What Is This Career Choice Becoming?

[Caseyrnbsn]

I have been a Nurse for only 10 years now but the changes and stres level is significantly not upto my liking. How can we change this? I have not gotten a raise in 2 years , the cost cutting measures are getting ridiculous, and I'm going back to school just in hopes that I can get a better paying salary because I'm working like a DOG and nobody seems to care !!! MD 's are getting more lazy. Nurses are being sued mmore because they are the easiest target !!!!! There is not enough of me to get it all done right anymore! My charting barely covers my *ss ( hopefully). Is anything better going on in your institution? I know supposedly we will be in a NURSING shortage will that help or hurt further? I just can't stand feeling that if I could of only gotten to the patient sooner maybe that wouldn't have happened.

Am I starting to sound a little type A here? Oh well I just needed a little venting. I hope things are going to get better. I'm starting to get to old for mandatory overtime anymore. Thanks for reading

GOD BLESS

Karen.

[PPL, BSN, RN]

Hey, I ain't married to the guy!!! But, he sure sounds like he can carry his own water, ha-ha!

[bunky, BSN, RN]

Well that water will come in handy in Arizona won't it! Ha! Ha!

[debcote]

I know how you feel. I felt the same way. I was working on a Respiratory unit full time for a while. It was a busy unit. Every patient was on a vent. We had codes regularly. It started to get really bad when the hospital would tell us that we couldn't go home at the end of our shift. We would then have to put in another 4 hours of "Mandatory Overtime". The last straw was when I was orienting a Nurse Technician, and learned that she was being paid more than I was!!!

My life is a heck of a lot better now. I work for myself as a nutrition consultant. I am affiliated with an international nutrition company, sell their products to people, advertise in local papers, etc. I earn about $500 a week part time, but still work as a hospital nurse 24 hours a week. (I can't help it. Hospital nursing is in my blood!) It's much less stressful to go to work at the hospital when I know that I don't NEED the money. I can focus on my patients. Not to mention, a lot of my co-workers are clients at my nutrition business! You can do this too if you want. Call me and I can tell you more about it.

1-877-456-0547

I don't want you to think I'm advertizing or anything. I just found that I could use my education to excell in a part time business, and still do what I love. Helping people. If you think "Outside of the box" nursing can remain a passion, while ceasing to be a stressful form of income.

I think things are going to get worse before they get better. That's why so many nurses are striking.

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[Sabra]

WOW are you kidding here? Do you think AOPS or OR is less demanding physically, mentally or emotionally then floor nursing? Oh very wrong. I've been an OR nurse for 19 years and had been a floor RN for 3 years before this.

[BritRN]

i work full time in a 17 bedded ICU,in Vancouver BC, luckily we are very well unionised here. Basically the hospitals are held to ransom here. We get the money we what and are not made to do overtime. Hell its not perfect, we are short staffed too.We work on a 1:1 ratio and are very rarely doubled, as long as we have the staff but our manager wouldnt have it any other way.

all i can suggest that is if you really want something changed people would soon notice if you all either threated to leave its not as if they could replace all of you straight away theres not enough of us out there to do it and see how things might change.

or if you wanted move up here the money isnt bad and Vancouver is a hell of a city to live!!!