Unsafe working conditions.

[Night Owl]

Thanks Allwood.

 

This thread was to highlight what we nurses are up against.

For me personnally it was a long battle.

Saying that, it ain't over yet and probably never will be. We are constantly faced with sub-optimal staffing levels and patient dependency will also constantly change.

 

It's hump night tonight!!!!!..............middle of 3 shifts!!!!

Busy but managable.

 

Night Owl x

[Panthro]

NightOwl I have read this thread and can I first start of by saying: you are a credit to the profession! If only us nurses stuck together and fought for patient care - like you have - rather than getting ourselves so stressed out that we end up off sick continuing the cycle of staff shortage.

 

Our directorate is on a mad money saving mode at the minute. All bank has to be authorised by the lead nurse or her deputy and if authorised not for a full shift, i.e. we do 7.30 to 8pm but the bank nurse/auxiliary will do 9am to 7pm. We have to explain the reasons for requesting bank and go through each of the patients conditions to get authorisation.

 

One nightshift, it was me, another RN and an auxiliary for 22 patients split between two wards. The night co-ordinator phoned to move the RN (incidentally to a ward with 17 patients) and I would get an auxiliary in return. I lost it and said not a chance and went into a rant about how busy it was, the dependency of the patients, the fact that it was my registration on the line blah blah. He still wanted them moved, so I told him that he better come to the ward for the keys and a handover as I wasn't taking charge of these patients on my own. He phoned me back to say that they had found someone 'extra' in MRU. Incidentally I phoned the MRU (to borrow something I think) later that night and whilst on the line I asked them on their bed status...they had 12 patients with 8 staff nurses and a charge nurse!!! The nurse I spoke to was "bored beyond belief!". So at the beginning of the night they had 10 nurses, one of whom was moved to the short ward, for 12 patients!!! I filled in a Datix (incident form) with those details...never have heard anything from it (as usual). I am known as the Datix King however, maybe they are a bit ****ed off?! Don't care though!!

 

Although the moving staff from our ward seems to have halted...at the minute! Co-incidence? I'll wait until winter is over to confirm. Don't get my wrong I don't mind helping out other wards when they are stuck but not at the expense of my patients (robbing Peter to pay Paul).

 

I'm not usually so rebellious but they made me do it! I doubt I would have carried out my threat but sounded good at the time. I admire nurses like you who truly put their patients first before themselves. Sorry for the waffling post!

[lady-in-red]

I agree pantho night owl is a credit to her proffetion and cares very deeply about her work, after all that happened to my son i had a very bad downer on doctors and nurses, but after him going to the lung hospital in london i changed my mind i saw how they worked so hard as a team, and then i met night owl on here and she has been so helpful to me i cant thank her enough, but as i said she is passionate about her job and i beleive she would welcome changes in the NHS, nightowl has answerd many questions for me things i never understood, and i now can see that not all nurses and doctors are like those in our ITU liers, if only our local would stick to what they said first, that they did neglect my son, but they didnt they said the conversation went missing from his files how convenient for them i also know when we do have that meeting they think they can get round us, and twist things but they wont i will be asking the questions and only those questions do i want answers im not sitting there listening to them waffle on about this and that im not interested, all i want to know is WHAT WENT SERIOUSLY WRONG ON THE 24th OCTOBER 2009 nothing else because what ever they did to my son is why his face is full of scars today

[Panthro]

I'm not going to bleat on how bad it is for us nurses nor defend appalling care but the majority of us really do care about our patients but find it difficult with poor staffing, no equipment or support from above. Also we as a profession do not support each other as well as others such as the fire fighters. We are not greedy. We are not asking for extra money but for the facilities, resources and staffing to provide safe, effective and evidenced-based care to our patients.

 

Any mention of the word "strike" and we are labelled as uncaring and willingly putting patients in danger, also known as a guilt trip. The trusts (and health boards in Scotland) are there to defend themselves. As employees we are directed by them especially in the current financial climate (very sad I know). The Sheriff in this recent Fatal Accident Inquiry (similar to a Coroner's Inquest in England and Wales) said:

 

"It was clear to me from a very early stage that there was, at the very least, potentially, a conflict of interest in those seeking to represent NHS Fife and the various doctors and nurses. I raised this even before the Inquiry started and again several times after it was in progress. I was constantly assured by Counsel that there was no such conflict and that Counsel would and could continue to represent all of these parties. Eventually, after the doctors had given evidence, solicitors appeared seeking to represent, separately, the interests of the doctors and the nurses. That was, in my view both appropriate and necessary from the point of view of the doctors and nurses."

 

Unfortunately there are more nurses than not who will simply follow the lead of their employer when complaints arise. Very sad when our Code of Conduct expects us to be our patients advocates.

Edited November 2, 2010 by Panthro

[Night Owl]

I'm touched!

Thank you both for your lovely coments here. I had forgotten about this thread!

 

Paediatrics has a very unique set of stresses, but having started off in adult nursng I know the comparisons.

I do love my job. I love the children I care for and the staff I work for but I will stand by what I said before, I will not stand by and be pushed by management to give sub-standard nursing care.

I will also protect new staff from it as well who don't have the experience to be so vocal. I have had lots of feedback from staff on the ward and changes have been made for the better.

I'm not militant at all, I just care.

 

I will continue to help the wonderful comunity that is CAG as they have helped me with various problems.

 

Now lets get rid of the soap box! and have some fun! x

[Night Owl]

Today the RCN has announced that 27,000 posts have been earmarked for cuts across the UK -- with approximately 1,000 identified as being lost from the South West region.

 

These figures are contrary to the view in Parliament and government that the NHS budget is ringfenced and is therefore escaping public sector cuts.

