I hate what's happening to nursing...

Nurses Relations

Published

Eight years.

That is how long I’ve been in nursing. Just eight years. I haven’t been on AN in a while. I used to frequent the site a lot to vent with others, and help others with advice. Well, today is a ranting kind of day, so here it goes…

I hate what nursing is becoming. It is become overrun with elite folks who have forgotten what it’s like to just get through your shift. It’s being taken over by money hungry CEOs that are finding neat little ways to package “customer service” with healthcare. Our intelligence is being insulted here! What exactly do I mean by this? Well, what professional do you know gets “scripts” to regurgitate at patients? Why is it that we are not trusted to do our job or say the right thing?

I understand that healthcare is indeed a business. It has to be. If it weren’t, we’d all be working for free. I got that. I do my job. I put my all into my shift. I advocate for my patients. I’ve gone above and beyond…all without recognition.

But, I’m deeply saddened…Now I’m being told that isn’t good enough. All I see for the future of healthcare is walking into a patient’s room at the end of my shift saying, “My name is______, if you felt I gave excellent care call 888-tell-them, and rate me a 10.” Heaven forbid you score less than 10 three times…

Eight years ago, I felt so proud in my whites on graduation day. I felt professional, neat, knowledgeable, and respected. Now, I feel burned up, and abused. For now, I stay in nursing…patients still smile, and thank me at the end of my shift. They cannot detect how I feel under the surface.

But, I am seriously considering leaving healthcare altogether.

I think my "wheels have fallen off" already many time times in my life...my father was hospitalized for 6 months when I was 14 years old...he never recovered and pass away 3 yrs later. Many of you may think I am young and naive, but I have seen the dark side of life and it is a scary place to be...perhaps that is why I get angry when I hear people complain about "petty" things. The truth is, reading these posts scares the hell out of me and makes me doubt whether I should be a nurse at all...and it makes it easier for me to deal with if I get angry. I would like to apologize for my "naive" statements...I know I haven't "been there and done that" in terms of nursing, but I am not completely sheltered from the realities of life.

I truly respect the profession of nursing and have a lot of empathy for what you guys go through on a daily basis...you should be allowed to b*tch cuz nursing is tough! I guess I just got upset also because I am choosing nursing as a second career to hopefully gain new meaning in my life...instead of being a "corporate drone", and to get away from all the b*tching and complaining that goes on amongst my coworkers now...I suppose I'll never get away from that though...it's part of life! Perhaps from now on I should stick to reading the positive posts that will encourage me in my decision! Thanks for all of the criticism...I have seen the error in my ways and I hope I am not shunned from the forum!

I think my "wheels have fallen off" already many time times in my life...my father was hospitalized for 6 months when I was 14 years old...he never recovered and pass away 3 yrs later. Many of you may think I am young and naive, but I have seen the dark side of life and it is a scary place to be...perhaps that is why I get angry when I hear people complain about "petty" things. The truth is, reading these posts scares the hell out of me and makes me doubt whether I should be a nurse at all...and it makes it easier for me to deal with if I get angry. I would like to apologize for my "naive" statements...I know I haven't "been there and done that" in terms of nursing, but I am not completely sheltered from the realities of life.

I truly respect the profession of nursing and have a lot of empathy for what you guys go through on a daily basis...you should be allowed to b*tch cuz nursing is tough! I guess I just got upset also because I am choosing nursing as a second career to hopefully gain new meaning in my life...instead of being a "corporate drone", and to get away from all the b*tching and complaining that goes on amongst my coworkers now...I suppose I'll never get away from that though...it's part of life! Perhaps from now on I should stick to reading the positive posts that will encourage me in my decision! Thanks for all of the criticism...I have seen the error in my ways and I hope I am not shunned from the forum!

Reenski,

It's not easy to come back onto a forum and admit that perhaps you got a little carried and were wrong. Even harder to acknowledge that fear is behind the anger. I admire anyone who has the ability to do so. Keep an open mind and always be willing to rethink your position and you will do just fine.

As far as what WAS nursing like twenty five years ago :).........I was on a unit where we really were a team. Not only did I not have to guard my back against my fellow nurses, they were the one the ones that actually had my back, as I did theirs. It truly was a team effort to take the best possible care of our the patients and to have as much fun as possible while doing so. I know it sounds unimaginable, but that really was my experience.

Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
I think my "wheels have fallen off" already many time times in my life...my father was hospitalized for 6 months when I was 14 years old...he never recovered and pass away 3 yrs later. Many of you may think I am young and naive, but I have seen the dark side of life and it is a scary place to be...perhaps that is why I get angry when I hear people complain about "petty" things. The truth is, reading these posts scares the hell out of me and makes me doubt whether I should be a nurse at all...and it makes it easier for me to deal with if I get angry. I would like to apologize for my "naive" statements...I know I haven't "been there and done that" in terms of nursing, but I am not completely sheltered from the realities of life.

