for 15 years and if SHE can't handle it, I sure know I can't ! She's ready to walk.
Ah well... guess all their "upgrading" and new construction projects are costing the hospital more than they originally thought... gotta make that up somewhere, right?
Don't know who owns the hopsital... really have no idea. But they have done this before... lasts about a year, then they go back and hire on again... wierd.