Apathy in nurses and students

[freki]

I've always been a very involved person; admittedly I am a little biased on this subject. But I have noticed, both through my experiences working as a CNA, EMT and ER tech and as a student RN, that nurses can be very apathetic when it comes to anything outside the requirements of their 12-hour (or whatever) shift. I hear day-in and day-out the complaints from co-workers about the injustice of the system(s), without a single offer to really do anything about it. In America, there are roughly 3 million nurses. Only about 175,000 are members of the American Nurses Association. That is about 5.8% of nurses who care enough to give money annually to their professional organization. And how many of those are even involved? I understand that there are other professional nursing organizations, but I'm willing to bet you see similar rates regardless. At my own school, of my class of 50 students fewer than 4-5 ever participate regularly in the NSNA chapter and it's almost impossible to get anyone to do anything not required for a grade.

I'm venting about this massive apathy because I need help. I need some ideas on how to address this. I know you can't get everyone involved, but the numbers need to be higher. I'm looking at increasing, in particular, participation in my school's NSNA chapter and need ideas. Thanks! And also, discussion on this topic is appreciated as well.

[kids]

In America, there are roughly 3 million nurses. Only about 175,000 are members of the American Nurses Association. That is about 5.8% of nurses who care enough to give money annually to their professional organization.

I am not interested in joining or contributing to an organization that does not support all nurses. I'm also not interested in joining or supporting an organization that publishes position statements that conflict with my personal values.

You can't motivate people to join without addressing the reasons why they don't.

[sbostonRN]

I would love to join the ANA but honestly, it's way too darn expensive! That's the only reason I haven't joined. I realize there is a discount for new grads but even with that, it's too expensive for not much tangible benefit.

[SummitRN, BSN, RN]

The ANA has huge dues and does very little. That's my opinion.

[SeeTheMoon]

The majority of RNs in the U.S. are educated at the associates degree level, and a significant number of nurses are LPNs/LVNs. As long as the ANA continues to alienate these two massive segments of the nursing workforce, the ANA is going to continue to have relatively low membership numbers. This organization should be doing more to promote unity instead of separation and division of labor.

Always remember that united we stand and divided we fall.

So I take it by your post commuter, that the ANA does not accept memberships from those with an ADN or LPNs?

Or at least keep them separate some way?

I didn't know that. That's pretty sad.

[ParkerBC,MSN,RN, PhD, RN]

So I take it by your post commuter, that the ANA does not accept memberships from those with an ADN or LPNs?

Or at least keep them separate some way?

I didn't know that. That's pretty sad.

ANA extends membership to RN's and Advance practicing RN's. This honestly ****** me off, sorry! There are many LPN's who can work circles aroung RN's. In Indiana, there are only about six interventions (besides assessments and delegation) that seperates RN's from LPN's. CNA's are also a critical part of the healthcare team. If I did not have the help of a patient care tech or CNA, I would not be able to get everything done. I wish some of these organizations would realize that it takes everyone one of us to provide comprehensive health care to the patients!

[Streamline2010]

that nurses can be very apathetic when it comes to anything outside the requirements of their 12-hour (or whatever) shift. I hear day-in and day-out the complaints from co-workers about the injustice of the system(s), without a single offer to really do anything about it. In America, there are roughly 3 million nurses. Only about 175,000 are members of the American Nurses Association.

And most nurses are women, who have loads of child-rearing work and cooking / cleaning / laundry to do when they get home after work. Maybe their schedules are already full and their wallets are not. I've met a lot of nurses who don't really do anything except children, church, and job.

Nationwide, people are not joining organizations in great numbers. They have too many other things competing for time and money, or are working OT or two or three jobs.

At my own school, of my class of 50 students fewer than 4-5 ever participate regularly in the NSNA chapter and it's almost impossible to get anyone to do anything not required for a grade.

Yes, because if you don't rack up the points, you don't stay in the program. Nursing school is very time-consuming. Many students are tapped out, financially, emotionally, intellectually, and physically, just trying to get passing grades and complete nursing school. They, and I, do not need anymore activities cutting into what little study time we have. At my school, there are about 42 Nursing III students left of a class of 65 or so who started Nursing I. Most are non-traditional students who have children and spouses. The young child-free singles all have part-time jobs to pay for school. The school even pays our dues for NSNA. I don't know how many students from my class actually joined, but I would be that it was less than 12. I am sure that no more than 7 routinely show up for meetings, which are always held during lunch hour.

