Glad they are flooding the market with New Grads...

Nurses General Nursing

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I have been reading the threads & posts for the past few weeks and have seen the same complaints from LPN's and RN's. (saddly it looks like we have something in common) It doesn't seem to matter what type of facility you work in, LTC or hospital.

I have come to the conclusion that management is getting worse. IMO, it seems that they know there are thousands of new grads looking for work, so, they are taking the opportunity to raise the whip and demand the current staff to accept treatment that would have never been tried 5 yrs ago. We have no say in how our units are run and our input is at least disreguarded if not seen as contrary to policy. We are overworked and understaffed, made to be waittresses/waiters for patients and families, we now do housekeeping and maintanence jobs, get in trouble for staying over to complete documentation, and get in trouble if documentation is not as complete as they want (because we rushed to get out on time... like they want).

We are judged by survey results written by people who have no idea exactly what we do during a given shift, we are not supposed to use the restrooms, eat, sit down to document what we did, and heaven forbid if someone sees you on the phone (you may be talking to a DR, but you can be sure it will be reported that you were taking a personal call by a family member who's gingerale was not served fast enough). So, I am glad they are flooding the market with New Grads, at least the facilities will have nursing staff (abet inexperienced) when they burn out all the experienced staff.

Specializes in M/S, Travel Nursing, Pulmonary.
This sounds great on paper and all, but it will be interesting how quickly you are escorted out when you tell your DON this is how you feel! Hospitals are like hotels now because it is ALL about the bottom line. Were things like this is hospitals 30 years ago? No, do you know why? Right now I live in a a city where there are at least 10 different hospitals you can choose from to get your care. We are only 15 minutes away from a city that has an additional 3. So the hospitals are having to compete against each other to get patients in, to pay the bills, including nursing salaries. So if Ms. Whiner goes to A hosptial and all of the nurses tell her they aren't getting her a ginger ale because they are to busy, she is going to tell everyone she knows not to go to A hospital because they nurses are rude, even though she might have got great patient care. Yes, nursing used to be all about great patient care but in today's society where people want it all, with a smile, and quickly, it is the current trend. If you don't think you can provide this then maybe healthcare isn't for you, because this trend isn't going anywhere because Americans are spoiled!

Should hospitals hire more people to help? Yes they should, but they can't because people come to get care then don't pay their bill...that's a whole different post though.

Actually, my point is, they are less like hotels now. While admin. claims to be committed to "5 star pt care" blah blah............their actions don't support it. Less staff, less resources to give that "customer focused care" (note my unit that quit stocking deodorant) and policies that focus more on paperwork than on pt. care...............doesn't get good service.

I can only draw one of two conclusions from this:

1. They are complete idiots about obtaining what they want. Probably drank bleach on a regular basis when they were younger and now the results are showing.

2. They lie, and could not be any less committed to creating an atmosphere in which a "good customer experience" is possible.

Me, eh, I lean towards #2. Number one is probably true of a few of them, but as a whole number two applies to the group. They have the perfect conditions to work their magic under. They make decision after decision that sets the hospital up for failure, a nurse or two are thrown under the bus, funds are cut but that gets taken outta the pool of money actually going into the business and...............the circle repeats. Politicians are too detached to be concerned with breaking the cycle so no one challenges how things are done.

Of what advantage is it to hospital admin. to actually run the hospital the way the general public wants it? You are forced to give away your product for free, many don't pay their bills, frequently even when you do the right thing you are made out to be the bad guy and you have to take directions from hundreds of outsiders with no place making decisions for you (insurances, politicians). Much easier to go about it by taking advantage of the system, at least that way they get paid even if the work force doesn't.

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Specializes in ICU + Infection Prevention.

Nurses are allowing this to happen.

Who do you think starts and teaches unneeded nursing school after unneeded school? NURSES!

Who do you think runs the accrediting agencies and nursing boards that certify these unneeded schools? NURSES!

Who runs the professional organizations who sit idly by while all this happens instead of screaming to the politicians and the press? NURSES!

