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Wednesday, August 03, 2011

UNCLE! and show me the money

Do you ever feel like saying UNCLE!! I do. The nursing education requirements have now officially become out of control. Every quarter we have to complete nursing education online classes. This quarter it is up to nine. Ideally they want us to complete this during our work time when things are "slow". Ha. Yeah. Like thats going to happen.

It used to be that once a year the hospital had a mandatory education day in which this stuff was done. Apparently this is out the window. Now its being divided up throughout the year like this. This in addition to the constantly changing policies, procedures, new drugs, new equipment, etc. etc. etc. When does it end? My brain isn't big enough to store all this shit.

In other news, our hospital is screwed right now. Census is up. Way up. Of course they don't have enough nurses (surprise, surprise). There has been pretty much a hiring freeze up until the last few months, we are down lots and lots of nurses in the hospital. So we are back to the we will give you anything to work an extra shift era. Any extra shift brings a bonus. If this keeps up, I can see a return of the thousands of dollars bonuses to work to take a job at so and so hospital. I hope this helps the thousands of nursing graduate nurses who haven't been able to find a job.

Is this going on at your hospital?

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

We expanded our ED a few months ago and have hired a huge number of RNs and Techs since then. Unfortunately, we still have about a hundred empty shifts/month and are chronically short-staffed. Last week, any extra shift brought time and a half. And this is at the same time that our hospital is laying off staff. Huh???

As for the continuing ed requirements...not only do we have all the terribly useful mandatory stuff during the year (the list is onto a second page now) but yes, we still have annual skills day where we spend another eight hours going over either never-used competencies or things we do everyday and are very good at. And yes again, it's broadly encouraged that we get the individual stuff done when it's quiet at work. Except, someone forgot to tell the patients we're closed from 8-10 everyday so the nurses can do their computer classes!!! Maybe we should make a sign for the front door.....

Nurse K said...

Click-click-click-click-click-skim-click-skim-click-take test

BinkRN said...

You said it K! That is the only way to take those things that don't really pertain to your role. Or, even if they do, if you know them, just get it over with!
The best one lately is the requirement that the ED nurses do the surgical department ed, as well as the stuff about updating care plans, etc. Really? Like we will ever do these things!And in my facility, we are not warehousing patients waiting for rooms. At least not yet.

Nurse K said...

There's this awful one on skin assessments and the skin assessment forms for new inpatient admits that we have to do. It's sad, but I spend the most time reading stuff that doesn't really pertain to my role, so that I can just pass the dumb test. It took like an hour to do that one.

rnraquel said...

I know our online education has changed so you have to actually go through each page of the education before taking the test. You used to be able to just skip through to the test and give it your best shot without reading all the material.
And yes we do have a shortage at our hospital. They may have to start offering bonuses, higher pay, etc.

Anonymous said...

I agree that some of the requirements for nursing are crazy, and almost impossible to get done. My mother is an RN, and currently, a nursing supervisor. I'm a teacher, and our professional development requirements or continuing Ed, get more ridiculous each year. Not only are we required to finish a master's degree within five years of being hired, but we are expected to complete 55 hours of outside-of-school time PD. No pay for it either. Yuck!

Anonymous said...

Actually our hospital has just cut overtime all together and threw more patients at all the nurses. And are now giving house supervisors patients and having them still do management rounding. Which actually means that other nurse has to take their patients too! If you take an extra shift during the week you get pulled off your regular shift where you get shift differential. And they wonder why people won't work extra shifts. Bonuses .... don't we all do this for the satisfaction of housing the shelter seeking .... I mean healing the sick.

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