[karbyr]

.................................................. ...............that would be the sound of my applause, orca

[karbyr]

btw, along the same subject..............staff meetings w/ entire focus on budget..............I once told my manager I would boycott any staff meeting w/ the word budget on the agenda that occured any more frequently than q 3 mos..............that I didn't go into nursing because I wasn't 'smart enough' to be an accountant, had a sister that was an accountant and I was the smart one in the family.................manager actually agreed with me...........needless to say, the powers that be got rid of her within six months

[oramar]

I just love the responses to my original post and I just love you guys. I am going to let this run a few more days and then a copy is going out to RN magazine just like -jt suggested . Don't people who write those "Uncle Tom" articles like Suzannasue describes realize they may one day be used to bludgeon real nurses into submission? My feeling is that these articles are either complete fabrications or are written by someone trying to brown nose their way up the ladder and out of the front lines.

[gwenith]

Unfortunately a lot of articles are published because of the "publish or perish" push in academia. Often they are the same content altered to fit a new format and published in different magazines.

[SmilingBluEyes]

Originally posted by suzannasue
The last time an article in a nursing mag made me angry was when the unit manager made copies of it and passed it out during a staff meeting...the article was written by a nurse who considered it " an honor " to be required to "wear many hats"...
such as televison repairman, housekeeper, cook, troubleshooter for computer problems, plumber, while working...first of all, I had already been pizzed by reading it in my own copy of the mag, but to have it thrown in our faces as an example of "how we should feel " ...well, I almost went nuclear right there in the meeting !!!!
Needless to say, my comment to the manger was "this is SO VERY CONDESCENDING, I cannot believe you have the nerve to expect us to take this article seriously "...then I ripped it to pieces right in front of her...

My subcriptions to nursing mags have become little more than a tax write off...I read what I feel is pertinent to my performance and blow off the rest...

where is the pukey icon when you need it? THAT is sickening. you manager made a HUGE faux pas if you ask me.

[oramar]

This is just a thought, I don't know how it really works. It seems to me that the bulk of advertisments in nursing magazines are recruitment ads. This probably represents a good part of magazine income. So a nursing shortage would actually be good in a very perverse way for the magazines. What do you think? Also, magazines of all kinds have a history of not liking to offend their REAL customers. Which in this case would be the people buying the ads.

[AAHZ]

I always figured that the only reason magazines and journals were published was to make money. The folks that advertise are paying the big bucks, therefore the magazine is going to print what these people want to read, or what they want us to read.
It is very basic propaganda. If you tell the masses that "all is well", and "be happy in your work", then the masses will begin to believe it. I am very curious to know how many people in our field read this stuff religiously.

[liberalrn]

Hey, I have come to an epiphany--it is all a plot! lol. Seriously, I think we are on to something....the hospitals pay for ad space, they won't pay for space on mags that criticize them or their ordinary business practices, ergo, we end up with articles like this blurb in the most recent issue of RN: cannot quote verbatim (I left the mag at work) but basically it was calling all managers to purchase all those nifty ANA sponsored (I swear it said that) pens, mugs, penlights what have you, for Nt'l Nurses Day May 6. These choice items can be personalized to your institution.......(I wanna blue one!) side thread: I find these little recognition gifts very patronizing--you want to show your appreciation of my talent--staff appropriately!
Oh, also re: my diligent research into this mag: didn't have a whole lot of time due to those pesky pts needing attention, but did read one article about a newborn who died after 7 days. A sad fact of life, but as I read this I coulcn't help but think about this thread. Apparently this RN didn't have any real conflicts w/ taking care of this family unit as they took the infant off the vent. etc. No other pts asked for this RN's time and/or attention, and the expiration occurred about 2 hours prior to the end of the shift. Sadness of this passing aside, where is reality here? In my world (not NICU), pts usually die around change of shift, there is no time or not enough time to provide the familiy with a mini-respite care (RN held baby for "awhile" while parents went to lounge)--I mean is this a Hallmark hospital or what?

Please, I am NOT dissing the compassion shown by this nurse nor am I dismissing the grief of these parents. It's just that to me, the story was just too pat. There were no interveneing variables such as pt ratio, time, personal issues the nurse may or may not have had,etc. It read like a bad romance novel or like an afterschool special--you know, all the problems etc. solved in one hour plus commercials......

[gwenith]

Sorry to keep saying this but I believe we must make ourselves be heard. E-mail the magazine in question state it as eloquently as you have here and they will have to read it. They may throw it in the bin afterwars but they have to read it. If enough of us took the time to do this they would soon get the message no matter who buys advertising space.

[sanakruz]

gwenith-
What the HECK is that a picture of??? The 50 ft wommin?