Those of us in the nursing field for twenty or more years have seen many changes to our profession, not in knowledge or scope of practice per se, but in the actual process of delivering care. We have rolled with it and adapted.
Until now. Somehow, this time it is different.
There is a distant whiff of change in the air, an ominous yet unseen brewing storm on the horizon that we can smell, and we instinctually know this is not just another policy revision; not just another economic dip.
There is a growing sense that nursing is being redefined as cheap, blue-collar labor, yes-men, and trained monkeydom. Especially floor nurses on the front lines.
Even my latest issue of "The American Nurse" is greatly devoted to the future of nursing and nurses who have or are furthering their education in the (hinted- at undercurrent) context of Health Care Reform, ACO's and Bundling.
Is education advancement enough? I listened to a flustered and overwhelmed hospitalist vent to me a few days ago, that they'd taken away half of the PA's effectively doubling her workload.
I see MSN's working the floor.
I see BSN's unable to find employment as a floor RN.
I see my own department ripped to pieces and sold to the highest bidder.
So, how many of you are rethinking your career path? If I was an Appliance RN (RN married to a high-earner and only needs a little income to buy the latest Cuisinart or a gym membership) I probably wouldn't bother.
My goal is for my husband never to lose his job so I can continue working one day a week prn as an "Appliance Nurse" (love the term). Hopefully I will not have to looking for another job myself since I can't exactly list what I wrote above as a long-term goal.
Praying that I can retire. That is my goal. All my lofty goals are long gone. 17 more years if Social Security lasts.
I am with you completely and sad yet relieved to know that I am not the only one who sees this trend. I never thought it would get this way. I thought our value would increase, but it is not. We are going backwards. Too many nurses. Supply and demand. Value is dependent on where we are on the supply and demand curve. Right now we are in oversupply so our price and value is low. Unless the profession learns to control our supply as therapists do we will continue to decrease in value. We need to come together as a profession and lobby the states to regulate things that ONLY NURSES can do. We need to have a uniform entry level to practice, and we need to better control the proliferation of nursing programs.
If we do these things we can stop this trend and keep our turf. If not we will continue to fragment and decrease in value. There is strength in numbers and together we are huge, but apart we are nothing but "cheap labor", very disposable. The nursing associations should lower their membership costs to encourage more people to join. That would be a great starting point.
Why are you trying to convince him otherwise? I plan on becoming a CRNA, just wondering why you took your position.
+1. I do believe there will always be a need for CRNA nurses, especially in the more rural areas of the United States. DNPs, too.
Also, according to statistics, while 13 percent of all U.S.-based nurses hold graduate degrees, less than 1% hold a doctorate. There is a dire need for nurse educators and researchers in this country. There also exists a plethora of opportunities for nurses interested in traveling aboard. Floor nursing or nursing in a hospital/facility setting are not the only options out there. So long as nurses are interested in keeping abreast with the profession (ie advancing one's education), there will always be opportunities to explore different arenas.
Guttercat I couldn't agree with you more. The landscape is changing before our eyes. Very soon we are going to pay the cost of not having a unified voice.
Dana Beth Weinberg wrote Codegreen in 2003, a very fine study on what she labeled the "dismantling of nursing". We are now in, what I consider, phase 2 of the dismantling.
Speaking as a bedside nurse, I feel the biggest current affront to nursing is in denying us our dignity. Without dignity, a profession does not have very far to fall.
Thomas_Spence, I am a firm believer that robotics will be infiltrating the nursing landscape in the not-to-distant future. I started a short lived thread here on this very topic only a few weeks ago. I hope I'm wrong.
Long term goal: I'm getting an MBA. From there I would like to work in Healthcare Administration, not Nursing Administration. Nursing is broken, a sinking ship I plan to survive.
Yes there is a need for educators because of the excess of nursing schools pumping out an excess of nurses with no jobs to go to. A sad state of a profession that is disjointed, unorganized and is failing to plan for the future.
By the way- the MBA I worked so hard for has done little for me. There are also an excess of MBA programs out there. Not a hot commodity right now. Health care does not recognize the MBA as valuable except in certain areas. Know this going in.
Specializes in Trauma, ER, ICU, CCU, PACU, GI, Cardiology, OR.
(thanks Mr. Bowie for the thread title).
Those of us in the nursing field for twenty or more years have seen many changes to our profession, not in knowledge or scope of practice per se, but in the actual process of delivering care. We have rolled with it and adapted.
Until now. Somehow, this time it is different.
