Denver Weatherman Loses Job over Twitter Remarks about Nurses:

TriciaJ, RN · May 1, 2019

I get that it wasn't easy dealing with a sick mother for so many years. What he didn't get was that nurses have everyone else's sick mother to look after, as well.

It's human nature to form opinions (and loudly vocalize them) on the basis of very little actual information. When you request your nurse and s/he doesn't respond promptly, the question is often "Well what is she doing? Playing cards?" The question SHOULD be: "How many other sick people am I sharing my nurse with?"

Mr. Matthews correctly noticed that care quality has declined over the years. What he didn't know is that it is because staffing has declined significantly over the years.

If the public stopped trashing us and started advocating for us (and ultimately for themselves) maybe hospital administrators would finally have to listen. Or maybe we'll just have to keep working to get safe staffing legislated.

Leader25, ASN, BSN, RN · May 1, 2019

This reminds me of another beloved weatherman losing career over some very inappropriate remarks.Have you heard of Tex Antoine? No,long forgotten by now.

ruby_jane, BSN, RN · May 1, 2019

8 hours ago, TriciaJ said:
Mr. Matthews correctly noticed that care quality has declined over the years. What he didn't know is that it is because staffing has declined significantly over the years.
If the public stopped trashing us and started advocating for us (and ultimately for themselves) maybe hospital administrators would finally have to listen. Or maybe we'll just have to keep working to get safe staffing legislated.

Amen.

Emergent, RN · May 1, 2019

We all need to be mindful of what we say online. I know I've committed some faux pas along the way.

If you have a well paid job, especially with a public persona, making opinionated statements that might inflame is unwise.

Hopefully he'll bounce back and learn.

Daisy4RN · May 1, 2019

You would think that someone who works at a news station would do a little research on the matter before posting. That said, he was obviously going through a hard time with his mother and I don't think he should be fired (or made to resign) because if one bad post. Education and on air rebuttal would have been much better, IMO.

Emergent, RN · May 1, 2019

8 hours ago, TriciaJ said:
I get that it wasn't easy dealing with a sick mother for so many years. What he didn't get was that nurses have everyone else's sick mother to look after, as well.
It's human nature to form opinions (and loudly vocalize them) on the basis of very little actual information. When you request your nurse and s/he doesn't respond promptly, the question is often "Well what is she doing? Playing cards?" The question SHOULD be: "How many other sick people am I sharing my nurse with?"
Mr. Matthews correctly noticed that care quality has declined over the years. What he didn't know is that it is because staffing has declined significantly over the years.
If the public stopped trashing us and started advocating for us (and ultimately for themselves) maybe hospital administrators would finally have to listen. Or maybe we'll just have to keep working to get safe staffing legislated.

I'm not sure if staffing has decreased. I think demands has increased. There's more busywork charting than ever before. More complicated systems, supposedly for 'safety', that have turned our workplace into a virtual obstacle course. Once simple tasks take 3 times as long.

The public has generally become more rude and demanding. Nurses are encouraged by management to kiss their backsides. This fosters even more entitled behaviors.

Acuities have increased. More and more comorbidities, diabetics, patients are more obese and harder to assist, treatments more complicated, med lists longer.

The system is starting to crack, it can't go on this way.

Daisy4RN · May 1, 2019

31 minutes ago, Emergent said:
I'm not sure if staffing has decreased. I think demands has increased. There's more busywork charting than ever before. More complicated systems, supposedly for 'safety', that have turned our workplace into a virtual obstacle course. Once simple tasks take 3 times as long.
The public has generally become more rude and demanding. Nurses are encouraged by management to kiss their backsides. This fosters even more entitled behaviors.
Acuities have increased. More and more comorbidities, diabetics, patients are more obese and harder to assist, treatments more complicated, med lists longer.
The system is starting to crack, it can't go on this way.

Starting to crack, LOL, it cracked a long time ago, it is down right broke.

Too bad his hospital didn't have Alexa, that would have solved all their problems!

