[nursinghumor]

Schwarzenegger Suspends Requirements For More Nurses:"Angering nurses across California, the Schwarzenegger administration moved Thursday to delay a requirement for additional nurses in hospital medical and surgical units.
The staffing increase, set to take effect Jan. 1, would require one nurse for every five patients in those units.
On Thursday, Health Director Sandra Shewry announced a new emergency regulation that would suspend the change until 2008, keeping intact the current ratio of one nurse for each six patients."
http://www.nbc4.tv/health/3892574/detail.html

You have to wonder how much the hospital lobbyists contributed to his election campaign. I'm certain the amount was sizable. Looks like it is payback time. It's what I would expect from a Republican Governor, backing the interests of big business.

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.4nursing.com

[cassioo]

I'm glad he'll be able to afford 1:1 for himself or his family if they have a hangnail. Wish we all could...OH I forgot I'm a nurse.

[nurseonthego]

Is this really true? Last I heard he was asking for a postponement for the 5:1 ratios that are in effect starting Jan.05. I thought this was a state mandated law. This absolutely makes me ill if he pulled this off

[Aaron C.]

I hate to say it, but I think this was inevitable. Not good, however.

[ICUnowOHN]

Jeez... I am used to 10-12 pts, and I was working subcritical care, open heart pts to us after 24 hrs. They all still have central lines, 2-3 chest tubes, and I am the only one that can give IVP meds. I'd love to have 1:6 ratio. Of ourse, this situation is directly due to Supervision pulling help from my usual unit (since we had 4 empty beds out of 31). We also took admits from ER, and go figure, we filled our beds an hour after the shift started. That left us typically with 3 RN's, an LPN, and 2-3 NA's. Guess what I started doing ? I took the floats to any ICU. I'd much rather have 2-3 ICU pts than 12 on the call light all night.

[yazz]

I would like to think america is the only country that can let their government spend its money on big business and wars to teach an evil dictatory a lesson 20 years to late, but unfortunatly Mr Blair the leader of my country is also acting in the interests of big business. Roll on the elections so we can vote for someone who gives a ...

[tinkerbel]

Unbelievable!! Would be interesting if he or his family members were admitted to a real hospital with real hard-working nurses who would not have the time to take care of the pt like they should and of course would like to. 10-12 pts gives you very little time to do anything.

[sdwolff98]

Well have to say 6:1 aint all that bad after some of the places I have worked on contract in texas where 15 : 1 is not that uncommon.. I started full time last year at an LTACH and we have decent ratios when we are able to work... right now we are so daggum slow I get canceled 1 - 2 days a week. Sucks may do travelin again here real soon.. Anything more than ^ tho and you are running your bottom off all night long and well into the morning or evening depending on the shifts that you works.

Sean

[Randy, RN]

6:1 really is not bad, if they have not done away with all the aides and other help, unfort. that is what alot of them are doing to make this staffing regulation, I heard?