[cassioo]

Today on my PP/GYN/Everything else floor it was me and LPN and 2 students (I was clinical instructor also as the instructor was sick) we had 11 patients 4 of them fresh post ops from previous day, 2 deliveries from today admitted, 1 OB/GYN's wife who he wanted on our floor for non GYN problem, 2 discharges, isolation post c/s, 2 more 2 day c/s and a bunch of babies just busy busy busy...
but they had a nurses day thing and I won a gift basket with a beach towel, margarita mix, $20 gift card to cheesburger in paradise, 2 bottles of suntan lotion, sombrero, swizzle sticks, bottled water, empty tequilla bottle (I wonder if it was full when the basket was turned in and somebody dumped it there was maybe a tsp in it), disposable camera and flip flops...I think that's all but I couldn't have won a better basket ICU made that one.

[Ricu]

I left a job about ten years ago because of inability to maintain a safe nurse/patient ratio. It was a med-surg unit in a small community hospital. I worked nights and often had upwards of ten patients and there were always fresh post ops. We didn't have clerical staff so we did all of our orders, admissions, answered the phones and so on. Furthermore, we did the phlebotomy and bedside respiratory therapy as well. We had one severely overworked LNA for twenty-five or thirty patients who could barely keep up with blood sugars, forget about vitals. It was ridiculous.

After about six months of a steady diet of that, I gave my notice. The last night I worked, I had four admissions on top of the seven patients I started with, had one go bad that I had to send to the unit, and just ran like an idiot for twelve hours. I stayed more than two hours over my shift so that I could do the admission charts, all of the routine orders and all of my documentation as if I could remember anything... Admin didn't believe that this was a problem, not only for the nurse but also the hospital. Guess why I left.

That experience let me to the following conclusions: Voice concerns over unsafe staffing conditions. If the problem persists, leave. If enough nurses gave their notice, it would eventually force the necessary changes in the institution. Nurses continuing to work under such circumstances put unknowing patients at risk, impose unreasonable liability not only on themselves but ALL licensed staff. Finally, I firmly believe that continuing to work this way perpetuates the problem. Healthcare institutions get away with understaffing because they can. I experienced chronic understaffing in only one place but wouldn't hesitate to leave any facility that practiced that way. We don't need unions to handle this problem, just enough backbone to stand up to it. Good, experienced nurses have no trouble getting positions so don't hesitate to leave a bad one.

Just my two cents.

R

[nursemaharaj]

Hi well i just got of my night duty as well and it was hell the first night i had 17 patients including two post ops mind you i work in a paediatric unit.I worked alone excpet for the enrolled nursing assistant.We had admission after admission which i had to handle as well not to mention all the medication to give the report to be done and then the clean up after the doctor finishes with the admissions.Basically the two other shifts were well handled because of the nurse patient ratio.I work in a general hospital in Trinidad and have been in paeds since i graduated 3yrs ago......I enjoy what i do but i guess it overwhealms me when its so much patients to one nurse and unlike you i cant leave cause there is the same problen in the other two hospitals of the country.It Sucks!

[Ricu]

Wow! That's truly overwhealming. Thankfully there are more options here in the US. What can be done there to get some basic help? Are you restricted to only credentialed staff helping with patient care. A physician colleague that I have who came from the Phillipines tells about patient's family members providing care in the hospital. Good luck

R