Banner may call themselves a non-profit operation, but do not be deceived. Sometimes the only thing it seems like this company cares about is how to make a profit. Since Banner bought out this hospital that was once directly connected to the University of Arizona, I have experienced some unfortunate changes that have greatly affected my ability to provide the highest quality care to my patients. The first thing to go was a 1:9 maximum tech to patient ratio. When the University was in charge, most of the time I had no more than 7 or 8 patients. I am someone who recognizes that the role of PCTs and nurses is about more than just gathering information and implementing a plan. It's also about being there emotionally for people who are going through a difficult time. In order to provide the best care, one needs to learn to understand the patient on a personal level in order to tailor one's approach to the patients needs. Banner upped our patient ratio to 1:12 immediately. More work expected, less time to attend to each patient, and no increase in pay to compensate. Furthermore, this company can't seem to hire and retain staff at an acceptable level. More people have left my unit since Banner has taken over than have joined it. As a result, we are understaffed nearly every day and night. Often times, we can't even provide enough sitters for patients who represent a danger to themselves. Charge nurses are not only taking on the responsibility of running the unit, but are also given up to five patients in addition. The wonderful men and women I work with have nevertheless managed to provide excellent patient care. But it's burning all of us out. Employees who used to have an especially optimistic demeanor have quickly become tired and jaded, and it's so sad for me to see. Personally, I'm getting burned out at far too young an age. When something comes between me and providing my patients with what they need, it makes me so angry, especially when it comes to something preventable, like appropriately staffing the facility. Lower level management is doing the best they can to support their staff, but it's plain to see that they too are being stretched beyond their limits. Make no mistake about it, Banner is about one thing: making money. Which, by the way, is in my interest too. Unfortunately the low pay I receive is hardly comparable to the work I put into it. (In fact, Banner recently realized they were paying their staff far lower than the national average and, in an attempt to correct it, decided to give us all a basically negligible raise (yay! 50 cents more per hour.))
