on the current state of work

I have refrained from posting much about work lately. Largely because it has become rather less than noteworthy. I still have no additional help. I still defer patients to other clinics because of it. The floor staff is still too short of full staff to help much at all. However, it is getting a bit worse now, or will soon.

The realignment that happened in January left quite a few people unhappy because they didn't get positions they wanted and those who did aren't necessarily happy with their selections either. So, there have been a lot of changes. A lot of people moving out and on to other positions in the department as they open and to other positions period often enough. What this has meant is perpetual under-staffing on the floor of EM. This has been burdensome, but manageable. Or was.

We had 3 charge nurses. One full time, and two others that alternated the off days of the full time charge. One of the part time people left a month ago. Now, the full time person is leaving (this Friday is his last day). That leaves just one part time charge RN. Not good. Additionally, two other full time nurses just put in their notices as well. We were down 2 others due to personal leave and another that was open and yet to be filled. We are entering a period of extreme under-staffing.

Largely, what happens on the floor does not affect me any more than my clinic load affected the floor. I didn't get help before, and I most certainly won't now. What it does though is make the goal of expanding services that much more remote. However, it does give me carte blanche to continue to dictate scheduling without regard to anything but my own limitations, because the cavalry aren't coming. So, I will need to just plan to be going it alone for the foreseeable future. Not a fate worse than death or anything, but disappointing as I had so many grander hopes for the clinic and myself. Grander than biding my time and eking through the days and trying to fly under the radar. Oh well. Better than triaging for damn sure!

So, I return to work tomorrow (after a long sick 4 day weekend.............god I hate being sick. Is there any way to feel less fulfilled with a day away from work than to spend it half asleep and half wishing you were?) kind of, if not really sad, downhearted. It seems like my department will never 'get there'...........and even though we were never all that close, it is a bummer to slide back down to being so far away from having full staff.