Published
What do you think is the major reason nurses leave the profession out of these?
1.) Nurse to pt ratio without accounting for pt acuity
2.) Scheduling of staff
3.) Nurses treatment of one another (Management's treatment of staff, etc)
4.) Pay (or lack thereof )
5.) Inability to provide the pt care desired due to administrative requirements.
All responses are valued! Thanks!:wink2:
I agree with most of the previous answers. The one thing I would like to add is the "too high standards of performance" we as nurses are expected to maintain. Doctors make mistakes, serious ones, and somehow are allowed to continue to practice. Nurses are expected to do our jobs, monitor the other workers on the floor and keep an eye on other departments and physicians as well. Nurses have become accountable for a lot of things we just do not have any control over. Like the unit clerk that enters the wrong type of test, the pharmacy sends the wrong dose of med, the CNA does not report a spike in Temp or BP, and a dozen other things I could mention. I am only human, I do try to practice in a competent manner, I can only do so much though. I am sure there are many other nurses who have reached the same conclusion. There simply is too much responsibility and accountability for nurses and not enough for other staff members, including doctors, in today's medical settings.
Very true, gitterbug. I see this becoming more and more of a problem - if anything goes wrong, blame the nurse. We're supposed to be omnipotent, I guess.
I agree with most of the previous answers. The one thing I would like to add is the "too high standards of performance" we as nurses are expected to maintain. Doctors make mistakes, serious ones, and somehow are allowed to continue to practice. Nurses are expected to do our jobs, monitor the other workers on the floor and keep an eye on other departments and physicians as well. Nurses have become accountable for a lot of things we just do not have any control over. Like the unit clerk that enters the wrong type of test, the pharmacy sends the wrong dose of med, the CNA does not report a spike in Temp or BP, and a dozen other things I could mention. I am only human, I do try to practice in a competent manner, I can only do so much though. I am sure there are many other nurses who have reached the same conclusion. There simply is too much responsibility and accountability for nurses and not enough for other staff members, including doctors, in today's medical settings.
There is a term for this, that I just can't quite call to mind. It refers to being held responsible for a lot of things while at the same time being fairly well powerless to change things that need to change.
I think that does frustrate a great many nurses.
Timothy: I think you've got it!
Even those of us who do believe that what we do is a "calling" need to feel that we are fulfilling that. Leaving work every day feeling that you didn't really get much of any value accomplished and that you left a lot undone is too much frustration.
I want to believe that I'm accomplishing something and making a difference. I also want to be well paid while doing it!
all of the above reasons.
more so now that the nhs is in crisis and very chaotic. no-one seem to care anymore ( it feels very much like this where i work ). has anyone ever notices that nurses are so often used as an emotional/stress/anger punch bags? by that i mean that when people have a bad day.... ie. sisters/management and even b***dy porters feel they can verbally abuse us! hence the fact that i am now trying to complete a course on graphic design and when succeed in doing so, i can work part time as a nurse and work from home being creative.
i still love being a nurse but there are days when you just leave work in tears coz of lack of support.
I'm not as happy as I thought I'd be. I thought I'd be able to do more for patients being a nurse, and I do--but with a lot less thanks, a lot more responsibility, and a tremendous amount of pressure.
If it wasn't for this board, I'd be going to work every day wondering what I'm doing wrong and wondering why I feel so frustrated.
But now I know--it goes with the territory. And the territory looks pretty bleak.
For me it is the abuse. That is why I wish I could leave nursing. I can't do my job because the acuity is too high for the amount of patients that I have. I am expected to do a lot of CTA work and my job too. No slam on CTA work, I just can't do both with 6 acutely ill patients. And being treated like a servant by my patients. Don't get me wrong. I love many of my patients, and wish I could do it all. But I am only human, and the super hero expectations with litlle reward, a lot of abuse, is too much for me these days.
If I had fewer patients I could deal with it. If I had more help I could deal with it. If the patients were nicer, and by that I mean not verbally, or physically abusive then I could deal with it. But when it is way too out of balance I can't. That is why I would like to leave, but don't know how I can afford too.
When I look back on the jobs I have left, poor management seems to be the key reason. When I reviewed your list I can see bad management as a causative factor for each problem. Too high of ratios and acuity; management problem. Poor scheduling; management problem. Bad treatment by other staff/management; certainly a management problem. Low pay; definitely a management issue. Inability to provide care due to administration; management problem. Seems that management is the key to job satisfaction to me. Sometimes in healthcare it seems that there are WAY too many chiefs at meetings in their suits and not enough Indians in the trenches providing the actual patient care. And if your supervisor is great, what about your supervisors manager, or even the supervisor's manager's manager. As the saying goes, ... it all rolls downhill.
I agree with Timothy. We've bought into the "nurse as self-sacrificing martyr/angel" model for too long. I am so sick of seeing nurses (myself included) who put up with only using the bathroom once in a 12 hour shift, eating a 5 minute meal at the nurses station, lifting loads too heavy for superman with no assistive equipment whatsoever, and putting up with abusive team members (md's mainly), without so much as a peep of protest!!! Why? Because we're nurses and we are there for the patients. Yes we are, or are we? We have neglected ourselves for too long and in my opinion that is why we have a shortage of bedside nurses. Not too many people lining up to be an angel these days. In my humble opinion recruiting new nurses with cute posters and sappy slogans will NEVER work. The only thing I see being effective is addressing the root of the problem. Which is what we are all discussing in this thread, the pathetic conditions nurses are expected to work under.
banditrn
1,249 Posts
Timothy - you are one smart guy!!! :)
I think #'s 1,3, &5 pretty much do it for me, altho the money is a factor, too. There have been a few nites where I felt like I did nothing but wipe poop, and couldn't believe that I was getting paid so well to do something like that.
Other nights, well, unless you're in the field, it's hard to explain to someone how truly hard it really is.
My husband is a project manager for a commercial building contractor - he's a genius at it, and loves his job. His job can be very stressful at times, too. But if he were to screw up, no one's going to die - hopefully. And he gets paid more than I do.
I just gave notice to the LTCF where I work, and have applied at another that staffs better. If this doesn't work out, I truly think I'm done.