[SeeTheMoon]

ANA extends membership to RN's and Advance practicing RN's. This honestly ****** me off, sorry! There are many LPN's who can work circles aroung RN's. In Indiana, there are only about six interventions (besides assessments and delegation) that seperates RN's from LPN's. CNA's are also a critical part of the healthcare team. If I did not have the help of a patient care tech or CNA, I would not be able to get everything done. I wish some of these organizations would realize that it takes everyone one of us to provide comprehensive health care to the patients!

Agreed. In GA it's even worse. I have several LPN friends in my class for RN and they all say the only thing they can't do that RNs do is spike blood. I know a lot is facility policy too but in GA the scope of practice is so vague from my understanding. I think one of the biggest problems with nursing is there seems to be this great divide (even on AN sometimes ) LPNs, techs, CNAs, and RNs all work together, seems they should be honored together.

I'm just a student, but even I can see the lack of unity. Sounds like organizations like ANA isn't doing much to help that.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

I love getting involved for these reasons:

1. It puts me in touch with other students who are passionate about nursing in the same way that I am. This in turn energizes me, builds a network of contacts and broadens the number of people to whom I can go for support. I have made many friends across the state who feel the way I do about nursing.

2. I love the process of writing and debating resolutions. As a brand new nurse, I don't always KNOW what I should or do feel about certain controversial, ethical or clinical topics. Being involved helps me weigh things out, formulate opinions and learn how to vocalize them. Even if MY voice isn't the voice that carries the day, I got to speak it. Because I am a brand new baby nurse in the making, that is enough for now. It is part of discovering my own personal nursing philosophies. Whether or not I make a huge impact on a national level is not as important to me as just learning about my own personal practice ideals as a nurse. Being a part of the legislative process helps me do that. It gets me kind of high in a sense. I love it.

3. It has built my self esteem a great deal. I am an older student, second career, two teens and married and have always been a "sink into the background, don't make waves" type of person. Attending the conferences, Council of Schools, taking leadership positions have all stretched my definition of who I am at this point in my life. I am learning a lot about myself and liking a lot of what I am finding out. It gives me energy, purpose and helps me remember why I am doing this when it gets hard.

4. I am hopeful that my state level leadership position will help separate my resume a bit from the masses. It may, it may not. But it can't hurt.

5. It gives me social time still within the framework of school and pursuing my goals. My kids are older and have much less use for me now than they did when they were young. Rather than mourn the passing of their childhood, I am finding ways to keep myself busy in other things that are important to me as I learn to launch them into their lives.

I don't fault anyone for not being involved. I never once joined PTA again after a bad experience early in my oldest child's grade school years. Some people just don't enjoy this kind of thing or need it to meet any needs in their lives. I felt that way about PTA and totally get it when someone does not care for the politics.

I have had researching which nursing organization to join after graduation on my agenda prior to graduating in December. I am sad to hear about the ANA's stance on LVN/LPNs, ASNs and CNAs. I will definitely be looking into that stance and comparing it with other organizations as I decide where to put my energy next.

[PhoenixTech, LPN]

anyway, i feel like this thread keeps getting detoured into why people don't want to participate. it's valid for consideration, but i'm looking for ideas to get people involved. so, instead of why you don't/can't/won't, how about ideas for what would change your mind? for some, there is nothing. the rest of you...let's hear it! :)

incorporate childcare facilities at conferences and local meetings. make them more kid friendly, maybe free room and board for children at the hotels. more local conferences instead of one huge conference in say, texas when i live in nj.....i'm just saying.

guaranteed movement against politicians when our livelihood is at stake, not maybe we'll get involved but more like, "oh he** no, you will not keep opening the door for immigrant nurses to come over and get guaranteed work when we can barely staff our own american nurses!" (not trying to start a debate here, just hashing out idea's ) or, "no sir, there will be no compensation based on patient care survey policy! it always backlashes on the nurses and our salary plus benefits will be the first to be slashed!"

there you are.:thankya:

[Aurora77]

The SNA at my school just didn't interest me. It was a requirement that we join or I would not have. The primary focus was to teach us the importance of volunteer work. That's nice, but we were mostly older students (the mean age was 32) who WERE actually volunteering and semi-active in our communities. Why did I need to join an organization to do what I was already doing?

I'm still researching professional organizations. I won't join the ANA for 2 reasons--they exclude LPNs entirely and they advocate political views I cannot support. 'm offended that some nurses are being looked down upon as inferior and I won't have my money going to endorse candidates I disagree with.

[ZooMommyRN, ADN, RN]

Many of us choose to join the specialty associations such as the ENA - Emergency Nurses Assoc. here is a list that a simple google search found, there are ALOT out there

http://www.nurse.org/orgs.shtml

[freki, ADN, RN]

Good link. Thank you!