TriciaJ, RN · May 1, 2019

1 hour ago, Emergent said:
I'm not sure if staffing has decreased. I think demands has increased. There's more busywork charting than ever before. More complicated systems, supposedly for 'safety', that have turned our workplace into a virtual obstacle course. Once simple tasks take 3 times as long.
The public has generally become more rude and demanding. Nurses are encouraged by management to kiss their backsides. This fosters even more entitled behaviors.
Acuities have increased. More and more comorbidities, diabetics, patients are more obese and harder to assist, treatments more complicated, med lists longer.
The system is starting to crack, it can't go on this way.

So more of us are required to properly care for the same number of patients. But the requisite numbers are still not being provided. It really boils down to simple arithmetic: the more work you need done, the more time/people it takes to do it. When hospital administrators are constantly trying to get more bang for their nursing buck, something's got to give.

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · May 1, 2019

The nurse to patient ratio has been rising. It's no wonder that patient families are feeling it. Until administrations who purposely under staff in order to save money are called on this practice, nothing will change. It's so easy to blame the nurses, and those in charge of staffing are perfectly happy to let it happen; otherwise the spotlight would shine all too brightly on them.

SmilingBluEyes · May 1, 2019

I know of a person who has a very sick loved one in the hospital for an extended time. She took to FB and had a very angry rant about the horrid, non-caring way staff treat her loved one and that being an RN, she can at least advocate for her. I can't say she was wrong, but it hurt my heart reading her post.

I think she's right about advocacy. I tell my loved ones and non-nurse friends, if they are hospitalized, they MUST have someone there to watch over them. Not because nurses are horrible, but because we are stretched too far, many ways, dealing with an increasingly sick and demanding population and charting systems that demand triple/duplicate charting and box-checking and a lot of time. I mean, seriously, make sure the grease board is current but what about surveillance over our patient?

This individual has not worked as an RN for years and I do believe she does not understand how bad it's gotten. In the last 10 years, I have seen many changes that are in direct opposition to improving patient care and outcomes. I wanted to tell her this; that she has no idea how bad it's gotten. But I will not give her a rough time during such a difficult situation. Her points are well-taken by me.

There were examples given by her that are blatant errors/dangerous near-misses or laziness. (at least by appearances). But I don't doubt for a minute that nurse assigned to this gentleman that day has at least 5, 7, 8 or more patients who are just as ill and need to have family advocacy but do not.

I believe I came into nursing cause I truly care about people. I am honest, diligent and as empathetic as I can be. But even I find myself under moral distress (not burnout) in the face of such a corrupt and worsening situation. The thought of the next 10 years of so scare me, not just for patients, but for nurses.

Studies are emerging: Moral distress can damage the health and psyche of any health care provider, and lead to dangerous and even deadly, consequences. It makes me sick as I write all this to have to say it. She is right; nursing care is definitely declining. But to blame the nurse totally is like blaming the waitress for serving a steak that is over done. It's sign of a broken, sick situation that nurses have little control over.

Not everyone can afford to quit work, raise their kids full time and be in the hospital 24/7 for their loved one. The one blessing in her situation, is she is able to do so. She is a wonderful person and there for him. However, the rest of us know how it is on the other side of the bedrail today, and no, it's not getting any better. She is damn right to watch over him. His life clearly will depend on it. This is so wrong.

But back to the original subject. This guy should have gone with his legitimate complaints to management, ombudsman, even the State---- whomever could address them to satisfaction. To paint a whole profession with such a broad brush in such a public way, does no one any good. And if I got my job wrong as much as weathermen can (weather and patients are unpredictable, aren't they?)----I would be without a license and someone, seriously harmed. He stepped in it, big-time.

KonichiwaRN · May 1, 2019

I'm currently arguing on a forum that claims we, nurses, act with prejudice for our patients.

A comment that causes nothing but raise conspiracy theories, is something that I abhor.

In this case, there would actually be people that believes all nurses act with such nonsense as alleged by a politician and a guy that points to weather patterns on a screen.