As long as we're plugging national issues that are coming up and affecting Essent and Paris, let's hit Safe Staffing. I say Paris, rather than PRMC, because it isn't just for nursing, it's for the EMS, Fire Dept, and Police as well. All those whose jobs can directly save lives.
This isn't unique to Paris, but we seem to ignore solutions that have been found elsewhere.
We demand more of the community--be it social services, EMS, Fire, or Police departments, but we forget that these things cost money--and the money eventually comes from us.
Are we our brother's keeper? In some cases yes, as well as their parole officer, their jailer, their property's savior, their lifesaver.... If we accept that, then there is no choice...you pay for those services. And, since the payment is from property taxes, it is equitable, based on the value of what would possibly be lost...from fire or theft. If we wish additional staffing, than we need to pay for it as well.
But what about medical staffing? When does it impact on the lives of the patients? Nurse Safe Staffing is an issue that is being pushed in most states...but not California.... Why? Because it's already there.
The whole idea is to staff appropriately so as not to force overtime, to avoid using temps that are unfamiliar with the patients and facilities, and to create the cohesive team that is needed in the life and death situations they are faced with.
California adopted a Safe Staffing initiative, and amazingly nurses are retained at a higher level, more students are choosing the nursing careers, and hospital mortality rates are decreasing in many areas of care. The naysayers forecasted doom for those hospitals in California, but apparently none have been forced to close because of the initiative.
"Numerous prestigious medical and nursing journals have concluded the most important question a patient should ask when entering a hospital is, “How many patients will my nurse be caring for?” The answer can have life-or-death consequences."...from the Mass Nurses Association
"The Journal of the American Medical Association reports that the more patients a nurse has to care for, the more likely that serious complications or death will ensue. The study found that each additional patient above four that a nurse is caring for produces a 7 percent increase in mortality. If a nurse is caring for eight patients instead of four, that is a 31 percent increase in the risk of death. The conclusion of this study was that legislation to regulate RN-to-patient ratios was a “credible approach” to improving patient safety and ending the nursing shortage."
This kind of crossed over to Paris Needs A Super Hero 's turf, but Batman owes me one....
6 comments:
Seemingly, the blogs have a common thread--saving Paris despite itself.
It doesn't matter if team-nursing is in play. The patient/nurse ratio is what it is...
It does matter if team nursing is in play, however it seems to me there is much better care given in the face of straight nurse to patient ratio, with RN's having tougher patients than LVN's. It seems to me, that there is better care because there is only one person's ass on the line---the one caring for the patient.
If you know you are responsible, then you take care of it better.
Of course opinions are like A$$holes and everybodys got one.
The nurse to patient ratio holds no matter if its team nursing or not. One person only has x amount of pts, period....
The nurse to pt ratio is one of the main reasons to organize a union. Maybe I'm from another era (I'm only 40) but quality is more important to me than the money I make.
I didn't get into nursing for the money. Being able to go home, feeling good about the job that you have done--instead of freaking out about who is going to sue me because I've neglected some aspect of care because I had too many patients, is worth a pay cut to me.
Funny thing is, there are so many nursing jobs out there where you have one patient at a time, making much more money, and you have time to spend with your patient--time to look up diseases and conditions, and how to better care for your patients.
I don't know why anyone would work at the hospital killing themselves anymore.
Have you noticed the decrease in blog responses? I think its because most have moved on from the horrors of PRMC and now have found a better way of life. Less stress. More money. Who'd a thunk it?
I think the 'gay rights' thing stopped a whole bunch of people from commenting.
It isn't a 'gay thing', rather a people thing. From the standpoint of 'people', everyone should have equal treatment under the law.
Do I believe in gay marriage? Nope. Call it something else...I believe in marriage in the traditional sense. (A partnership works, as do numerous other titles.) Marriage is already spoken for.
As to the issues that power this blog--those are about people: employees and patients. What should be the concern is fair treatment for the employees, and good healthcare for the patients. Generally, those go hand-in-hand. Until the powers-that-be realize this and make the changes, the blog goes on, and on, and on.....
Safe staffing,as it were,should be the cornerstone of this and every other facility. This term implies that the professional staff and the community can identify with and depend on the medical staff. Which is exactly what the Paris community cannot do nor the professional staff. PRMC has a revolving door for employees here. They neither care to retain or pass policies to help retain or attract employees. The way that the hospital itself is kept up is deplorable and the way that the employees are treated is unexcusable. From roaches in the patient rooms to telling employees that he/she is being paid too much for giving 110 percent. Safe staffing,indeed...
No such thing as safe staffing here. Now with the new and improved (NOT) sick leave policy we'll have folks working sick and spreading germs to patients and fellow workers all around. I worked at other hospitals that tried to restrict sick leave and what happened? Either people took off more than they did before or they worked sick and made the whole hospital ill by doing so. It's a benefit, Cheryl. Leave it alone.
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