Nurses are empowering management to treat nurses this way by allowing the education industry to make the job market and employers market.

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Having been a patient myself as an RN educator, I can see why nurses feel that patients are "getting free care" or "not paying their bills." I just got insurance again after many months without it. I just had a terrible fall and fractured my wrist. You would not believe the EXTREMELY HIGH cost of hospital/doctor care. Maybe that's why patients feel they deserve to be treated with kid gloves. I truly believe that health care costs have skyrocketed and politicians have all sat back and let this happen. If even 10% of my bills went to "nursing" care, I'd be delighted. Despite being short staffed, the nurses were extremely caring and professional, did their jobs extremely well. Nurses have never gotten paid what they deserve. As far as the idea of hospitals telling patients how to behave, keep dreaming. You would be very naive to think that this hasn't always been the case. It's a sad day in this country when nurses don't understand that the BIG DOLLAR if the bottom line in ANY business. That is true for health care also. Be mean to patients and you'll lose your job. I suggest that as nurses consumers we need to pay attention to what is going on in today's political environment. Nurses must unite and have a say in what's happening in healthcare. Don't keep your head buried.

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Specializes in floor to ICU.
Nurses are allowing this to happen.

Who do you think starts and teaches unneeded nursing school after unneeded school? NURSES!

Who do you think runs the accrediting agencies and nursing boards that certify these unneeded schools? NURSES!

Who runs the professional organizations who sit idly by while all this happens instead of screaming to the politicians and the press? NURSES!

Nurses are empowering management to treat nurses this way by allowing the education industry to make the job market and employers market.

You are a student, correct? I am curious as to what your plan of action is going to be after you graduate and begin your career as a nurse? What role do you see yourself playing in fixing the above mentioned?

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Specializes in ICU + Infection Prevention.

Right now I'm trying to make my fellow students and potential students aware of the issues. Once I am a nurse, I plan to become active in professional organizations, in pushing them towards lobbying more strongly in the right ways to protect the interests of nurses. I think that is what most nurses can do about the problem.

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Wow, this really makes me sad!!:crying2: I am in nursing school right now and one of my concerns was that I would be looked at like the "grad nurse." I am more than willing to do my "time" and learn from you more experienced nurses. Please have patience with us. You, after all, were once the new kids on the block.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
Wow, this really makes me sad!!:crying2: I am in nursing school right now and one of my concerns was that I would be looked at like the "grad nurse." I am more than willing to do my "time" and learn from you more experienced nurses. Please have patience with us. You, after all, were once the new kids on the block.

No worries the new grads aren't the problem, most times. :D I have had wonderful experiences with the many new grads and only a few that really were not suited for our unit. Speaking only for myself it is more about the hospitals, especially the prestigious, highly regarded hospitals that feel their fine reputation and name should be payment enough. They do not pay a decent wage or retain experienced nurses while flooding the units with new grads as cheap labor every year and there is the problem, imo.

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Specializes in Cardiac Cath Lab, LTC.

I have to agree pretty much with all the posts so far. I am a LPN (30 years now and about to finish my BSN) and I am a unit manager in a LTC facility. I have to say as a part of management, it's hard. As a nurse, it's taken me YEARS of bouncing around to find a "good" place to work and it's still not great :( I think we all put up with how Admistration deals with us because we feel we have to, and in a sense, we do. They look at health care from a money view point and expect us to cowtow to our "residents". When the hell did it become wrong to call a patient a patient? I also have been around long enough to know that if you leave a job on principle......it really doesn't affect the company, they go with or without you.