I truly respect the profession of nursing and have a lot of empathy for what you guys go through on a daily basis...you should be allowed to b*tch cuz nursing is tough! I guess I just got upset also because I am choosing nursing as a second career to hopefully gain new meaning in my life...instead of being a "corporate drone", and to get away from all the b*tching and complaining that goes on amongst my coworkers now...I suppose I'll never get away from that though...it's part of life! Perhaps from now on I should stick to reading the positive posts that will encourage me in my decision! Thanks for all of the criticism...I have seen the error in my ways and I hope I am not shunned from the forum!

Of course you aren't shunned! I apologize for my unfettered flight of sarcasm, too. Honestly, this site has always been a place to come and share both the good and the bad, but right now our field is having a very tough go of it, and there is a lot of anxiety with new nurses not being able to find jobs. Heck, I'm between jobs as a result of the economy, too. I get depressed reading this site sometimes, and combined with my age I am inclined to think "why bother" at times.

There are positive threads. There are supportive threads. If you read one of those where "hey guys- I had a really tough day" you'll be amazed at the number of heartfelt messages of support . The nursing articles section has many first person accounts of that one patient or one things someone did that made them feel like yeah- this is why I do this thing despite the accumulation of stresses. Because after all these years if someone looks at me with wide eyes and says "thank you" in such a way - personally I can't put a price on it. Not too many jobs let you make a connection like that.

The truth is, reading these posts scares the hell out of me and makes me doubt whether I should be a nurse at all...

First of all, good for you for coming back on and replying....

Secondly, as to the above quote - the reality of nursing is a bad one these days. Sure there are still plenty of folks who love it, who have found there niche - but there seem to be many, many more who think otherwise. If I could do it all over again, I wouldn't. I would read posts such as these and use them to decide what I should do instead. There are other areas of healthcare that you could pursue if you feel helping people is a calling. But all the stress in nursing is not worth it to me. I am not afraid of hard work, by the way, but what is expected of us in nursing is impossible work.

Specializes in Telemetry, Case Management.

Twenty five years ago, the patients and their families respected the nurses. They treated us with respect, and nobody pitched a screaming fit at the nurse because their significant other couldn't sleep in the bed with them, or because they weren't allowed to have 17 cackling visitors at once. If the nurse said, "Excuse me, I need you to leave the room", by golly, they LEFT THE ROOM!!!!

People were sick and wanted to get well, so for the most part they listened when the nurse/doc said "Do this and this and NOT that and that." They took their meds, let you change their dressing, and did not demand you stop in the middle of a code to go get Aunt Betty (NOT the patient, BTW) a Coke!!!

As far as what WAS nursing like twenty five years ago :).........I was on a unit where we really were a team. Not only did I not have to guard my back against my fellow nurses, they were the one the ones that actually had my back, as I did theirs. It truly was a team effort to take the best possible care of our the patients and to have as much fun as possible while doing so. I know it sounds unimaginable, but that really was my experience.

I agree. We worked very hard, sometimes many times not with a full complement of nurses.

We ran our feet off, but in a primary nursing setting we were still a team. We answered a light for our colleague if he or she were busy.

There was no, "what amount of initials are behind your name",

attitude were all nurses and everyone pitched in. I had 2 charge nurses who were excellent role models.

Our teaching hospital encouraged learning, sponsored seminars and was supportive of those returning to school.

It was an atmosphere of learning and growth...

It is sad, but in someways nurses have been so busy caring for patients we have not cared for ourselves.

First, nurses (all nurses) never organized to address the issues as health care became more business oriented.

The national nursing organizations appear to address many of the issues

from their point of view, many times excluding input from what the nurses who are at the bedside,in the clinic, and on the front of many other patient care settings.

This at times has resulted in many changes being made that have made working at the bedside more challenging and in some settings next to impossible. At the same time, respecting nurses with years of dedication

has decreased in many settings.

By not listening closer to nurses on the front lines, national

nursing organizations have supported a "run for your life, drive thru" type care.

Nurses need to take back nursing.

Nurses on the front line need to speak with one voice, not a divided by the training level dichotomy.In order to move forward, nursing needs to review its primary focus, the safe care of patients.

And proceed with one voice that includes all levels of nursing. Nursing has allowed its jobs to be dictated by people who are focused in business and finance.

We lose good, experienced professional nurses due to the stressors each year out of the profession. Is encouraging a never ending supply of new nurses to replace them really the answer?????????????

