Do nurses take more crap because of their percieved role in health care?

[warrior woman]

By this I mean we are always percieved to be the self sacrificing gentle voice of reason, who never needs time to themselves or breaks and never gets mad at anything. And is not SUPPOSED to get upset even when things are totally outrageous. I'm speaking about a situation about a year ago, when I worked LTC, I would bust my hump passing meds on my hall, some days on 2 halls if we were short, and when I woud finally by some miracle get a break, lo and behold a resident would walk into the break room, get refreshment from the machines and ask when I would be back out there. Now please pardon me, but I resent the living hell out of this approach. My break time and lunch time is MY time to be alone with my thoughts, or eating, or conversing with a co worker. To let residents dictate how long my breaks are is aboslutely ridiculous and insulting to me personally. Just needed to vent about this, and ask if any of you have had similar experiences, and couldn't say anything because of the Nancy Nurse tag the powers that be throw on us without asking us first. That's why I love Home Health Care. I'm never going back to facility nursing again!!! Peace and love to all, WW.

[warrior woman]

Anyone else out there need to vent?? It'll make you feel tons better.

[warrior woman]

Anyone else out there need to vent?? It'll make you feel tons better.

[cannoli]

Anyone else out there need to vent?? It'll make you feel tons better.

I could vent plenty, particularly about the fact that you're not supposed to vent, even when all hell is breaking lose. Sometimes I just can't help it, I wish I could (help it).

[cannoli]

Anyone else out there need to vent?? It'll make you feel tons better.

I could vent plenty, particularly about the fact that you're not supposed to vent, even when all hell is breaking lose. Sometimes I just can't help it, I wish I could (help it).

[jnette, ASN, EMT-I]

Of course not........because today's health care is NOT about the nurse, and it's NOT about the patient. It's about making $$$$ for the multi-millionaire CEOs of health insurance companies, hospitals, nursing homes and so on. Health care started going downhill when the business interests got into it and saw how much money there was to be made in it.......and we're at the mercy of these interests because EVERYBODY needs health care.

It will take nothing less than a complete overhaul in the way America does business to accomplish real health care reform. I don't see that happening in my lifetime.......and I pray every day that whatever malady may someday befall me finishes me off quickly, because I fear being old and sick in this country, far worse than death. :stone

Marla said it best. She's got it down. Can't add a thing other than sad, but true. :stone

[jnette, ASN, EMT-I]

Of course not........because today's health care is NOT about the nurse, and it's NOT about the patient. It's about making $$$$ for the multi-millionaire CEOs of health insurance companies, hospitals, nursing homes and so on. Health care started going downhill when the business interests got into it and saw how much money there was to be made in it.......and we're at the mercy of these interests because EVERYBODY needs health care.

It will take nothing less than a complete overhaul in the way America does business to accomplish real health care reform. I don't see that happening in my lifetime.......and I pray every day that whatever malady may someday befall me finishes me off quickly, because I fear being old and sick in this country, far worse than death. :stone

Marla said it best. She's got it down. Can't add a thing other than sad, but true. :stone

[warrior woman]

It's just so damn sad that we must suck it up all the time and take it, for fear of making people mad. Then people wonder why there's such a high burnout rate for nursing.

[warrior woman]

It's just so damn sad that we must suck it up all the time and take it, for fear of making people mad. Then people wonder why there's such a high burnout rate for nursing.

[roxannekkb]

It's just so damn sad that we must suck it up all the time and take it, for fear of making people mad. Then people wonder why there's such a high burnout rate for nursing.

That is where you are wrong. Nurses don't have to suck it up all the time, and if enough nurses stood up for themselves and refused to take it, things would start to change.

Respect for nurses is not going to appear by magic, nurses have to insist on it and settle for nothing less. There was a thread or two on here recently about nurses taking out the trash, and incredibly, many nurses did not see it as a problem. That they ended up taking out the trash because the hospital refused to hire more housekeeping. Some nurses were also cleaning the bathroom after their patient showered. Is that how you get respect from hospital administration, by agreeing to take on housekeeping chores? Don't nurses have enough to do?

Nursing burnout is primarily caused by the "good nurse" syndrome, the martyr who wants to make everyone happy. The nurse who takes an unsafe assignment, who doesn't insist on getting paid overtime for missed breaks, insist on getting paid overtime every time she can't get out on time, who allows doctor abuse to go unpunished, who doesn't stand up to unit bullies, who backstabs her co-workers instead of addressing the real underlying issues, and so on. There is a nursing shortage on, nurses should be in the driver's seat. So why are conditions worsening instead of getting better.

If a nurse just sucks it up and is afraid of making people mad, well, there's really nothing that anyone can do. The hospital admin will just keep laying it on if they can get away with it.

[roxannekkb]

It's just so damn sad that we must suck it up all the time and take it, for fear of making people mad. Then people wonder why there's such a high burnout rate for nursing.

That is where you are wrong. Nurses don't have to suck it up all the time, and if enough nurses stood up for themselves and refused to take it, things would start to change.

Respect for nurses is not going to appear by magic, nurses have to insist on it and settle for nothing less. There was a thread or two on here recently about nurses taking out the trash, and incredibly, many nurses did not see it as a problem. That they ended up taking out the trash because the hospital refused to hire more housekeeping. Some nurses were also cleaning the bathroom after their patient showered. Is that how you get respect from hospital administration, by agreeing to take on housekeeping chores? Don't nurses have enough to do?

Nursing burnout is primarily caused by the "good nurse" syndrome, the martyr who wants to make everyone happy. The nurse who takes an unsafe assignment, who doesn't insist on getting paid overtime for missed breaks, insist on getting paid overtime every time she can't get out on time, who allows doctor abuse to go unpunished, who doesn't stand up to unit bullies, who backstabs her co-workers instead of addressing the real underlying issues, and so on. There is a nursing shortage on, nurses should be in the driver's seat. So why are conditions worsening instead of getting better.

If a nurse just sucks it up and is afraid of making people mad, well, there's really nothing that anyone can do. The hospital admin will just keep laying it on if they can get away with it.

[warrior woman]

You know Roxanne, you are absolutely right on 100%. We should have certain things that we should just not have to settle for and let the powers that be know right at orientation, and if they balk, then walk away from the situation. self respect and sanity are way too important to sacrifice for the sake of money.

[warrior woman]

You know Roxanne, you are absolutely right on 100%. We should have certain things that we should just not have to settle for and let the powers that be know right at orientation, and if they balk, then walk away from the situation. self respect and sanity are way too important to sacrifice for the sake of money.