 

You have given us the information about cuts on the ground in the NHS, now it's time to make sure that our politicians know the true extent of what is happening out there.

 

Does your MP really know what is happening in the NHS? If not, this is your chance to tell them and get them to raise it with the Secretary of State for Health so he can have the full picture of what is going on across the NHS.

 

 

 

http://frontlinefirst.rcn.org.uk/emailyourMP_SouthWest

 

You have told us hundreds of examples where services and jobs are suffering -- now it's time to tell your MP.

 

Examples like:

 

• 10% reduction in staffing at Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
  
• Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust have issued 25 redundancy notices and have a job freeze.
  
• Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust have confirmed that 170 posts will be removed from their workforce.
  

As our representatives, it is vital that MPs are aware of the risks to the NHS. Email your MP now to make sure that they are ready to defend health care in the UK.

 

http://frontlinefirst.rcn.org.uk/emailyourMP_SouthWest

 

Right across the region the RCN is working hard to stop Trusts reducing staff terms and conditions as Trusts look to save money. I hope you'll take this chance to have your say in the future of the NHS.

 

With thanks,

 

Kate Tompkins

Director, RCN South West Region

 

Just e-mailed, Night Owl.

[T4NKG1RL]

Not wishing to hijack, just adding my concern:

 

 

 

Today the RCN has announced that 27,000 NHS posts have been earmarked for cuts across the UK -- almost 1,400 of which are in the East Midlands region.

 

These figures are contrary to the view in Parliament and government that the NHS budget is ringfenced and is therefore escaping public sector cuts.

 

You have given us the information about cuts on the ground in the NHS, now it's time to make sure that our politicians know the true extent of what is happening out there.

 

Does your MP really know what is happening in the NHS? If not, this is your chance to tell them and to suggest that they raise it with the Secretary of State for Health so he can have the full picture of what is going on.

 

 

http://frontlinefirst.rcn.org.uk/emailyourMP_EastMidlands

 

You have told us hundreds of examples of where services and jobs are under threat -- now it's time to tell your MP.

 

Examples like Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, where some nursing posts are likely to be downgraded as part of a workforce review, or Leicestershire County and Rutland Community Health Services, where experienced community nurses have been forced to retire at 65 even though the fixed retirement age will be scrapped in less than a year's time.

 

As our representatives, it is vital that MPs are aware of the risks to the NHS and patient services. Email your MP now to make sure that they are ready to defend health care in the UK.

 

http://frontlinefirst.rcn.org.uk/emailyourMP_EastMidlands

 

I hope you will take this chance to have your say on the future of the NHS.

 

Thank you and best wishes,

 

Sheila Marriott

Director, RCN East Midlands Region

[Night Owl]

Hi T4NKG1RL.

 

no probs, the more we can inform the public the scandal thats happenng then maybe they will understand the extreme pressures we are under as nurses.

 

Please lobby your MP if you have had any dealings with the NHS, either as a patient or from working within the NHS.

These cuts must not happen to front line staff who are often strugling to provide the service as it is.

 

Please support us, we can't do this on our own.

[Night Owl]

In amongst the brown bills that arived with the postman this morning was a very posh envelope with the House of Commons on it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My Damehood at last, I thought!!!!!!!!!!!!! maybe being sent to the tower!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

no, a very posh letter from Neil Carmichael MP thanking me for my E-mail about the Royal College of Nursing's Report, "Frontline First" also a letter he has forwarded to Simon Burns MP, Secretary of State for the Department of Health.

I'm a small pebble on a very large beach but at least I can hold my head up and say.............I tried to make a difference.

[lady-in-red]

Well done night owl, to get a letter back is more than most get, you have stood up and spoken out, and you deserve to be listened to, i was going to email the health secretary as well, about what goes on in our hospitals today how nurses are so r worked doing 3 peoples jobs most days and getting basically put on more and more, so that when they become ill and run down and have to go off sick there is even less nurses on the wards, i saw one nurse looking after 9 patients she had a newly trained care assisitant who had no idea what she was doing and no time to show her what to do, the care assistant gave my son an icecream after he had aspirated twice, who watches what the care assistant is doing when the nurse is so busy with sick patients, this has to stop they have to employ more nurses more help on the wards before patients are put at risk and nurses keel over from sheer exhaustion maybe the health minister should spend a day on one of the wards with out anyone knowing who he is and see with his own eyes what is reallt going on in the hospitals, then he might just do something about it instead of laying the red carpet down for him to take tea with the top nobs in the hospitals and every one smiling at him as he walks past hey lets wave the little flags as well shall we!!!!! maybe we should kidnapp him and tie him to a chair in a ward for a day and let him watch just how over worked and underpayed the nurses all are wonder what he would do then???

[lady-in-red]

thats my rant over nite nite to you all and take carexxx

[T4NKG1RL]

Got my letter on Saturday telling me that a decision has been made to close 4 wards and therefore cut 104 Acute inpatient beds to make savings and that I am amongst those frontline nursing staff whose job is now 'at risk'. So much for the propaganda that no frontline jobs will be cut eh?

[lady-in-red]

cameron has gone back on all he said what do the people who voted for him think now i wonder, its disgusting how can the public ever believe what this man says, so if they close 4 wards then patients will suffer nurses will lose their jobs, why do kids bother going to uni to learn , its all a waste of time, nurses have to train very hard and do some horrible jobs to get where they are and make something of a career and you get idiots like Cameron coming along after just six months running the country and giving people the sack, has this man we call a priminister got any brains does he relise people will lose the homes every thing they have wroked hard for, how the hell would he like it if WE SACKED HIM wish we could hes absolutely usless and we need to get him out before we go under with him im so sorry tankgirl this must be a shock to you all, and just before christmas as well how cruel is he i hope you nurses will stand up to him and say NO