Yet another staffing question

[cherokeesummer]

I'm doing some layman's research, just kind of doing some looking around and everything I see about staffing is discussing a lack of nurses but here is the thing...where I work we have a nice amount of nurses but they won't let us work! GRRRRRR Example...8 couplets and 2 pp moms (babies in nicu). 3 RN's. One was charge, the other two had 5 moms and babies each (except for the two who's babies were in NICU so thats not as many babies but you get the point, easily could have been 5 couplet's each, been there done that and more). And one of the RN's was also admissions nurse and nursery nurse. Add to that, no secretary and no aides.

I am still "fresh" but it sure seems and feels unsafe to me. We have plenty of nurses that want to work but we aren't able to. So is it really a nurse shortage or a shortage of budget to let nurses work or is it a bit of both? What do you think? I'm thinking its both b/c I'm sure we are low on nurses in many areas. But I'm not seeing that here yet LOL!

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

It might depend on the facility what the cause is, but what you are describing sounds VERY unsafe. When you get one crumping baby or one hemorrhaging mom, that ties up at LEAST one nurse, and probably two. You've got to have more staff than what you describe. That is just dangerous, IMO.

[jenrninmi, MSN, RN]

Two many patients for 2 RNs in my opinion, and it wouldn't happen where i work. I hope it gets better for you...

[mpccrn, BSN, RN]

it's called better staffing by pencil heads......the accountants....they dictate the patient-staff ratio by the numbers...not the accuity! until it is their family member being 1 of 5 or 6 patients on a telemetry floor, things aren't likely to change. as it is now, alls i have time for is an initial assessment, meds, charting, labs, meds and the shift is over. forget the rest of the things i should be doing to make the patients feel human! there just isn't time for it anymore.

[sample24]

We carry a maximum of 4 stable couplets each. We have a separate (or two or three, depending) nurse in the nursery to do admissions, level II babies, etc. I agree with the pp's, your situation sounds unsafe.