Contstructive discussion

leslie :-D · Mar 26, 2011

May we have civil, thoughtful discussion that avoids over-simplification.
Daniel

ew....who wants to have "civil, thoughtful discussion"? :confused:

personally, i won't participate unless i can b**ch and moan, argue, aggravate, and take out all my anger and frustration on my fellow posters.:throcomp:

i don't want to act mature.

whaddya gonna do about it?

leslie:lol2:

dankimal · Mar 26, 2011

I must admit, I love the computer throwing emoticon.

BrookeeLou_RN · Mar 27, 2011

Now there are some very nice posts about what one loves about nursing.. so not every post is a b**** session. But because venting and all are allowed this is a good place to come for that.. Not like you could say this stuff to your boss!

So far this week I have learned if I could handle colder weather I could move to Canada, be in a union and always get my break, and work with Joanna.. And don't any of you think I have not considered it!

roser13, ASN, RN · Mar 27, 2011

Contstructive discussion

First step is to use a spell checker.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Mar 27, 2011

I would welcome my American friends :) And it's not that much colder in Canada, unless you are used to States such as Cali, Texas, or Fla.

wooh, BSN, RN · Mar 27, 2011

One word: Unionize.

canesdukegirl, BSN, RN · Mar 27, 2011

Hmmm....my knee jerk reaction to these questions is to allow Versed to be aersolized through the ventilation systems in every OR and have a double dose coursing through the HVAC system in the administrative offices, but that would be seen as sort of a sabatoge on my part.

Your questions are valid, but we have been through these topics many times before. It seems as if there is not a realistic answer. We could all write out what we would hope to be introspective and well thought out answers, but unfortunately, the reality is that nurses are overworked, underpaid, expected to do their jobs without error and with the threat of license revocation should we make a mistake, thus destroying the livelihood that we know and wondering why we ever went into nursing in the first place.

OK, so that was the "jaded Canes" talking. In serious response to your query, OP, I strongly believe that if every unit were staffed adequately and if management were required to take a certain number of shifts every month in order to actually experience the hell that we go through on a daily basis, you would see a whole lot of happy nurses.

All we ask as staff nurses is to have a reasonable amount of support in order to do the task that are required of us. This can be support from management, or it can be support by augmenting the number of nurses assigned to a unit in order to deliver the kind of care that we WANT to give. That means actually spending time with our patients instead of us having to deliver "McMedicine" like we are working at a fast food chain.

We all went into nursing to CARE for patients. Nowadays, we are cinched by numbers. Management wants to turn a profit (and they should), but they go about it in such a way that the NURSES end up suffering, and the sad reality is that our patients and families also end up suffering. It should not be the way it is, however it seems as if the bottom line rules. And. That. Is. Just. Not. Right.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Mar 27, 2011

I guess that's the major difference between Canadian and US nurses. All Canadian Provinces are unionized, with the exception of a handful of facilities here and there. We receive decent pay, paid sick leave, paid vacation, and there are policies governing termination and wrongful dismissal. Furthermore, we aren't sent home or called off if there happens to be a low census.

We are understaffed and overworked just as everyone else is, and the economy is not great. However, Canadians are in better financial shape. Our health care system is funded by the government, so every Canadian is entitled to health care. Still, privatization is seeping into the Canadian health care system, which many are against. I think more US nurses should aim for a union. I've read some surprising posts on this site, which remind me to be very thankful for what I have.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Mar 27, 2011

Unfortunately, nursing has become less about patient care and more about the dollars and the paper trail. I HATE this, and I wish I had the time to spend with my patients. Sometimes I wonder why I went to nursing school, only because nursing is not about quality care. Sure, we're told this. But if upper mgmt and CEO's truly believed this, we would have adequate staffing and resources. The current situation is very disappointing. and everyone suffers in the process.

mama_d, BSN, RN · Mar 27, 2011

Ever watch "Fight Club"? You know the part at the beginning where Edward Norton is talking about his job, and how they use an equation to figure out whether or not to recall cars?

If healthcare didn't seem to embrace this same attitude..."how low can we staff the house before the chance of expensive litigation nullifies the savings of understaffing?"...I'd be happy.

Isabelle49 · Mar 27, 2011

Canesdukegirl,

Loved the 'McMedicine'. Fast-food medicine, that is what it is all about now. The health care industry is no longer that. It is a business and most of the businesses are 'for profit'. While I was studying to be a nurse, it was all about patient care and it was holistic. Once I graduated, it was starting to change. I was never really able to take care of the whole person and this includes the family as well - it is what we were taught to do and what we wanted to do, except now that I am in the home health field, I can do that and I can spend as much time doing it as I want. As I see it, there is a whole new breed of nurses - don't know what they are being taught, but often see or hear about them giving less than adequate nursing care, or only doing what is absolutely necessary and skirting problems every chance they get. I can't wait to retire.