Is it me? What happened to nursing?

Nurses Professionalism

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2BRN123

166 Posts

^^^ I might agree with that theory if the individual were actually guaranteeing payment for the stay in advance as they do at hotel check in.

And what about all the people that dump thousands and thousands of dollars into health insurance whose payment STILL isn't guaranteed. Not to say I disagree here because I do, but its not hard to see why some people expect to be treated like royalty, they're paying as if they are.

minnymi

246 Posts

^^^ I might agree with that theory if the individual were actually guaranteeing payment for the stay in advance as they do at hotel check in.

exactly....MANY of these patients are on medicaid. not that i'm against medicaid, but isn't it enough that you're getting your care for free without asking the nurse to order something else because the one brownie wasn't enough?

Specializes in Med/Surg,Cardiac.

Medicaid seems to be a joke to me. I'm young and new to this, but it seems like all the ones I see on Medicaid are the ones who are admitted frequently. They are utterly non-compliant for the most part. I hear complaints about running out of medicine and not being able to get anymore and wanting help. But then they admit to smoking 2 packs a day ($10?) and drinking as well. Drug tests come back positive and of course they also expect frequent snacks that end up in a purse more expensive then mine while simultaneously playing angry birds on a brand new iPhone.

I may be callous, but I work hard for my money and can't afford to set foot in the hospital as a patient. I don't go to the doctor unless I'm dying. I could never afford their lifestyle, yet I'm the one supporting it?

I know this post started differently, but had to throw it in. End vent ... Now.

Specializes in SICU.
Ok first things first, I'm not in any way going to say I disagree with anything that anyone above me has said. Because I do 100%,

but....

With the soaring, intentionally inflated costs of healthcare.... 10-20-100 thousand dollars for a stay in the hospital....I'd expect to be waited on hand and foot too. Not necessarily by RN's though.

Lemme put it this way:

I had one hospital stay, for 14 days, 3 long bone fractures, 5 rib fractures, punctured lung,

The cost of that 14 days was more than the sum of all of the following:

The condo I have bought with my boyfriend,

Both of our cars

My entire out of state undergraduate education,

My nursing school education

Had I known that this stint in the hospital would cost me nearly $18,000 a night, I probably would have been a much bigger pain in the ass than I was.

So.... did YOU actually pay your WHOLE bill?

kcmylorn

991 Posts

I'd like to chime in-

perhaps it's that sence Of "entitlement" that has been INFLICTED on us

second- not all medicaid patients are JOBLESS. I have found that of the medicaid patients that are working, are working low paying jobs- such as minimum wage jobs( game stops, sales clerks in dept stores, McDonald's, even some office workers- receptionists, car sale person's who work on commission, waitreses in your favorite restaurant- even the very exclusive restaurants pay only minimum wage or even below; so the next time you skip out on a tip; think twice), and their employers do not provide health care benefits. There are more medicaid patients working than not working- remeber that. That is what the Affordable Care Act is about!!! I work in an inner city Public/Community Health Clinic as an RN!!!

Alot of Nursing's problem is it's Nursing members- Nursing has and is continuing to allow this situation to continue. Nursing rolled over and played dead and corporate America CEO's came walking in( in an industry they have no medical/nursing/science educational backround and hense know nothing about licensure standards and regulations or have any underatanding about any patient illness) in without a fight and took over. We no longer have any say about our own practice and our own licenses.

Not to mention - the nursing managers we are stuck with have little or no bedside experience and they themselves are unsure of the basics and standing on shakey ground. But; they kiss corporate butt really well.( mocha lipstick)

I am at "year 6" of nursing, and I can't help but notice that nursing jobs seem to be getting worse and worse as time goes by!

When I first entered nursing, there was a big push for appropriate acuity of patients, constructive patient-to-nurse ratios, quality of care, and a big push to ensure nurses had rights in the workplace for things like lunch breaks, no pressure for overtime, and a quality-of-worklife standard.

Now that the economy went sour, it seems like all of these workplace improvements have gone by the wayside, and we are moving back into an "anything goes" mentality, where everything is piled on the nursing staff, and if you don't like it, there is the door.

Is it me? Am I just tired? Or does anyone else notice this?

