How can we effect positive change for the profession?

[CaffeinePOQ4HPRN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN]

I've adapted this from a comment I made on another thread, because I am seriously interested to know how we can make things better for nurses? Is there anything we can do? Short staffing and increasing patient ratios SHOULD be against the law. How can anyone rationalize holding nurses accountable for things that might arise as a direct result of the fact that we are consistently working in unsafe conditions? I wish there was more we could do about it to effect positive change for the profession. When I speak to my nursing association or other nurses, everyone is so beaten down and tired that they just shrug their shoulders and resolve "it is what it is". I am growing angrier and angrier by the year. This makes me angry enough that I really want to start doing something about this where I live. How can we effect change? Is it time to throw in the towel? Thoughts?

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Short staffing and increasing patient ratios ARE against the law, in some states.

To make it happen in your state you must advocate. Start here.

National Campaign for Safe RN-to-Patient Staffing Ratios | National Nurses United

[elkpark]

Short staffing and increasing patient ratios ARE against the law, in some states.

In one state, California, unless things have changed recently.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Actually, several states have (or are in process of) enacting legislation related to this issue. CA is the only state that has mandated specific ratios, but I don't know if that is the best way to go as employers simply cut back on support staff in order to meet those ratios.... so nurses may have fewer patients, but they have more 'extra' work to do.

In my state, we have safe harbor legislation - which provides a proactive process for nurses to call attention to problems with their assignment which may decrease patient safety... including excessive patient load, patient acuity, etc. Employers are mandated to monitor, track and analyze safe harbor events as part of their overall staffing reviews. Nurses who have evoked safe harbor are also indemnified for liability related to the issues that were identified in that document. (it does NOT protect them from their own competence failures, only for the organizational, systemic issues that were out of their control). At any rate, this data is very powerful - Boards of Directors are paying attention & insurance carriers are using it to assess malpractice risk. It's not a quick fix - but it's making a difference.

I love OPs passion on this subject. I hope its translated into professional activism by actively participating in local, state & national professional organizations that represent our political interests.

[vintage_RN, BSN, RN]

You have to advocate and take steps to be a leader in the public eye. Where I live...they are replacing a lot of RNs with RPNs (2 year diploma in canada)...and decided they were going to cut RNs in the NICU and replace 3 RNs with RPNs. There was a huge outrage and our local association stepped out...with 100s of RNs writing letters to the media...hospital admins..government etc....it was so much in the public eye that patients were saying they wouldn't have their baby at that hospital because they wanted an RN to look after their baby if they became critical and the hospital reversed their decision really quickly. (Disclaimer...in no way am I discrediting the abilities and competency of RPNs...I am one. I'm just stating what happened in my community). This is a big way nurses initiated change.

[KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN]

One excellent way on local level is to choose otherwise "adequate" but rightfully concerned families/patients, let them know about staffing issues/lack of laws as the being the direct reasons for their dussatisfaction and ask to contact their State representatives AND The Powers of the hospital with their issues and filled "quality surveys" with clear writing like "hire more nurses and assistants here right away". The problem is where to get enough such families, but when several of them approach The Powers over short period of the time, things may start rolling on.

If you are asked to do "staff satisfaction surveys" or something like this, doing it in full truth may help. Where I work, long overdue changes were done in EMR after nurses started to fill the "optional" surveys after every call to that very unhelpful "helpdesk" and substantialize how they worked with patients crying out loud in 1000/10 pain because the EMR got frozen again (well, it was a bit exaggerated... just a bit.... yua'now ).

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

In one state, California, unless things have changed recently.

I stand corrected in my effort to encourage and support the OP and bump her thread.