To start new nurses at a base salary, to the business side it appears it is.

Because they know the cycle with continue. Twenty five years later, it seems its only about the money..

Specializes in MDS RNAC, LTC, Psych, LTAC.
And here I thought I was the only one who had a rough week, lol. Our facility, including critical care has open visitation, anyone and everyone can visit at anytime. We had been told by management that we would "always be backed" if we needed to ask visitors to step out for patient care. That only works until a visitor doesn't want to leave. All demands from "customers" seem to always be granted. Let's face it, people are less respectful and more agressive. Seriously thinking of a career change too.

Stressgal.. have the CEOs ever heard of infection control? People wonder why there are so many hospital accquired infections think about it. Its management's fault critically ill people most often are in danger of infection and when you let people visit with no control think of all the bacteria and we all know as nurses the common public don't even wash their hands properly or at all. That is crazy and I dont blame you for feeling like you do. I also last week was hired for a full time long term care job and due to some issues I had last year I lost my home this company which I can't name but I will tell anyone who wants to know via private message told me they cant hire me due to my credit report. I have good references and a clean nursing record and because i have a debt in a public record they will not hire me. I think why the hell am I even a nurse my patients dont give a darn I have bad credit I give good care that is also a result of corporations running healthcare . I am not buying the job and I am a damn good nurse but if I can't work how am I supposed to pay my debts.. its awful....

Specializes in MDS RNAC, LTC, Psych, LTAC.

Sorry for my freakout on my reply to you Stressgal but I was just called by the facility and told this after I had done orientation and worked two nights on the floor. I guess my credit report took longer to get ahold of than my background check. I am just feeling demoralized. I will keep looking but I fully believe healthcare has went the way of big business and I am just a worker drone not even good enough. I am mad though and I agree nurses have got to become one voice no matter what educational level or even financial level we all are and stop this. I just dont know where to start and who to fight. :crying2:

Specializes in PCCN.
[have the CEOs ever heard of infection control? People wonder why there are so many hospital accquired infections think about it. Its management's fault critically ill people most often are in danger of infection and when you let people visit with no control think of all the bacteria /QUOTE]

Yes, especially on my floor where the families let their kids play on the bed or floor of an ISOLATION patient- and the gowns, gloves, masks, etc are on a cart right infront of the pt room door.

But the customer is always right............ and can do what they damn well please.

maybe the ceo's think they will get further business from this

Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
Sorry for my freakout on my reply to you Stressgal but I was just called by the facility and told this after I had done orientation and worked two nights on the floor. I guess my credit report took longer to get ahold of than my background check. I am just feeling demoralized. I will keep looking but I fully believe healthcare has went the way of big business and I am just a worker drone not even good enough. I am mad though and I agree nurses have got to become one voice no matter what educational level or even financial level we all are and stop this. I just dont know where to start and who to fight. :crying2:

That was pretty mild as far as freakouts go ---- :) but I can really relate to what you're feeling. Things are set up nowadays almost to suck people farther down the drain let alone help people climb out . . . wages and benefits in my state have stagnated or dropped, leading to a huge debt burden if you have a catastrophic medical issue in the family which leads to poor credit rating leads to what you went through. None of it has a thing to do with how good a nurse you are. I know I'm a good nurse. I've participated in a few threads where I suggested we would all be better off dropping the divides and let anyone with the word "nurse" on their license join the same group and make it about numbers and solidarity. The focus is still squarely on an agenda formulated years ago, and rather than re-think that in light of the situation we are presently in a general attitude of digging in heels has been the response. It's sad to me to see what's happened over the years.

Specializes in Med/Surg, DSU, Ortho, Onc, Psych.

I don't think in Oz we have as many problems as the US RNs. We have many public hospitals where I've also worked my butt off and worked long hours, but they are not profit driven, though patients can choose to be admitted as a private patient and pay if they like thru their health fund.

I have worked for private hospitals and they are the same. But I still don't take any crap from anyone.

What about doing nursing agency work for a while? You could choose your shifts and days and where you want to work couldn't you?

I think many of us feel the same. I rang my old admin/clerical temp agency to get work. I don't know either if going back to nursing is worth it, though I've applied for some jobs.

Try to take some time out for yourself, do stuff that relaxes you, then look for other maybe less stressful jobs.

We all feel the same I think.

Specializes in MDS RNAC, LTC, Psych, LTAC.

Carol and Nursenl56,

Thank you for your words and I am looking into agency work and have some feelers out as we speak or rather type :).

I just felt humiliated earlier this week but I am a good nurse and I will keep on going . Its the only thing I know and the only thing I enjoy doing. :heartbeat

I agree all of us as "nurses " need to band together.

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