Working Without UAPs

It's GREAT if RN staffing is adjusted accordingly.

These kids are really sick and are prone to crashing without any warning...just feel if I'm busy doing tasks like restocking or logging in breast milk, something will get missed. Also, anything that adds to increased RN stress levels can only impact retention.

I just don't think that's in the cards...this is being done for budget concerns.

These kids are really sick and are prone to crashing without any warning...just feel if I'm busy doing tasks like restocking or logging in breast milk, something will get missed. Also, anything that adds to increased RN stress levels can only impact retention.

Again, it all depends on staffing levels and whether or not they're adjusted accordingly. I love having all RNs in med/surg when we have three patients each. I'm still busy, I just spend more time with fewer patients. I have time to help the other nurses and they have time to help me. We're typically all on the same page as far as prioritization goes. It's breezy.

Whether you're "stocking" or spending time with "patient B", you are still away from "patient A". The tasks don't matter ....just that you have a reasonable amount of things to do for the time you have to work with.

I just don't think that's in the cards...this is being done for budget concerns.

If you hit the quote button in the lower right corner before responding, people will know what you are responding to. If this is in response to my staffing comments, I understand why you're worried.

In 39 years, I've only had one job where we have UAPs. And in PICU- I don't see where there is much that they CAN do.

We don't use them in any of our ICUs. Just like anything else, you just build those things into your daily schedule.

Sometimes we get one, sometimes we don't. I'm most often without one, so I guess it's not a big deal to me. If we have one, they are spread thin throughout the unit so I can't count on them.

It's fine really. I still do all the work, they may just assist me with a bath and turning. It's not like they are assigned to rooms or anything.

I've worked with and without UAPs. My only experience is working on an inpatient oncology unit so my opinion may be skewed in that direction. It is nearly impossible to effectively take care of patients without the help of UAPs even with a lower nurse-patient ratio. On days our typical ratio was 3-5 patients/NOCs 6-8 patients (depending on acuity). We tried a very brief experiment where they changed the staffing matrix to included just nurses providing total patient care with no CNAs. Our patient complaints went through the roof as did our staff dissatisfaction. The main problem is there was such a large number of patients receiving chemo and/or blood products that it required the primary nurse (and/or charge nurse) to be in the patients room for at least the first 15 minutes of the infusion (sometimes 30 minutes depending on the chemo agent or regime) it just wasn't practical to leave the remaining patients without anyone to attend to their needs.

I work one a small pediatric unit and we don't have them. I personally would rather have an extra nurse. I previously worked at ab oarge hospital with no UAP's after 11 and most weekends. Even though the unit could afford it because the manager claimed we were getting an extra nurse.

Where I work, we have them. But, sometimes if we are short staffed on them we get "primary" care on 1-2 of our patients. If we don't have any for the shift (which isn't common but happens) then we are assigned primary care on all our patients. However, staffing ratio is adjusted accordingly in both situations.

I don't mind being primary at all. I have more work to do, but less charting since there are less patients. Our UAPs don't chart at all. So all their blood sugars, vitals, baths, whatever are charted by the nursing staff. I would rather be at bedside performing any cares, then charting on more patients. Especially when the amount of charting per patient isn't any more. My patients are usually happier too becaue I have more time to spend with them.