Are you better off?

[SpankedInPittsburgh]

Hi Everybody:

Before Thanksgiving my nurse support group had our weekly meeting & the topic for discussion was gratitude. More specifically our counselor wanted us to discuss how involvement in monitoring improved our lot in life. A couple people there described how involvement in the program saved their lives and careers and I think that is a wonderful thing!!! More people were polite and said what they thought needed said to keep the counselor happy (I know this because we talk after the meeting). I told the counselor that my life was much worse in every category since being involved in the monitoring program. Literally nothing is better. Of course she hated that answer but it's the truth.

Anyway, I'd like to know if involvement in this program has made your life better. Are you happier now? More financially secure? Is your job better? Anything really. I'm simply curious

have a great day!!!

[burtis]

I'm one of the people who doesn't need to be in the program and I was initially certainly very angry about it. I'm still not thrilled about it of course but there are so many people in my support group that do need to be in it, so it's hard for me to still be too upset about the existence of the program.

While I DO think it's overly punitive, I DID do something I shouldn't have and fair play to them for that, I guess. This is the only job I have any sort of training for and aside from how expensive the testing is, I don't really feel that it's significantly changed my life in many ways. That said, once I'm off of it I'm going to take about 6 months to just travel as much as I can.

I don't know, it sucks and I don't think there should be a blanket one size fits all policy but if it's saved even one person's life then I am willing to be a part of it.

[catsmeow1972, BSN, RN]

Yes I did get DHG and Hppy mixed up. I was still working through my morning coffee when writing that. But anyhow, despite my moody postings about my low opinions of what I have been through the last few years and my particular program and it's associated disgusting practices, I am too stubborn to let them win. If and when I go back to nursing (today it is when, next week it might be if) it will not be because of them. It will be in spite of them.

[catsmeow1972, BSN, RN]

I'm one of the people who doesn't need to be in the program and I .......don't think there should be a blanket one size fits all policy but if it's saved even one person's life then I am willing to be a part of it.

If you feel you dont need to be in the program but are willing to be a part of this debacle because of it saving someone else's life is akin to taking chemotherapy even though you dont have cancer because it saved the life of someone who did.

I dunno, I'm not keen on being quite that much of a sacrificial lamb. Maybe I'm taking that out of context.....

[SpankedInPittsburgh, DNP, RN]

Yeah I agree with Cats. It's like I used to tell my patients (when I was allowed to work in my chosen field) "nobody is gonna or should care more about you than you". I used to save that for smoking COPDers, Diabetics in yet another self induced crisis and alcoholics and addicts who were yet in another horrible situation. If a person has a problem it should be up to them to deal with it & there shouldn't be some giant dragnet to suck in entire populations so some individual is "saved" from making horrible choices. Should we outlaw junk food because there are a zillion fat kids who will become diabetics and live horrible shortened lives? How about drinking because there are so many alcoholics (or yeah we tried that it didn't work at all). Truthfully, I would not subject myself to this in the name of saving that one nurse who couldn't help themselves. Nor would I expect any other nurse to do it for me ever. That's the responsibility of that individual nurse and god knows there are plenty of resources available which can be voluntarily availed of which is just the way it should be.

[burtis]

If you feel you dont need to be in the program but are willing to be a part of this debacle because of it saving someone else's life is akin to taking chemotherapy even though you dont have cancer because it saved the life of someone who did.

I dunno, I'm not keen on being quite that much of a sacrificial lamb. Maybe I'm taking that out of context.....

I guess if there was some sort of compulsory chemo for everyone with a given set of symptoms and most people who had said symptoms did have cancer, and the side effects of said chemo were that I couldn't drink a beer for a couple years, yes I would. I don't think you've used a particularly good analogy however, with all due respect.

Actually, I probably didn't really express myself very well either and so I apologize for that. I just don't have it in me to be mad anymore, I don't think it's productive to focus on the past. Instead I'm more interested in what my prospects and opportunities are going to look like going forward. Didn't mean to demean anyone else's experiences or feelings.

[catsmeow1972, BSN, RN]

Yes, but there are those of us who do not have that given set of symptoms and yet the same "chemo" is being forced upon us because those who run these things that are responsible for determining who really fits the given set of symptoms are more interested in stuffing their pockets with easy money.

If you are okay with falling on your sword for this crap, you go right ahead, I'm just not that chivalrous, thanks.

[burtis]

Well what are you doing about it? If you have some sort of real world campaign going, I would be thrilled to take part in it.

[SpankedInPittsburgh, DNP, RN]

What I'm doing about it is surviving this purgatory. Period. The other nurses out there now could care less about the nonsense these programs make me go through so why should I care about them? I think these programs are the way they are because they expose the dark underbelly of nursing. The backbiting, judging and hostile gossip and bullying. When I'm done I plan of looking at nursing for what it is & that's a means to a paycheck and a descent standard of living. Not a calling & not a life. I am devoid of loyalty or camaraderie to this profession. I'll do my job & the best I can by my patients but that's it. I harbor no illusions about nurses sticking together and helping each other. We are own worse enemy and that's why we get treated the way we do in the medical profession as a whole

[burtis]

Well, I'm certainly sorry to hear you've been having such a traumatic experience. Maybe you can find a positive outlet for your frustrations!

[SpankedInPittsburgh, DNP, RN]

I'm fine thanks. I have many positive things in my life. I loath this program but it is a necessary evil if I'm going to keep my job. I haven't let this cancer spread to the rest of my life. I "give to Caesar" daily and follow the rules of this nonsense to a "t" so I don't buy another day infected with this disease that I don't absolutely have to endure. I'm motivated by many things in life & won't let these idiots take any more from me than they already have and is necessary. The only cure for this is time & I got 800 some days & counting.

[burtis]

Can you petition for early release from your program? I can and I sure am planning on it, but who knows if I'll get it. Really, as long as I can find a reasonable job in the meantime I will be pretty happy.

[SpankedInPittsburgh, DNP, RN]

No they don't do that here. Your mouth to God's ear but I doubt such relief is coming. Thanks though!!! I'm lucky I work for the government and we have a union contract. I kept my job but was reassigned out of critical care which cost me a ton of money but I'm better off than many & I know it. I've seen many nurses literally lose everything they worked for. I'm way broke & contemplating bankruptcy but I'm hanging in