Simple steps to immediately address a workload issue
Published: 20 October 2011
You’re stressed and struggling under heavy workloads but feel like there’s nothing you can do about it.
Here are some simple steps you can take to immediately address a workload issue.
1. Check your nurse-to-patient ratio
Hopefully most facilities now have notional nurse-to-patient ratios published in all clinical areas. These ratios set the minimum number of nurses and midwives required for each shift.
Displaying the notional nurse-to-patient ratios is not discretionary. The ratios must be displayed on either the QNU’s notice or a similar notice.
2. Determine if you have a workload issue
If the number of nurses or midwives on your shift falls below the published ratios, or if skill mix or patient acuity varies, then you have a workloads issue.
Even if there is no notional nurse-to-patient ratio published in your area, you can still use your professional judgement to determine if you have a workload issue.
3. Address your workload issue
Contact your supervisor and request assistance to resolve your workloads issue. If the assistance is not forthcoming talk with your colleagues to determine tasks that nurses and midwives on your shift will not undertake. Tasks that you might not complete in order to ensure professional nursing or midwifery standards are maintained include:
- Monitoring visitors in the ward/unit/area
- Moving equipment or furniture
- Making beds
- Meeting attendance (unless required by nurses and midwives)
- Admissions
- Discharges
- Data entry (unless required by nurses and midwives)
- Answering telephones
- Filing
- Non-essential patient escorts
- Non-essential re-stocking
- Dealing with non-essential enquiries
- Bed moves.
Identify which of the above tasks will not be undertaken using the QNU’s Workload Reporting form.
4. Close beds
If you still have a workload issue after you have cut some of the above tasks from your duties then you should start to close beds in your area until staffing numbers match demand. You should notify your supervisor of the nursing/midwifery assessment of staff numbers and skill mix required to meet clinical demand.
You should advise your supervisor of bed closures to be applied as patients are discharged. As soon as patients are discharged you should close any empty bed.
Use the QNU bed-closure notice to ensure that your colleagues are aware of the decision to close beds.
If you are being pressured by management to admit patients to the closed beds you should immediately contact your local QNU Organiser or the QNU on 3840 1444 for urgent assistance.
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