Dear Editor,
I refer to this article http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/overall-nurse-to-patient/2... about the improved nurse to patient ratio over the past 10 years.
Do the Nurse-Patient ratio stated in this article, 1:5 (1 nurse to 5 patients) have any specification on the type of nurses? Such as the Enrolled Nurses or the Staff nurses. Or does 1 nurse represent 1 SN and 1 EN? Both type of nurses are not having the same job scope, therefore if there is no specifications on the the type of nurses to how many patients, it will be a grey zone for hospitals to assign the number of nurses to the number of patients in the acute hospital ward setting.
Example: (If there is no specification on the type of nurses, as long as there is 1 nurse to 5 patients)
An EN is assigned to 5 patients during the day shift, They job scope do not let them serve medications (Just one of many), then the patients will not have their medications during the entire day shift. Vice versa if there is 1 SN to 5 patients in a day shift, there will be no one to change bed sheet, serve food, do ADLs for the patients for the entire day shift. And if they mean by 1 SN and 1 EN to 10 patients, then the nurses will not have the time to follow up on the daily changes/treatments/updates for the patients.
Nurses do not have superpowers, they are also humans made from flesh and blood.
This is a wicked problem everywhere in the world where nobody wanted to be a nurse because they earn very little, clean shit, work like a dog, lack of staff, heavy workload, get lots of scoldings Etc. Therefore, nobody join = more workload on each nurse. The more workload we have, the more it scares the public that nursing is not a good career to choose from.
SO HOW AND WHAT CAN WE DO TO CHANGE THIS WICKED PROBLEM!!!! DON'T EVER COME OVER TO ASK US TO THINK OF A WAY TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM, THEY PAY YOU FOR THIS. THEY DON'T PAY ME TO HELP YOU SLOVE THIS PROBLEM. SO STOP GOING FOR A 1 HOUR BREAK AND SIT IN THE OFFICE WHOLE DAY DO NOTHING AND STAY FAT....
Disclaimer: Not pointing finger at anyone. Stop being sensitive. This is just a general feedbacks.
Mr Tan
A.S.S Reader
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