The weekly addition to the workload...

16 So every week, something gets added to our workload. And of course, "It only takes a few minutes!"
But they never take anything way. And all those "few minutes" add up.

At what point does management realize we're turnips and they won't get anymore blood out of us? Just once I'd like to check my email and be told that we have one less thing to do instead of one MORE.
That's an example of the magical thinking that two-year-olds, politicians, and too many managers use to avoid having to address the eternal problem of scarce resources.

If only nurses from all over would band together and let them know we've had it and demand better/safer working conditions. That is the only thing I can think of that would change things. Until we band together, it will continue to happen and any errors made by the ever increasing workload will be put on us.

Very sad, very sad indeed.

I understand how u feel. I'm not a nurse but i hear this from family and friends who are nurses. The higher ups view nurses as a dime a dozen and when they feel they can suck one dry with the impossible patient loads and other tasks, they simply replace them with another candidate. Nurses need to come together, I am sure something can get done If nurses stand up for their rights to be treated as professionals instead as being used as a factory worker. However, as long as nurses sit back and complain and say what they are going to do, and take no steps, things will not change. JMHO

Wooh, do we work at the same hospital? This week our new task was a continuation of last week's task that was supposed to solve the problem created by our craptacular computer system. So now we triple chart -twice in the computer and once on paper. I had the nerve to ask if we could take away the prior two "fixes" that don't work and received a scathing email in response.

It is nothing worse then giving your all, working the whole shift without taking a lunchbreak, holding your urine, doing excessive and redundant charting, enduring the gossip and backbiting, going above and beyond and the DON and other nurses make you feel so unappreciated. I have to constantly remind my self why I became a nurse because it is not about patient care and safety anymore. It is about documentation and saving a dollar. These are the reasons why nurses are overworked and burnt out. We all need a town meeting with the President, forget administration because they know that it is an employers market and nurses are so easily replaced. It is such ashame that as highly educated healthcare professionals we can be so devalued, but yet without us it would be a disaster, the healthcare system would literally shut down because we are the largest part of the healthcare system.

The thing that always annoys me is that it is always the nurses who are made to pick up these extra tasks. It seems that EVERYTHING is nursing's responsibility. Cutting housekeeping to save money? Well, just make the nurses empty the garbage cans. Why isn't some other department (Administration, perhaps?) ever made to pick up some of these tasks?

Quote from David13The thing that always annoys me is that it is always the nurses who are made to pick up these extra tasks. It seems that EVERYTHING is nursing's responsibility. Cutting housekeeping to save money? Well, just make the nurses empty the garbage cans. Why isn't some other department (Administration, perhaps?) ever made to pick up some of these tasks?

I suspect these tasks have more to do with making the documentation look good rather than something that actually improves patient care.

Quote from RNperdiemI suspect these tasks have more to do with making the documentation look good rather than something that actually improves patient care.

My managers add to our responsibilities every week too, but this weeks is a doozy. Tonite I am attending a meeting that will teach me how to check the ADL charting the CNAs put in on each of my patients. I was told from now on I will have to reserve an hour or more to do this before my last med pass every night (I have up to 41 patients).. We work 8 hour shifts. The time I have to spend with my residents is ridiculously low already.. I don't know what I am going to do on those nights when everything goes awry.

And ironically all of these "little things" that get added every week its always for night shift like we don't have enough to do already.....when are we gonna have time to take care of the actual patient...but I guess long as the paperwork looks good, everything is okay.