hillarygayle | May. 21st, 2009

It's funny. I'm a pretty rational, logical person. However, inherent in my personality type is lodged a deep-seated complete loathing for a specific type of planning: the logic puzzle. You know the type: Bob is sitting next to Sally, who is having the lobster, but Joe is having veal and he's opposite of Sally but next to the person having cheesecake for dessert. So who's vegetarian pizza is this?

*screams*

When I was in the 8th grade, we were given yet another one of those to do in gifted & talented. We generally got them when Mrs. Hesse, the G/T teacher, had something else pressing to do for a few minutes. Busywork, really. One day, after staring at a partially filled grid for 20 minutes, I had an epiphany. My 14-year-old self grew a spine and took the paper up to Mrs. Hesse's desk. I held it up and pointed at it.

"We have been doing these things since the 2nd grade. Whatever lesson I was supposed to learn, whatever benefit I was supposed to get from these things--that has either happened a long time ago or I'm not going to get it. I hate these things. I want to cry every time you give us one. Right now, I'm getting nothing at all out of this, and as of right now I refuse to ever do another one so long as I am in gifted & talented." I'm sure I said this with all the woe-is-me, angsty drama that only a 14-year-old can muster.

Mrs. Hesse blinked at me. "...okay." She looked around the room. "You want to work on the stained glass window instead?"

I burned my fingers a million times. I've never been happier to do so.

All this to tell you: I hate these things with the burning, fiery rage of a thousand suns. HATE. And what am I doing right now? Here I will show you.

STAFFING & SCHEDULING

A new rehabilitation unit has been added to Memorial Hospital. Although you have been given certain constraints in staffing the unit, you may choose any form of staffing that fits the constraints. Your constraints are as follows:

1.All staff must be licensed staff.
2.The ratio of LPN to RNs is one to one.
3.An RN must always be on duty
4.Your budget NCH/PPD is 8.2
5.You are not counted into the NCH/PPD, but ward clerks are counted.
6.Your unit capacity is seven, and you anticipate a yearly average census of six.
7.You must use any mode of patient care organization.

Your patients will be chronic, not acute, but will be admitted for an active 2 to 12 week rehabilitation program. The emphasis will be in returning the patient home with adequate ability to perform activities of daily living. Many other disciplines will be part of the rehab team.

You have hired four full-time RNs and two Part-time RNs. The part-time RNs would like to have at least 2 days of work in a 2-week pay period, and in return for this work guarantee, they have agreed to cover most sick days and vacations and some holidays for your regular RN full-time staff.

You have also hired three full time LPNs and two part time LPNs. However, the part time LPNs would like to work at least 3 days per week. You have decided not to hire a ward clerk, but to use the pediatric ward clerk four hours each day to assist with various duties. Therefore, you need to calculate the ward clerk’s 4 hours each day into the total hours worked.

You have researched various types of patient care management and various types of staffing patterns. Your newly hired staff is willing to experiment with any type of staffing and patient care management system you select.

Assignment: Determine the staffing pattern you will use. Explain why and how you made the choice(s) you did. Next, show a 24-hour staffing pattern for a two-week period.