Self magazine article

Nurses General Nursing

Published

You are reading page 3 of Self magazine article

Home Health Columnist / Guide

NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN

10 Articles; 18,298 Posts

Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

It was my first time purchase: got at Borders. Any store that sells Cosmopolitan, Redbook, etc will carry it.

Publisher is Conde Nast, a big outfit.

Checked http://www.self.com website---not even listed there!

:(

Feisty -

I bow to you - you are my HERO. God bless you!

Love

Dennie

frann

251 Posts

Specializes in medical/telemetry/IR.

You Go get them girl!!

nursiev

8 Posts

First of all....BRAVO!!!!! for being willing to speak out!!!

But on a smaller scale than the magazine article, I am going through the exact same thing here in my hospital. Last night we had our monthly staff meeting for the floor. (i will premise this by saying that the past few months our nurse mgr has been either floating or calling off most of our aides. this leaves a 34 bed med/surg, tele, oncology, dialysis unit with 2 aides) Well, as she was about to wrap up the meeting i spoke up and said that we had all had concerns lately about the fact that we were having less and less staff for higher and higher acuity. She asked for specific examples so i told her how on Sunday night I had nine pt's and my aide had 17. Four of my pt's were crashing before my eyes and in the midst of all of these crises along with med passing, assessments and charting on all of the other five pt's...i was expected to answer a call bell for a bed pan (normally that's not a problem, but you all know how some nights go..it's just impossible!!!!!). Well mid-sentence she butted in and yelled "WHY DON'T YOU CUT TO THE CHASE BECAUSE I AM REALLY GETTING TIRED OF HEARING YOU TALK!!!". I just glared at her for a moment and then said "I WANT MORE HELP!!! This isn't safe and i am tired of giving 'less-than' care because we are spread so thin!!!" She said "how dare you try to make me feel bad for staffing issues! you don't do the staffing and have no idea what's involved in it and i refuse to listen to one more word of yours!!!" Then she went on to tell me how inappropriate i was for bringing this up in a staff meeting and that "i would be seeing the consequenses" of it. Then she gathered her papers and walked out. A few moments later I received an e-mail that stated: "I want to see you ASAP!!! No excuses...i mean ASAP!!!". By the end of the meeting i was crying (which i always do when mad, anxious, etc) and everyone walked over and comforted me saying "i'm so sorry you had to learn that way that you just can't speak up. They will always shut you up quickly then punish you for speaking up. That's why we've all learned to just keep our mouths shut" Well, that infuriated me even more!!!! No one should have to "keep their mouths shut" for fear of reprisal. I AM NOT AFRAID TO ROCK THAT BOAT!!!! I can and will speak up when there are things that need fixed and believe me....they do need fixed. MY FIRST ROLE IS AS A PT ADVOCATE.....NOT HOSPITAL ADVOCATE. and my pt's are suffering the consequences because they have to wait for meds, bedpans, treatments, etc because the staff is just not there. it's ridiculous. I'm just waiting to see when i go in today what she has in store for me during our meeting. NURSES NEED TO REMEMBER THEIR VOICES AND SPEAK UP TO MAKE OUR LIVES AND THE LIVES OF OUR PATIENTS BETTER!!!!!!!!

Home Health Columnist / Guide

NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN

10 Articles; 18,298 Posts

Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

received the following e-mail reply from self magazine today re my comments i sent them re this article (see previous post).

thanks for your prompt reply, karen. we'll do our best to get your comments into the january issue. in the meantime, have a good day!

helena massan

self editorial

hope everyone who has a strong opinion as expressed here on the bb will email the editor @ http://www.self.com/site/contact/

"the pen is mightier than the sword." karen

RNforLongTime

1,577 Posts

Specializes in Med-Surg Nursing.

Fiesty--

I must say, that I read the article even before I saw it mentioned here on the bb as i haven't been on line much lately. I put the article on the bulletin board in our break room in hopes that my colleagues will read it.

Congrats on speaking out!

I thought that the article was very well written and supported nurses--specifically RN's.

Good luck to you!

Kelly

JennieBSN

350 Posts

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Reabock

97 Posts

I am using this article as a printed inservice article on our unit. Everyone that has read it, and that is most of the staff, aides to RN's, have agreed with and identify with the issues in the article. As said before, the general public needs to know that there are problems and some ways they can keep themselves safer while hospitalized. Even in our small rural hospital, I have noticed more pts asking about their meds, tests and their care in general than ever before, I think its a good thing and encourage them all to be more aware of the care they get and to be more involved with knowledge of health care in general. Don't know how many times I've had someone say, "I don't know what that pill, (etc.) is for , the DR just put me on it, so I take it" or "My wife takes care of all that":( :rolleyes:

We have noticed more family members staying around that clock with pts, sometimes its a good thing and sometimes they are just a pain, but at least they are an extra set of eyes and ears if anything does go wrong.

cargal

411 Posts

Oh God, nursiev. I cannot believe what happened to you too! That is reprehensible and I am appalled and dumfounded! You were treatment by your nurse manager was more than unprofessional , it was abusive. Anyone, is there any recourse for what happened to nursiev? I am so saddened by this. Does everything in the nursing profession have to sink to rock bottom before it gets better?

Nursiev, hang in there. Take a breath, and if you can , take a mental health day or two to regroup. Don't let her talk to you and treat you like that!

Feisty, congratulations on your fortitude and voice. I am proud of both of you!

Carrie

nursiev

8 Posts

Carrie,

thanks so much for your support. I asked one of the other rn's who was in the meeting why she didn't stick up for this issue and she replied "honey, i have my yearly eval on monday and i'm not getting in trouble for you or anyone!!!" :( Still can't believe it.:confused:

essarge

1,250 Posts

While I am not in the field, I also have a mouth. When our financial aid office sees me coming they all run for cover because they know that something has gone wrong and someone is not doing their job right.

I took the liberty of copying this web site address and thought that, maybe, if nurses started inundating them (send a copy to your state and federal representative also) with e-mail, it might help. Tell them about the conditions at your particular hospital, and if you are not afraid, name the hospital, names of administrators involved etc.

Maybe this might help nurses (and future nurses like me) get better conditions etc.

This is the web site for JCAHO.

http://www.jcaho.org/

Hope this helps!!:)

fiestynurse

921 Posts

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