Worker bees?

[plumrn, BSN, RN]

I don't understand this profession.I have been a nurse for a number of years.In the past few years,even before the "shortage",the number of nurses in our hospital were cut in order to save money.All hospital employees were told , we 'must work harder and smarter' Well, did we ever! Now, it is a matter of routine that nurses working 12.5 hr shifts (no pay for that relaxing 30 minute,'scarf it down' lunch break),work at least 30 mins to 2 hrs over shift to get everything done.We very rarely get any other breaks during the day.Sometimes we are called away from our lunch to take care of something.We are in a run all day;gritting our teeth from the stress,continually saying "I'm sorry" to our pts because we didn't get there quick enough.We literally hold peoples lives in our hands at times, and other times their psyche, as they sometimes receive some of the worst news they'll ever hear.Why is it we are forced to work like worker bees? Never enough time to do what we as nurses long to do,and know patients deserve.I have heard so many nurses say over the past year "I'm going to get me a nice job at Wal-Mart." May be less pay, but there will also be less stress and I'll sleep better! (just had a rough shift and needed to vent)

[tiger]

don't feel like your all alone. i too find myself apologizing to my patients for not getting to them quicker even though there was no way for me to do so. our hospital did the same thing before any nursing shortage. my boss just came in one day and said instead of 10 staff you will have max 8. they cut all the nursing numbers back. j

[SusieQ1243]

This is an outrage! I'm so mad I can't even think straight.... Nurses are the backbone, the muscles, the very heart of a hospital and yet, consistently, they are the first ones shortchanged when it comes to help. When are hospitals going to stop crippling their quality of care and the healthcare SYSTEM by crippling their nurses?!?

Where was the supervisor when she/he was told to cut your staff back to eight? When are the ex-floor nurses working for the higher-ups (who most likely went higher up because of the working conditions!) going to stand up for their nurses?

Maybe I'm way off base here but I'm beginning to believe that going agency is the answer. If every nurse went agency every nurse could be under a contract that protected them, allowed them to work in the same exact unit they're in now, and paid them what they were worth.

This goes way beyond a question of respect... this is a matter of survival. Our patients survival, our very health and well-being, and the survival of nursing as a profession.

Look at the numbers. Look at the projections. Nursing is in big trouble. There's been enough talk. It's going to take sheer anarchy to get this fixed.