There is a distant whiff of change in the air, an ominous yet unseen brewing storm on the horizon that we can smell, and we instinctually know this is not just another policy revision; not just another economic dip.
There is a growing sense that nursing is being redefined as cheap, blue-collar labor, yes-men, and trained monkeydom. Especially floor nurses on the front lines.
Even my latest issue of "The American Nurse" is greatly devoted to the future of nursing and nurses who have or are furthering their education in the (hinted- at undercurrent) context of Health Care Reform, ACO's and Bundling.
Is education advancement enough? I listened to a flustered and overwhelmed hospitalist vent to me a few days ago, that they'd taken away half of the PA's effectively doubling her workload.
I see MSN's working the floor.
I see BSN's unable to find employment as a floor RN.
I see my own department ripped to pieces and sold to the highest bidder.
So, how many of you are rethinking your career path? If I was an Appliance RN (RN married to a high-earner and only needs a little income to buy the latest Cuisinart or a gym membership) I probably wouldn't bother.
But as it is...I'm about to bother.
Undoubtedly, there's a lot to be desire these days when it comes to nursing, no doubt I can relate to the cloud that is approaching. Furthermore, this is the reason one can't lay in their own laurels any longer, besides being an RN I'm also a part-time real-state, plus I'm dabbling into the design industry. Wishing you the very best in all of your future endeavors...Aloha~
Specializes in Critical Care, Trauma, Neuroscience.
Nursing is broken, a sinking ship I plan to survive.
This is extremely depressing to hear when you're about to be a new grad in a few months and you've poured all your heart and soul into becoming a nurse
"Appliance RN".... I'm going straight home to tell my husband this is what I aspire to be!
In all seriousness, I'm a LPN and almost done with my associates then I'm moving towards my BSN (I'm getting older and am not sure I want to get a masters, I'd rather spend time on a tropical island instead). Why? Because I have to- or I will not be able to work- so says the powers that be.
Its sad when you get comments from people who are not in nursing yet. People who are pondering it or just starting their prereqs. They do not fail to consistently post what the "stats" say about nursing. They are gonna jump off a cliff based on those lies. But there is not a thing to do for them as even though this website is HUGE in the way of being a source of reality, these people will not believe a word. We'll see a post of 50+ thousand in debt, no job... for most of 'em in a little while. I wish I could put a bolt on these "nurse mills" that exist to make all of you chumps. Of course, there is a need for nursing educators, LOL!!!
Its sad when you get comments from people who are not in nursing yet. People who are pondering it or just starting their prereqs. They do not fail to consistently post what the "stats" say about nursing. They are gonna jump off a cliff based on those lies. But there is not a thing to do for them as even though this website is HUGE in the way of being a source of reality, these people will not believe a word. We'll see a post of 50+ thousand in debt, no job... for most of 'em in a little while. I wish I could put a bolt on these "nurse mills" that exist to make all of you chumps. Of course, there is a need for nursing educators, LOL!!!
LOL, hello again.
I've done my research as a pre-nursing student and while I am aware of the pitfalls many are experiencing it will not prevent me (and others) from pursuing the many avenues that exist within the profession. The constant "woe is the profession that I abhor" rhetoric of members on Allnurses is a sample and shall be treated as such. Seldom do I hear the same complaints from advanced practitioners, nurse professors, et al, many of whom are thrilled and love waking up every day to do what they do. While I am tickled by the attempt of others to dissuade the pursuit of entering the profession, it won't stop me from going full speed with my plans, especially as a prospective nurse of color who wishes to obtain an MSN and/or Doctorate in the near future. More racial diversity are needed at these levels.
I've done my research as a pre-nursing student and while I am aware of the pitfalls many are experiencing it will not prevent me (and others) from pursuing the many avenues that exist within the profession. The constant "woe is the profession that I abhor" rhetoric of members on Allnurses is a sample and shall be treated as such. Seldom do I hear the same complaints from advanced practitioners, nurse professors, et al, many of whom are thrilled and love waking up every day to do what they do. While I am tickled by the attempt of others to dissuade the pursuit of entering the profession, it won't stop me from going full speed with my plans, especially as a prospective nurse of color who wishes to obtain an MSN and/or Doctorate in the near future. More racial diversity are needed at these levels.
Those who are in these positions of high pay and high autonomy do feel differently because they are in a different world. I think we all wish to be in that world, but it is not always practical. Someone has to be on the front lines.
thelema13
263 Posts
Why are you trying to convince him otherwise? I plan on becoming a CRNA, just wondering why you took your position.
I have also thought about becoming an emergency doc. But the vast amount of knowledge that is necessary, it is a daunting task....