When I was working in Iowa, something that always ennoyed me was that most of the patients there were getting their treatments started at almost the same time.

For example, around 12-14 patients would come on or off within a half hour time window.

Therefore, it seemed that the clinic required around 4-6 PCTs or RNs putting on or taking patients off. And then the nursing staff still complained that they were understaffed. Then during the treatments there seemed to be a lot of "dead time" with the nursing staff sitting at the nursing station looking around for something to do.

This seemed really idiotic to me that this type of system was in place, and then it also seemed that the managers were complaining about the clinic being over budget. I ended up getting my PCT certification and helped out on the floor in addition to my biomed work, which was fine but I could never understand the system.

Would it not make more sense to have ONE patient come on about every 15 minutes or so rather than having all of them come on within a 30 minute time window, and halving maybe 3-4 nursing staff? This would have cut wage costs...and raised efficiency.

How does the nursing staff in the clinics you guys service do it?

The units I have worked at the patients go on tx every 15 - 20 minutes. The unit I work in now has 22 stations. There 6 techs and two RNs. Our RNs do not usually put patients on or off treatment unless the tech is having trouble keeping up due to patient problems (low bp, bleeding, etc). Usually all the patients come off then all the patients on the next shift go on. Our staff keeps perty busy during the "down time" taking vitals, making acid and bicarb, stocking the unit and doing water checks.

Feterlj, I'm not a PCT but I do know what you are talking about. The problem I see with your scenario is that every patient would have to be the same. In other words, all run times would have to be the same, no one could clot or bleed, everyone either gets heparin or doesn't. See what I mean. There are so many variables that you could never get it to be that routine. I know we have some patients that interupt the flow by coming early and demanding to get on or some come in late. That is just part of the deal.

There are CMS guidelines indicating patient to staff ratios, to include licenced nursing ratios. However, having everyone comming off as indicated could lead to trouble (i.e., hypotensive, cardioinfraction issues) and almost impossible to deal with. However, if these goings on happen at a time that CMS walks in, i'm sure they will notice and make recommendations. Good luck.