Well, I am on year 2 and this is the way it has always been for me and how I excpected it. Before I even went to nursing school I would hear from friends/neighbors of my moher complain of this who had been in the field since as early as the late 70s, what I saw in clinicals/ as a nurse extern and previous work experience in other fields where workers are a dime a dozen. That is the way MANY jobs are. It is more significant in nursing because lives are literally at stake as oposed to jobs serving martinis or retail. I have talked to nurses who have benn in it 20+ years and they say it has gotten worse, but who knows, it is hard to tell or keep things in perspective.

SonorityGenius

136 Posts

Until Nurses get smart on whats happening around them by posts like these, nothing can be done.

NURSES NEED TO WAKE UP AND REVOLT! We're not where the line ends at for ANY and ALL problems of the patient, the hospital, or the union. We're being scapegoated as one cause we just take it all in and try to fix everything. TV broken? Call the Nurse. Phone not working? Call the nurse. Dinner late? Call the Nurse. Tissue box not on table but on bed? Call the Nurse

When will the nurse stand up and demand equality and fair working conditions?

tntrn, ASN, RN

1,340 Posts

Specializes in L & D; Postpartum.

We have big glossy posters all over where the, CEO encourages patients to call him if they feel they havent been treated properly. Nowhere does it say call us if you wish to compliment the staff. During a staff meeting that he attended, i mentioned this and my feelings that is offensive to us, the staff that run their a$$e$ off because of poor staffing and the almighty productivity numbers. Do they really think we like feeling we cant do it all? And we cant do it all, but dont they keep piling on new jobs.

Even if the cost is $250,000 a minute. why is that nursings fault.(must be our huge salaries -then decrease them by hiring more new grads - this will decrease ratios too. pay us all minimum wage! better not let a big ceo onto this idea lol). Everything is nursing's fault, from drs not putting in orders after they told pt they would, to meals not being good, to housekeeping not cleaning rooms. all of it. i smile and recite scripts and bring in drinks for visitors, "if i have the time" if not well too bad. also had a visitor become grumpy and rude because our FREE TO THE VISITOR, coffee wasn't good enough, well i can become just as snarky back or completely IGNORE the comment. then to top this all off we are mandated AND GET TO WORK SHORT another 4 hours.......................... yay! one time a new grad told the pt we were short staffed and she was "talked to " by one manager and walked out of the office in tears when I asked her what was wrong she told me she was told we are not allowed to tell pts we are short staffed. ( i understand the idea but this lets pts think it is the individiual nurses fault things aren't fast enough not the hospitals). hmmmm.

tntrn, ASN, RN

1,340 Posts

Specializes in L & D; Postpartum.

I try very hard to not say short staffed to patients, but we have a white board that is supposed to be kept updated q shift, which lists how many staff are in duty.And i do NOT hesitate to let each of my patients know that i have other parients.

lovedijah

234 Posts

I think this is *most* jobs, honestly. This is an employers market. You have RN's considering CNA work just to find a job. It's crazy out here and probably won't get any better. Still in nursing school, so I have no experience with these difficult patients- but when I waitressed I had customers handing me snot tissues asking if I could throw them away. Apparently getting up and walking to the bathroom is too much. When I worked retail, it was the same.

Sadly enough, annoying people need to go to the hospital too.. so I can only imagine what is to come when I graduate. It is what it is, what can you do?

But then again, sometimes I think it comes down to the facility you work. Some people are lucky enough to find a place that values their employees.

OCNRN63, RN

5,978 Posts

Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
wish i could "like" this post at least 100 times---you have nailed it, wise woman!!

i love my job and plan to stay until i retire (or wind up on disability due to the stress levels), but i'd drop it like a hot potato if i had the option. i am so, so tired of families with nothing but complaints to offer and being harangued about issues i have nothing to do with: residents' laundry. missed beauty-shop appointments. billing errors. meal service. cold soup. beds not made. activities calendar not done for the day. i want to yell, "excuse me, but do i look like a (insert term of choice here) concierge?!" :icon_roll

but i just keep smiling and referring these nincompoops to the correct people, because that's what i went to nursing school for, right? :saint:

you know, that's exactly how it's become: nurses are concierge servants who can do a little bit of medical treatment on the side.

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