It was a big moment. For the first time in my nursing career, I was wearing slacks, a sweater, and professional shoes instead of scrubs and sneakers.
I missed my sneakers, but I was excited about my new job in healthcare quality.
Then I got called into my new boss’s office.
“ICU needs you today. They might call you a few other days this week, too, to cover staffing this week.”
“But how will I train and learn my new job?”
“We’ll just have to make it work. I can’t say no to bedside care needs.”
“What about my deadlines for reporting?”
“We’ll just have to figure it out. If you get behind, give me a heads-up so I can find someone to cover you.”
No, this was not during COVID. There was no patient surge or mass trauma. This was normal, and healthcare quality was a second shelf priority.
I understand the principle of putting patients first, but what were the extenuating circumstances? There were none. Perhaps I was just an affordable staffing choice.
Nationally, our staffing process is out of hand, and it has been this way for a long time.
Managers are expected to train and guide employees, but they spend the majority of their time on the phone trying to fill empty slots in a series of daily emergencies. They are rarely trained or supported for this task, but they are thrown in to learn the rules and regulations during “on the job” training, leaving endless voicemails every day to beg staff for overtime hours.
By Gayle Porter
