No burn out....enough is enough!

[joanna73]

Lately, there have been various discussions here regarding burn out and understaffing. While everyone has different circumstances and work policies, I think it's time more nurses started to assert themselves. I am a new nurse of 8 months, and my fatigue and resentment for feeling overworked has been mounting, until the last couple of weeks. I've finally decided...enough is enough, and I'm taking my life back.

I am a second career nurse, and the burn out phenomenon is nothing new. Been there, done that before. So this time, it doesn't take years to recognize the signs and put an end to it. I'm tired all the time and I feel like all I'm doing is working and sleeping. Part of the problem is that I'm working at a small facility, and we are already operating on a skeleton staff. When we're short, we're SHORT. So there is more pressure to work.

I don't mind picking up a few extra shifts here and there. However, when we are receiving regular calls to work ABOVE the extras...well, I've been saying no, and I'm very vocal about this, "No. I've worked overtime for months. I'm not doing it anymore. I need my rest."

At this point, I don't care how short we are. It isn't my concern. I also realized that if I continue to agree to work when I don't want to, it is as much my fault as it is management. Management is not going to make an honest effort to solve the nursing shortage if we keep saying yes. Similarly, they are not going to be there to care for us exhausted nurses. Just say no. I should also mention that I am unionized, so we cannot be forced into mandatory overtime either. But they try guilt trips instead. I'm just not feeding into that anymore. Since I have decided this, I am happier at work again.

I see death on a regular basis. One thing is for sure...when someone is dying, they aren't wishing they worked more. It's time for more nurses to say no. We have enough stress as is with the nature of the work. Why add more?

[SHURN]

It's funny because I was just saying this the other day. People need to stop picking up! When management sees we have NO ONE to fill in the holes, they will hire more nurses. Of course I got my head bit off for saying it - Gee aren't YOU so lucky that you don't need more money, blah, blah, blah. Yes, I understand that some people DO need the money. Many of the RNs on staff have spouses out of work, kids to feed, etc. So I do get it. It's just not fair to expect everyone to want to pick up. I don't have a magic solution. But seriously, as long as people do work OT, we will never be in a different situation.

[gettingbsn2msn, MSN, RN]

I know this is somewhat OT, but I find it amazing that daycares and schools have an adult to child ratio because of safety reasons. I'm surprised that states don't have laws that mandate hospitals to have ratios of nurses to patients for safety reasons. I read that California had been working on nurse to patient ratio laws. Did that pass? If it did, I hope other states will follow them.

To the OP, I am happy to hear that you are looking out for yourself. I know that it will give me the strength to do the same when I join the medical field too.

No mandated nursing ratio nationwide because of lobbyists for hospitals. They and the government are in bed together. That being said, California does have mandated ratio's. It is AGAINST THE LAW for nurses to have greater than 5 patients. Also, on a 12 hour shift overtime kicks in after the 8th hour. California nurses fought hard for this and it took years. This is why so many travelers want to go to California. It does not hurt that California nurses are the best paid in the USA. Someone will flame me--I do not care--that California has a high cost of living. Yes, it does, but I know people that go out there and pay 1,600.00/mo for an apartment. They make that much easily. If I was not in a brick and mortar masters program I would go next week! I may even go for a stint when I finish my masters just to make some cash.

[stefanyjoy]

There are over half a million nurses on this website, has there ever been a petition for a federal nursing-to-patient ratio law?

For facilities and practices that accept Medicare (vast majority in the US), federal guidelines stipulate that hospitals "have adequate numbers of licensed registered nurses, licensed practical (vocational) nurses, and other personnel to provide nursing care to all patients as needed" (42CFR 482.23(b). Unfortunately, this is pretty vague. I am not a nurse yet, but has AN done anything to petition an amendment to this that specifies the ratio?

[damrcngrl95]

I'm glad to hear that California did pass that mandate. It will open doors for other nurses in other states to follow. I hope you do get to go to California when you finish your degree. It sounds like they are making an effort to treat the medical personnel right. I have family in California and they say that the economy there is pretty rough, but both my in-laws are in education.

[xtxrn, ASN, RN]

I first heard it here but it can't be repeated enough. There never was a nursing shortage. There was and is only a shortage of nurses willing and physically/mentally able to put us with the impossible demands made on us.

In my experience, that depends completely on where you work (part of the country). "Never" really isn't accurate from where I worked in TX... :)

[SweetheartRN]

For me, it's difficult because I graduated a year ago and it took me 9 months to find my current job. NO ONE wants to hire new grads; 2 years of experience is what most employers want. Travel agencies want 5 yrs (at least in my area).

So...I feel somewhat obligated to be "team player" and be extremely flexible because my options are limited. I'm very lucky to have found what I did. But that's not an excuse to allow mgmt to take advantage of me, either. Right now I'm trying to find that happy medium of being flexible enough for them to keep calling me in, but not running myself ragged. It will work out...I think it's just going to take some time. The fact that I'm new at my hospital and new to nursing doesn't help.

Congrats on getting your MSN :) - there's a lot you can do with that.

This is how I feel too opossum. I graduated Dec 2010 and I have only had two interviews for hospital med surge positions from then to now. (Currently waiting to hear back from latest interview). During the interview the nurse manager was showing me the schedule etc.. and said "You know please feel free to pick up extra shifts on any shift. Just because you would be hired part time days doesn't mean you can't work more/and or work night shift as well." I just nodded my head and I was thinking....:grn:There were a ton of holes on the schedule......yet I was in competition for this ONE position with(according to the nurse manager when I did my phone interview first) A LOT of other nurses.

Ofcourse its cheaper to pay someone part time benefits who doesn't mind working full time hours and beyond. As long as staff continues to work this way...it will never stop. With me personally knowing how hard it is for new grads especially to find jobs I know they will pick up extra shifts bc they feel like they have to in order to gain/stay employed.

Because I am a "newish" grad (Have worked as LPN at nursing home/and have done home health/doctors office work for 5 mo as RN) I will want to work more shifts than I am hired for to begin with simply to gain more experience and feel more competent at a faster rate.....I do not want to do it because I will feel pressured by management or will feel guilty if I don't. After I feel thoroughly competent (maybe around 6 months in) I want to work what I was hired for. Why can't I be considered a good hire because of the good work/care I give on the shifts I am hired to work..not because I come in morning, noon, and nite? l think new grads feel more pressure to accept more shifts because they want to prove themselves to their managers and co-workers that they made the right decision in hiring them. But WHY is overworking oneself viewed as "great teamwork" and seen as the holy grail to proving yourself in nursing? Is it this way in other professions as well?

[Fiona59]

Joanna, head home to the Cdn. forum.

Starting a thread on this over there.