[burn out]

It sounds like the one thing most nurses agree on is that the shortage is hospital created. (yeah, we agree on one thing). However I am very much
against unions but I would support a all nurse union ran and led by nurses
and for nurses only.

[chadash]

I think this is connected with, or a result of the nursing shortage. I went to our state BON and they had this list for Nurse Aide 2, I was wondering if you felt it was an appropriate approach:

1 Role of the Nurse Aide II
2 Oxygen Therapy - Setup and Monitoring Flow Rate
3 Sterile Technique
4 Wound Care: Sterile Dressing Change for Wounds Over 48 Hours Old (Part A)
Wound Care: Wound Irrigation (Part B)

5 Suctioning: Oropharyngeal and Nasopharyngeal
6 Tracheostomy Care
7 Peripheral IV Fluids: Part A - Assembling and Flushing Tubing During Setup
Peripheral IV Fluids: Part B - IV Fluid Monitoring

Peripheral IV Fluids: Part C - IV Fluids Site Care and Patient Activities

Peripheral IV Fluids: Part D - Discontinuing Peripheral Intravenous Infusions

8 Urinary Catheter: Part A - Catheterization
Urinary Catheter: Part B - Irrigation

9 Oral/Nasogastric, Gastrostomy, Jejunostomy, and Percutaneous (P.E.G.) Feeding Tubes: Module A
Oral/Nasogastric, Gastrostomy, Jejunostomy, and Percutaneous (P.E.G.) Feeding Tubes: Module B

Oral/Nasogastric, Gastrostomy, Jejunostomy, and Percutaneous (P.E.G.) Feeding Tubes: Module C

10 Elimination Procedures: Ostomy Care and Irrigation
11 Break-up and Removal of Fecal Impaction

[nursesarah]

are they stating that these duties are part of the Nurse's Aide's role? well if the aides are doing all that, what did i got to school for 4 years for? i'm not saying that an aide is incapable of doing these tasks....however part of our role as RNs is to not only do these tasks, but assess the patient at the same time. does a nurse aide have the education to recognize when something is abnormal? there's more to it than just "performing a task"...there's also the critical thinking piece and using your clinical judgment about certain situations.

i don't know if this would solve the problem. hospitals need to focus on retention. maybe if the RNs were paid on a level equal to our education and were actually treated as human beings, more might stay in the profession.

on a side note, in Canada, i dont think we have nurse aides. we have health care aides, but their role is very limited (i should know, i used to be one). it involves basic patient care, such as bathing and ambulating, and general gopher jobs on the unit.

[Retired R.N.]

Originally Posted by chadash

I think this is connected with, or a result of the nursing shortage. I went to our state BON and they had this list for Nurse Aide 2, ...

What state is this?

[ILoveMax]

Wow, propaganda huh? I have a marketing budget I need to show you. Nurses don't answer my ads. I have competitive wages and job responsibility. I have an idea... Nurses don't want to work anymore. People are scheduled to work for 12 hours but they don't want to work. One ounce of pressure to perform and they are gone. Then I spend more money to get another person hired. Then spend money to train them. It is a terrible cycle that doesn't stop because nurses don't want to work. There are not enough nurses working to meet the needs. This going to get worse.
My question is, How do we get nurses back to the field? Why are they leaving?

[nursesarah]

Originally Posted by ILoveMax

Wow, propaganda huh? I have a marketing budget I need to show you. Nurses don't answer my ads. I have competitive wages and job responsibility. I have an idea... Nurses don't want to work anymore. People are scheduled to work for 12 hours but they don't want to work. One ounce of pressure to perform and they are gone. Then I spend more money to get another person hired. Then spend money to train them. It is a terrible cycle that doesn't stop because nurses don't want to work. There are not enough nurses working to meet the needs. This going to get worse.
My question is, How do we get nurses back to the field? Why are they leaving?

perhaps there wouldnt be so much pressure if there were more nurses working. and perhaps more nurses would work if there were more than just 12 hr shifts available. 12 hr shifts are very draining.

[pricklypear]

Originally Posted by ILoveMax

Wow, propaganda huh? I have a marketing budget I need to show you. Nurses don't answer my ads. I have competitive wages and job responsibility. I have an idea... Nurses don't want to work anymore. People are scheduled to work for 12 hours but they don't want to work. One ounce of pressure to perform and they are gone. Then I spend more money to get another person hired. Then spend money to train them. It is a terrible cycle that doesn't stop because nurses don't want to work. There are not enough nurses working to meet the needs. This going to get worse.
My question is, How do we get nurses back to the field? Why are they leaving?

Why are they leaving???? They "don't want to work"? Are you a nurse? Have you ever worked short because you had to float someone because you had too much staff according to a nifty little staffing grid that called for 2.7 RNs - which means you round DOWN? To figure out why nurses are leaving the field or just getting away from bedside care, just poke around this board for a few minutes.

[RNLisa]

I am a new grad. I have applied to and interviewed at a couple of hospitals around my area. I have a 3.9 GPA, I have 2 of my clinical instructors (one of which is the Professor of Nursing) giving me great references and recommendations. I do not have a job yet. All of my clinical instructors have given me great final evaluations each and every quarter. Never had a bad one. I was always in class, never missed. I was always at clinical, always more than early, always prepared, always knew my drugs when asked, always knew what procedures I had to perform, etc. etc. etc. But, I have no job yet. I have the same training as the rest of my classmates, but most of them are getting hired because they "know someone" at the hospitals already work there. But, I do not have a job yet. I am getting ready to search online yet another day for a job. This was my dream to become a nurse. I am asking myself "Why did I do this again?".
Supposedly there is a shortage, well, why can't I find a job? I am willing to work, I am willing to learn, I am willing to stay close to home in the smaller hospitals. I am getting discouraged.

[natrgrrl]

Originally Posted by 2ndyrnursestudent

Supposedly there is a shortage, well, why can't I find a job? I am willing to work, I am willing to learn, I am willing to stay close to home in the smaller hospitals. I am getting discouraged.

2ndyrnursestudent-I feel for you. After reading this forum today, I am discouraged too. I thought that nursing school would be a great investment of my time. I thought after I was an RN, I would just be able to move anywhere I wanted, which is rural midwest, and get a job taking care of people.
Should I research my decision a little more? Maybe. Should I worry about all the negative things I am hearing? Maybe. Am I going to drop out of school? No, I still want to be a nurse. Shortage, discouragement and all.
I sure you will get a job that is right for you. Just don't get discouraged. (I know, I know...that's easy for me to say)

NatureGirl

[sunnyjohn]

*Joining Pricklypear on that soap box with her sign like Sally Fields in "Norma Raye"*

UNION! (or NATIONAL ORGANIZATION)

Sounds like burnout, retention and patient ratios are three big issues.
1.12 hour shifts are popular with many nurses, but we need more options to prevent overworking those who can't take 12's.

2. Patient ratios need to be enforced nationwide, of course common sense can be used to staff rural areas, but their must be some type of guidline and not this mish-mash we have now.

3.If you have a decent patient ratios, decent working hours and decent pay (and your co-workers aren't complete jerks) retention will be less of an issue. People are less likely to leave if they are happy.

Frankly we've gotta stand up for ourselves. As a "pre-nurse", if there's one thing I've learned from Lindarn, Timothy, Prickly and the other big dogs on this board is that YOU ARE YOUR BEST WORKER ADVOCATE. If you don't haggle when they offer you a wage, specialty and hours, you will get the shaft. A new national organization or cleanup of the ANA would be great but until then we can't role over!