You maybe "stunned" but I am actually scared and shocked. If the issues you brought forward do not convince the community of Greenville to take their healthcare elsewhere, maybe this information will.
It was brought to the attention of the ER "administration" that there is an employee working as a registered nurse without a valid RN MS license. This is a total disregard to the professional standards set forth by the state for patient safety. The potential risks involved in this sort of behavior is inconceivable.
So who is actually to blame for placing patients in harm's way; the person in charge of hiring or the "nurse"? My belief is that fault lies equally between them. If you think about it, anyone can say they are licensed to perform a job, but it is the responsibility of their employer to be diligent in confirming this information.
DRMC has demonstrated a lackadaisical attitude towards patient care and safety.
First with the ER physicians leaving and now with the impersonating of RNs, when will the madness stop? I too will be travelling farther distances for healthcare, especially next month when the only physicians left in the ER are not certified for the emergency department.
Signed,
Shocked and scared
"Lackadaisical" is somewhat mild in describing DRMC's attitude toward patient care and safety. Now that they are the only show in town, why should they care about quality. Ninety percent of the nursing staff is comprised of "travel nurses" who are only there for the big paychecks they command. Few have any concern about patient care or quality. In 8-12 weeks, they will move on to the next travel assignment and DRMC's revolving door will keep on spinning!
If there are unlicensed nurses working at DRMC, that is indeed a serious offense. Yes, it is the employer's obligation to verify all licenses prior to employment. It is also their job to ensure the competence of both nurses and physicians who work there, whether as employees or contract labor.
With the employee turnover rate at an all time high, and the continuing use of travel nurses, the normal dangers associated with any hospital stay are quadrupled at DRMC. Should we be scared? Yes, we should be very scared!
Forthright
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3 comments:
this is the reality facing healthcare issues today- alot of hospitals are using travel nurses- that's just they way it is now...I'm actually surprised this particular hospital was not using them sooner and more often given it's geographical location of the hospital. Let's face it- the entire country is feeling the Nursing shortage, as a result, nurses are offered more bonuses and incentives everywhere- so as a nurse if you have the opportunity to live in an urban center at a state of the art hospital, and get paid big bucks- then why live and work in the Delta? Unless you are from the Delta, chances are you are not staying for the weather or the area because it is irreistable. Nurses are being lured to places like Florida and California all the time- why stay in Greenville? If you have family, that's another story. The Delta is just feeling the overwhelming crunch and shortage of nurses in the United States. Therefore, the only way to staff hospitals like DRMC that reside in an area that is not progressive or likeable, is with a travel Nurse. This is not a new phenomenom, travel nurses have been staffing hospitals for years. Like I said, I am surprised DRMC has not had to use them earlier than now. As far as unlicenced personel in the ER- is this maybe a new grad nurse who has not taken her/his boards yet? Or is this really lack of HR for checking their licence status. Either way, the lack of nurses in general should be of great concern to all. There are some GREAT nurses still left at DRMC and must stay and live in Greenville. Maybe we need to focus on treating them with the respect they deserve. They always have the opportunity to leave. As far as administration goes- it's what you know about who you know- not just who you know....
When Hubert Humphrey was running for President in the late 60's a slogan was coined that should be a slogan we could use for the mess a DRMC. If you all don't remember it, here it is... "DUMP THE HUMP"
Thank you, and remember to always carry a litter bag in your car, it doesn't take up much room and when it gets full, you can just throw it out the window.
As far as the ER physician's being board certified in Emergency Medicine, this should have been addressed some several years ago. Little did the public know that there has not been an ER physician at DRMC that holds a board certification in Emergency Medicine since 2002.
In May there were quite a few graduates from area nursing schools that have been hired at DRMC. This is the only way that the hospital can function without the travel nurses. Give these new nurses a chance, everyone has to start somewhere and they are being supervised by the very few seasoned nurses left. DRMC needs nurses from this area who care about the commuinity and not the paycheck. Where else would DRMC get them if it weren't for new grads? Last I checked there wasn't a "nurse store" even close to Greenville. Those guys "nurses" have got to have some help, they are being loyal to the people of this community by sacrificing there time with family and friends to work long hours where the hospital is not soley staffed with travel nurses. Just think, that could be your family member who just may not have time to drive somewhere else for healthcare. You will be at the seasoned nurses mercy and hope that one of them has been gracious enought to sign up for that extra shift until these new grads are appropriately trained. Yes, there are some frustrating issues going on at the present time involving healthcare in Greenville, but as said above there are some good hardworking people still left at DRMC!!
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