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Reflective Journal - Week 9

This week, our focus was on staffing and career development.

For our team activity this week, we had a staffing assignment where we had to staff a hospital unit for 2 weeks.

Proper staffing is key to a successful unit.
You are creating a schedule for a busy 24 bed surgical unit. Any nurse looking at the schedule you create, will be able to see what shifts he/she is working and who they will be working with for the next 2 weeks. You have been given the staffing ratios for the unit below. Staff the unit as if all 24 beds may be filled daily.
Information for the schedule:
  • A 24 bed surgical unit
    • Schedule is for the next 2 weeks (14 days)
  • Nurse to patient ratios:
    • 5:1 day shift
    • 6:1 night shift
  • Charge nurse takes no patients
  • 1 LPN works every shift.
  • CNA's are on every shift (8:1 ratio)
  • 1 Health Unit Coordinator (HUC) per shift
  • 3 nurses on vacation
  • 2 CNA's in educational training
 Good Luck!

It was difficult to do this assignment with multiple people trying to work together to create the schedule.  I didn't really like this assignment much, but honestly, it could have been worse.  I know that if this were a real life situation, I would have a lot more input and and I might not have the kind of staff available that I want or need.  For example, I might have several part time (or full time) employees that are very limited on what they can work.  Maybe Susan (idk) can only work Mondays and Wednesdays, and Katherine can only work Mondays and Sundays, but Jeff can only work on Sundays and Fridays.  Depending on the unit, it is also likely that the staff with be able to choose which days they would prefer to work, and while I would still have the final say, I would find myself wanting to accommodate the staff as much as possible.

XXXXX

As I mentioned, we also talked about career development this week.  It was interesting for me to think about, because I haven't really thought about it too much.  I knew I wanted to be a nurse, so here I am.  But beyond that, I didn't really consider moving forward with anything.  I don't have active plans to go on to be a CRNA or an NP or anything else.  

The lecture this week on career development was really good though, and made me really consider what I want to do for the rest of my life.  I'm still not sure if I will want to go on, because I am happy where I am, but it was definitely something to think about.  I can understand why it is important to consider when you are going to retire and what you want to do until then.  For example, I'm 21.  Say I retire at... I don't know, 65.  That means I'm likely going to be working for the next 44 years.  So I really should be thinking about my career goals and how I want to spend the next 44 years of my career.  Sure, I could stay in one place, and I'm sure I would be content there, but there's also plenty, PLENTY of time for me to change my mind and do other things!  Think of all that you could accomplish in 44 years!  The possibilities are endless!  


"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that our aim is too low and we reach it"  - Michaelangelo

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