Nursing: Profession or Trade???

[PeggyOhio]

Another article from the now (IMHO)infamous "Modern Healthcare" (March 5. 2001)entitled, Our Valuable Caregivers, Healthcare must do more to recruit and retain nurses". This was written by Clark W. Bell, Editor/associate publisher.

First Mr. Bell states, "launch a frontal assault designed to recruit new nurses and retain those already practicing this noble PROFESSION".

Then he goes on to say, "The American Nurses Association and other nursing TRADE groups have done a worthy job of promoting the cause...."

No wonder we have an image problem. This guy doesn't even seem to know which it is (profession/trade).

He continues, "...but they (the ANA and other nursing TRADE groups)need more muscle".

In the next breath he says, "In return, the nurse lobby should lighten up on the labor demands and management bashing." Is this guy schizo? Which is it "more muscle" or "lighten up"

He continues, "The elimination of mandatory overtime and adequate staffing ratios are almost impossible to achieve until the supply of nurses increases." Well I got news Clark, if you don't eliminate MOT soon your supply of nurses is going to get even smaller!

Clark thinks. "Organized nursing's nasty rhetoric about abuse in the workplace is best used at the negotiating table rather than in front of television cameras." My response to that is (hissed through clenched teeth), WHY DID MANAGEMENT LET IT GET TO THIS POINT? Nurses have been complaining to management for years and it has fallen on deaf ears. Their attitude has been, take it or leave it, and nurses left in droves. Now they're scratching their (management) heads wondering what happened? You can bet if nurses hadn't gotten "nasty" "in front of television cameras" they (management)would still be playing deaf, dumb and blind.

It is apparent the Mr. Clark's opinion is that nurses will only make progress with the help of unions, like the "often combative California Nurses Association".

It's too bad we have to get the bully on our side to get management to listen.

[ May 03, 2001: Message edited by: PeggyOhio ]

[natalie]

PeggyOhio,

I read that article a few months back and forgot how much I seethed over it also. I regularly visit that site. They could use a few "combative" replies to their articles. I'll post them here as I see them.

Also of note re: your other post, my hospital is currently adding a sizable addition. (NO further beds, just expansion.) The only trouble is, the infrastructure within the patient areas is crumbling-equipment breakdowns, lack of supplies, no nurses or staff in other dept's....etc.

They're going to get a piece of us in our next contract negotiations.

[Stargazer]

natalie, pardon my ignorance, but which site is that?

[PeggyOhio]

Stargazer

I read the article in the magazine Modern Healthcare (March 5,2001). They also happen to have a website Modern Healthcare

But I was unable to access this particular article without paying a fee.

[Jason-ACNP]

Good post Peggy

[Jason-ACNP]

I meant to add that you bring up an interesting point regarding MOT. Hospital administrators and HMOs across the country have set themselves up in a "Catch 22". I refer to the following statement you wrote:

The elimination of mandatory overtime and adequate staffing ratios are almost impossible to achieve until the supply of nurses increases." Well I got news Clark; if you don't eliminate MOT soon your supply of nurses is going to get even smaller!

You are exactly right. It's a snowball effect. The more nurses leave, the heavier the load for those who are left behind. Thus, as their burden grows heavier, then those nurses will leave.

To make matters worse, there will be more and more hospital admissions with each passing year (due to the increased life span and the baby-boomers growing older).

I recently read a post by a California nurse boasting that their state was the first to have legislation passed that required a "safe" nurse/patient ratio; an honorable accomplishment indeed. Yet, I also read an article written by a hospital CEO (in CA) regarding that very issue a couple of months ago. He stated, "We would like to adhere to that standard, but the logistics simply aren't there. We simply don't have the manpower". Well pal, you are going to have even less with each passing year.

[Mijourney]

Hi PeggyOhio. Maybe, Mr. Clark is using terms interchangeably and it is rubbing us the wrong way? Also, I will admit that some of his points about the nursing shortage are off the mark. Have you emailed or wrote him about how his article offended you?