Be honest: do you feel valued by your employer?

Nurses General Nursing

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Every company I have worked for since becoming an RN has made few to zero effort(s) to make their employees feel valued. I only have 5 years experience. Is this really what I have to look forward to for the rest of my 40+ year career? Are there any companies out there that still maintain their integrity? All I can say is thank God for outstanding coworkers.

Specializes in ED.

Took a while but I've come to the conclusion I work for my patients not the hospital; although the hospital is legally obligated to thank me every other week for having clocked in. I try to get my affirmation from the conversations with my patients, I told the CEO one day that my best nursing for a particular patient took place on the bench under the oak tree after discharge. He acknowledged that, but my manager said after discharge they weren't a patient anymore.

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No, not at all. Where I work we're all just a number and it doesn't matter if you stay or leave, frankly.

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Specializes in hospice, LTC, public health, occupational health.

Update: the employer I'm leaving had a person from HR contact me asking for an exit interview yesterday. She said in email it can be done over the phone. I asked if she was available later that afternoon, but she said no. So I asked her what time would work for her, and she responded 10:00 a.m. this morning. So I'm waiting by my phone at 10:00 and no call. I wait ten minutes then check email to find a note from her apologizing about how she has a meeting at 10:00, and can she call me at 13:00 instead? I'm like :cautious: at this point, but respond that that will be fine. 13:00 comes and passes, and no call. At 15 after, I notify her that as of 13:30 I am unavailable for the rest of the day. I'm not, really, I'm just tired of being jerked around now. No call. At 13:45 I get an email saying, "Oh I'm so sorry! My alarm didn't go off!" I chose not to respond. As far as I'm concerned, they can shove their exit interview into the same dark, deoxygenated place they seem to confine IT. :mad:

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I am but a little donkey, tied to a large cart It is my master's job to whip me as much as possible, that I may bring out more and more ore from the mine. It doesn't matter how much I did yesterday (working a triple in a CVICU with an RRT call and 2 other vent patients with multiple vasoactive drips and hourly insulin checks). I'm in trouble when I black out and have to go to the ER.

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I am but a little donkey, tied to a large cart It is my master's job to whip me as much as possible, that I may bring out more and more ore from the mine. It doesn't matter how much I did yesterday (working a triple in a CVICU with an RRT call and 2 other vent patients with multiple vasoactive drips and hourly insulin checks). I'm in trouble when I black out and have to go to the ER.

Yes, there is nothing more sad than when one blacks out on the job, gets taken to the ER by ambulance, recovers enough to return to work, only to find out they have been unceremoniously 'terminated'. Even a donkey needs a carrot once in awhile.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

Of course I don't feel valued by my employer. They sure don't compensate me well enough for all the BS we have to put up with. Beyond the pay issues though is getting any validation from the employers that what we do is valuable to them. I can't remember the last time me, or anybody else I know got any acknowledgement for doing our jobs well but management is sure quick to let you know when nursing has to do better. It's way too common in our profession to hear " you need to add XY and Z to you duties and oh, by the way remember to punch out for lunch and clock out on time despite the fact that I've added at least 30 more minutes of work to your already impossibly busy day." This is always said without any hint of "thank you for your hard work and I'm sorry to add to your load." The attitude conveyed is instead one of this is how it's going to be and if you don't like it there's the door.

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Specializes in Nsg. Ed, Infusion, Pediatrics, LTC.
sunnyskies9 said:
Every company I have worked for since becoming an RN has made few to zero effort(s) to make their employees feel valued. I only have 5 years experience. Is this really what I have to look forward to for the rest of my 40+ year career? Are there any companies out there that still maintain their integrity? All I can say is thank God for outstanding coworkers.

Yes, very much

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I quite suspect that you would find that most employers in other lines of work are just as negligent when it comes to valuing the rank and file employees of their respective organizations. Nothing new in this observation.

Not really. The fact is, nurses are totally undervalued. I have two other completely different careers in addition to nursing. As a nurse, I have been treated with such disrespect it is shocking - not only by employers, but by other nurses. I have also witnessed this countless times over the years. When I do go back into doing patient care (and I only do so when I absolutely have to), I am stunned and sickened how bad it is. Yes, there have always been those few kind souls, but it is a systemic problem. I have NEVER been treated like this in my other professions. If someone has been a nurse - and only a nurse - they generally think this is normal and tend to get used to it, or they adopt this kind of abusive behavior in order to survive.

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Upstanding employers are not unheard of, though. Look at Huffington Post, for example. They are very focused on their employees' wellness and see value in keeping happy, healthy employees, as it increases productivity and creativity. In the past I have felt valued from my immediate supervisors, however, it seems like those days are gone, as my hospital has recently been doing more with less.

Hospitals don't want "creative" nurses. They want nurses who do what they're told. Period.

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Yes, I do. I've been treated well by my current employer of almost 20 years. I have excellent relationships with both my boss and her boss. And the CEO seems like a decent guy.

In fact, if I am perfectly honest with myself ... I am probably paid a bit more than I am worth to the organization.

Do you think this might have something to do with your advanced degrees?

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I feel valued every time I get paid. I require no validation beyond that. :smug:

LOL I feel the same!

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Not really. The fact is, nurses are totally undervalued. I have two other completely different careers in addition to nursing. As a nurse, I have been treated with such disrespect it is shocking - not only by employers, but by other nurses. I have also witnessed this countless times over the years. When I do go back into doing patient care (and I only do so when I absolutely have to), I am stunned and sickened how bad it is. Yes, there have always been those few kind souls, but it is a systemic problem. I have NEVER been treated like this in my other professions. If someone has been a nurse - and only a nurse - they generally think this is normal and tend to get used to it, or they adopt this kind of abusive behavior in order to survive.

Yes! This is so true. I've been a nurse in the hospital for 9 years and I can relate to your post to the T

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