Hospitals need to have safer patient ratios for nursing staff and be based on acuity of patient illness. We have seen a decline in nurses, causing staffing shortages. We are made to take on more patients during shifts which especially in a critical care setting could potientially cause harm to patients. We need healthcare reform across the board. We need people who understand what working at the bedside and who are actually taking care of patients making decisions.
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Nurse for 15 years in various settings. Yes to this.
I worked initially on a cardiac/step down unit and our ratio was 1:4 on day shift. Usually not too bad. Usually. Then they increased it 1:5 and there was a mass exodus from the unit.
At that time we would sometimes have outpatient procedures come in like pacemaker battery change, cardioversion, etc. So it would be possible to discharge one home early, get a procedure to that bed, prep them, procedure (possibly with YOU giving conscious sedation), then discharge them later only to get a THIRD person in that same bed in a single shift. It was nuts.
Ratios would mostly put a lot of strain on ER staff as they can’t help people coming in and say “we don’t have beds.” I think it would be nice for all ER’s to have an “urgent care” side for the many things that come in that AREN’T serious to keep the true ER beds more available. And as the ER patients are found to not be life threatening they could transfer care to the urgent care side/provider/staff if needed.
Doctors also need mandatory down time. It’s hard to believe pilots (and truck drivers, train engineers, etc.) have work hour limitations yet doctors don’t.