Originally Posted by ingelein
DONE!!!! Brokenheart, are you broken hearted no more?
This has been a diversion. Hopefully a healthy one.
Having the support here definitely helped but the problem is still there. I am just beginning to think about what I want to do. I know that I am going to look back at the LNC. Floor / Bedside nursing is not for me. It's not the patients - as we all know here. It is the hospitals and the abuse. I am a good nurse and I have made a difference for many people. I have a way of getting depressed stroke patients to come through in their first days, a way of getting people motivated to get up and stand when they have been bedbound, a way with confused patients to keep from restraining them and more. The atmosphere of the hospitals has pushed me away from being at the bedside of patients that I can help. They choose, instead, to keep other less dedicated nurses along side the nurses that are living the nightmare that we speak of here. It helps reminding me that I am not alone. I didn't realize the number of nurses that left the field because of what we are writing about.
I am going to look back at the LNC that I paid for.
I have thought seriously about hospice and homecare. Probably hospice because all of my patients, families and co-workers said it was my calling.
My short term goal is agency. I'm going to look at the LNC and try it again. It was mostly lack of real work and needing money now that took me away from it. I'm definitely going to look into other areas away from bedside.
And I am going to do all that I can to get the word out about the problem that caused the shortage. I hope that the nurses that are fortunate enough to not be feeling what we are will still speak up. I see there has been a lot of views on this thread but very little responses stating that they went to the link. I hope they did anonymously. It doesn't hurt to try and we need to speak up....be heard.....reinforce the issue regardless of our own experiences. This isn't just for me or anyone here at the site, it is for nurses everywhere but more than anything it is for the patients. We all know that we need a setting in which we can do our jobs to increase the patient safety as well as their satisfaction. Keeping the patients safe and satisfied makes our day go much smoother.
I will feel better when I see the number of inactive licensed nurses return to work because the real problem is addressed. It would be a dream come true to see the money they are trying to put towards new nurses be used as an incentive to the hospital for nurse retention. Use it for services to help the nurses with stress or whatever else they need to help them retain their employment. Incentives for healthy management since this is where most of the problem arises.
The reality of this whole thing is very big for me. I was awake at 5am this morning worrying. I know that I can't bring myself to make bedside floor nursing an option. I need immediate income but my goal is to get away from it. I am done. I know what goes on there and I don't believe in it one bit. It has never been about going in and doing your job. It has always been about fitting in or keeping your mouth shut about unsafe assignments and figuring out how to get your work done when all the counts are against that.
I'm glad I came here. The responses helped tremendously. I know I am not alone. I knew it but being able to share with everyone here has helped through a couple of real tough days. As you can see, I have another focus which is more of a diversion but at least I found a link for us to speak up. California got things happening. Maybe I will travel there. The only way it is going to change is if we make it. Things have gotten so bad that we have to do something. We need the inactive nurses to come back and we need to protect our jobs and our future.
I hope people are clicking on the link. Here it is again. I will work on anything that I can to move this forward. I need support. Anyone that is already active in this, contact me and I will support you too.
http://www.safestaffingsaveslives.org/default.aspx
You can edit this message. But if you can't think of what to say, just follow the instructions and send it on. At least you are pushing another voice forward about safe staffing.
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