I know my Administrator makes me send nurses home early a lot (when our census is low) and like one poster stated, Admin doesn't understand why the nurses can't get 8 hours of work done in 4 and he wonders why I am behind on my manageral paperwork when I have to work a cart 1/2 of my tme. It's not going to change anytime soon ladies (and gentlemen), why do you think you never see nurses that stay at the same job longer than a few years? The best we can hope for is to find some place to light that is somewhat sensible and try to make it better :nurse:

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Specializes in M/S, Travel Nursing, Pulmonary.
I have to agree pretty much with all the posts so far. I am a LPN (30 years now and about to finish my BSN) and I am a unit manager in a LTC facility. I have to say as a part of management, it's hard. As a nurse, it's taken me YEARS of bouncing around to find a "good" place to work and it's still not great :( I think we all put up with how Admistration deals with us because we feel we have to, and in a sense, we do. They look at health care from a money view point and expect us to cowtow to our "residents". When the hell did it become wrong to call a patient a patient? I also have been around long enough to know that if you leave a job on principle......it really doesn't affect the company, they go with or without you.

I know my Administrator makes me send nurses home early a lot (when our census is low) and like one poster stated, Admin doesn't understand why the nurses can't get 8 hours of work done in 4 and he wonders why I am behind on my manageral paperwork when I have to work a cart 1/2 of my tme. It's not going to change anytime soon ladies (and gentlemen), why do you think you never see nurses that stay at the same job longer than a few years? The best we can hope for is to find some place to light that is somewhat sensible and try to make it better :nurse:

I agree. Once I am financially more settled in, I will be GONE from hospital nursing and will go into something that appeals to my desire to "contribute to the community" more. Perhaps working in a group home for teen-agers or something of that nature.

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To Op:Sounds like an accurate assessment to me. There are plenty of new grads on my floor or nurses with only 1-2 years experience. There would be plenty of new grads and old grads in the area to replace these nurses should they leave.

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Specializes in OB, L&D, NICU, Med-Surg, Ortho.

This post truly hits home.

I agree with the person who said they believe the high unemployment rate plays a part. Hospitals have cut back their nursing staff. Ours is currently trying to (illegally) force us to work overtime and be on-call even though our state dept of health states it must be voluntary. Hospitals cut back staff. Unemployment is high. Student nurses are coming out of the woodwork from all angles. It increases competition for jobs and has employers asking "What else will you do for me. I have 30 nurses who want this job. What else will YOU do?".

I do wish they would stop turning out so many students. Every community college has a "nursing program" now. They are going to oversaturate the market and then there will be no jobs available. Of course there will still be jobs in the worst parts of Chicago or other areas that are difficult to staff. The job market for nurses here has dried up. Every other high school graduate becomes a hairdresser if they don't want to go to college for long, a nurse if they only want 2 years of college, or a teacher if they want a bachelor's degree. Those are the options.

It isn't that I don't appreciate new grads, etc. I was one once too. I just think the sheer NUMBER of grads combined with the recession has allowed employers to treat nurses as if they were disposable. What are they going to do when they run off those with experience and their entire fleet is green and an emergency rolls in?

~Sherri

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Specializes in ICU.
Actually, my point is, they are less like hotels now. While admin. claims to be committed to "5 star pt care" blah blah............their actions don't support it. Less staff, less resources to give that "customer focused care" (note my unit that quit stocking deodorant) and policies that focus more on paperwork than on pt. care...............doesn't get good service.

I can only draw one of two conclusions from this:

1. They are complete idiots about obtaining what they want. Probably drank bleach on a regular basis when they were younger and now the results are showing.

2. They lie, and could not be any less committed to creating an atmosphere in which a "good customer experience" is possible.

I think they are "committed" to patient care in the sense that KNOW that it is good for business. I think the disconnect lies in who they believe should be ultimately responsible for it. When companies downsize staff and resources, they do so to shave off overhead - operating costs - increase profit margins when revenue is low, in order to stay ahead of their investments. The American business model is not sophisticated enough to handle a great deal of economic flexibility without crumbling in the wake of its own design.

So, it becomes a decision between investing time and funds into the employee base (which, for all intents and purposes, is liquid and risky) or go the "safer" route with the most immediate returns and cut costs. Companies with administration who is sage and steadfast will attempt to do both. Most often what happens though, is that companies cut costs and then wield their precarious financial footing as a club to pressure their most dedicated staff (via threat of lost security) into carrying out the work of improving quality of care with no financial support - because it's cheaper that way. It's "band-aid" business.

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