Denver Weatherman Loses Job over Twitter Remarks about Nurses:

KonichiwaRN · May 1, 2019

15 hours ago, TriciaJ said:
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 don't have any experience with Nursing home nurses..

but the stories about their patient-to nurse ratio is straight from a horror movie.

Yet, I am speculating that the public demands care that only a 1:1 constant ICU type could achieve..in a nursing home.

Daisy4RN · May 2, 2019

7 hours ago, SmilingBluEyes said:
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.

While I agree that ranting on Facebook won't help I am not sure that complaining to State or ombudsman will help (at least in the long run) either. I have seen this just boomerang right back to the nurse who then gets blamed.

I agree that patients need an advocate and find that very sad. I remember telling families 20yrs ago to "go home, you dont need to stay, we will take good care of your..(fill in the blank)". Sadly we can't say that anymore!

**CommunityRNBSN, BSN, RN** · May 2, 2019

People also need to learn that not EVERY thought that passes through your head needs to be posted publicly online. He could have told all his friends at the next dinner party that nurses are awful. He’d have gotten the support and sympathy he wanted, and kept his job.

Snatchedwig, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN · May 2, 2019

Seriously though whats up with people dogging us out lately?

Daisy4RN · May 2, 2019

1 hour ago, Snatchedwig said:
Seriously though whats up with people dogging us out lately?

1) people are entitled and/or dont know how to cope

2) we are easy targets and they know it

ORoxyO · May 2, 2019

I don't see why he lost his job as a weatherman over this.

People say bad things about other professions all the time. Heck, don't get me started on inaccurate forecasts! Agree or not, what does it have to do with his position? It's not like he is president of a healthcare organization.

People say good, bad and stupid things all the time. I think our country is going overboard with the knee jerk firings for having an opinion. Idk, I guess I'm just not that sensitive.

SmilingBluEyes · May 2, 2019

He lost his job the same way I would if I were deliberately derogatory and my work place were attached to my very public and nasty comments. Quite a few nurses actually empathized with him and tried to offer thoughtful commentary. He was particularly vicious to one of them. So it became a fire storm of HIS making. All of his commentary was from his KOAA Twitter profile. Wrong move.

It's why I took my workplace/occupation off my FB profile. I don't want anyone to think anything I do say (and I don't talk about work except in broad, positive terms) is associated with, or sanctioned by, my employer.

It's a good thing if you are gonna use Twitter, SnapChat, Youtube, Pinterest or FB to be careful what you say, and always keep in mind the audience viewing the comments. What we say can come back to haunt us. I have made stupid public comments I wish I could take back to this day. I learned like another member said, that my every thought need not be made public and to filter some of the things I do say. Once I put it out there, I can't take it back. It's forever.

I think he lost his job rightfully. I also feel horribly about what he went through with his mom. He had legitimate complaints, but chose to trash talk an entire profession of millions of nurses who are struggling and doing their best to care for sick people, who are definitely at their worst. The whole thing was almost Jerry Springer-esque.

I would ask public personalities and celebrities: Stop trashing us; start demanding better ratios and actual breaks for the people whose every decision can be life or death. Vote wisely and carefully as if your life depended on it; it does. Trashing an entire profession is not going to improve care for your loved ones or yourself.

JBMmom, MSN, NP · May 2, 2019

Do I think that anywhere near the majority of nurses are lazy? No. But do I have some coworkers that sit on the their phone and shop or text and then tell everyone they didn't have time to get up and help their patient? Yes! And just like amazon reviews, do you think to leave feedback about the 99 products that work as you expect them to? No, you put the effort into leaving a review (or making a comment), when the one product you purchased didn't work as advertised. Yes, acuity has increased and patient to nurse ratios have increased, but I don't necessarily think things have changed acutely- people just have more public platforms to bring gripes. I think cell phones on the floor are a huge issue myself. My family knows if they need to reach me when I'm a work, they can call the desk phone, I'm not available by cell phone. There are lazy people in every profession, we are just more scrutinized because people have sick loved ones (or are sick themselves) that need care.

SmilingBluEyes · May 2, 2019

I respect your post. But I disagree that things have not changed acutely. They have. I have seen the not-so-good changes over 22 years in several differing specialties. Things ARE getting worse. There are bad apples in any profession. But nurses, doctors, and other providers are suffering moral distress ( please don't call it "burn-out" and blame the victims)--- and sometimes act out inappropriately to relieve it.

Is it professional, ethical, or right? No but like anyone who finds himself in a really distressing situation day in and out, people are not at their best. The public doesn't give a whip until it affects them. Human nature.

BUT: A lot is at stake. Lives, people's welfare, including OUR OWN.

Daisy4RN · May 2, 2019

Agree that things are getting worse and nobody is listening (who can right the situation) because of, well you know, the almighty dollar. Admin knows and that is why nurses are told not to say things to pts like, we are understaffed etc. If we don't tell them then they blame the nurse. I still tell them anyway! It would also be helpful if ancillary staff did their fair share, but that is a different thread.

SmilingBluEyes · May 2, 2019

2 minutes ago, Daisy4RN said:
Agree that things are getting worse and nobody is listening (who can right the situation) because of, well you know, the almighty dollar. Admin knows and that is why nurses are told not to say things to pts like, we are understaffed etc. If we don't tell them then they blame the nurse. I still tell them anyway! It would also be helpful if ancillary staff did their fair share, but that is a different thread.

Well-stated, Daisy!

JBMmom, MSN, NP · May 2, 2019

3 hours ago, SmilingBluEyes said:
I respect your post. But I disagree that things have not changed acutely. They have. I have seen the not-so-good changes over 22 years in several differing specialties. Things ARE getting worse. There are bad apples in any profession. But nurses, doctors, and other providers are suffering moral distress ( please don't call it "burn-out" and blame the victims)--- and sometimes act out inappropriately to relieve it.
Is it professional, ethical, or right? No but like anyone who finds himself in a really distressing situation day in and out, people are not at their best. The public doesn't give a whip until it affects them. Human nature.
BUT: A lot is at stake. Lives, people's welfare, including OUR OWN.

I definitely stated that wrong. I completely agree that there is an increase in acuity and a decrease in staffing across all areas where nurses are employed. I think the part that I meant hasn't changed is human nature. There are great workers in every profession and there are people that want to skate by doing the minimum in every profession. For some reason, people often expect that all nurses are going to work tirelessly and always put the interests of the patients first. The reality is that doesn't always happen because nurses are people, too. Some go above and beyond, some do what's needed and some rely on others to pick up their slack. And, as you mentioned, sometimes the the increased stress of the situation causes hard working nurses to not be at their best on any given day. I just think that sometime people expect nurses to be better than human, forgetting we're just people.