What if WE sued bad hospitals?

sjoe · Sep 15, 2002

You don't have to give no stinkin' two weeks' notice. That stuff went out with "loyalty," if you can remember that far back. They don't give YOU two weeks' notice, they just terminate you when they feel like it (and no, that hasn't happened to me. Yet.)

TheLionessRN, RN · Sep 15, 2002

I heard from an informed friend that CA has passed a law mandating staffing levels. Anyone know about that? Maybe working within our state's nursing association would be of some help here, if it is true.

NMAguiar · Sep 15, 2002

I heard from an informed friend that CA has passed a law mandating staffing levels. Anyone know about that?

Check out our web site. We've run multiple stories about Gov. Gray-out Davis signing the bill recently. :cool:

NMAguiar · Sep 15, 2002

Maybe I've missed something here but in what way is nursing pure. I think sleepyeyes is right we are silenced.

No, we are pure as long as we remain honorable. Returning perceived wrong by doing wrong ourselves will only soil the occupation of nursing -- and hurt our overall cause.

As for the giving two weeks notice. Is that what we should have to do for decent working conditions?

Yes, we should continue to provide two-week notices -- for our patients we profess to care about. But also because despite what administrators and the health care system do to nurses, we still retain our HONOR and sense of CORRECTNESS. Otherwise, we should go work on Wall Street where right-and-wrong is often a blur.

As I've said before in other discussions, I'm obtimistic about the profession of nursing. We are making gains, both in pay and mandated staffing levels. Have faith!:)

fedupnurse · Sep 15, 2002

Askater11, documenting unsafe conditions DOES protect you legally!! We use Unsafe Staffing Form routinely. We have been told by a few people in the legal profession that there are nurses out there who have had their names removed from lawsuits because they proved they notified administration that the shift in question was unsafe due to low staffing levels. We were also able to document on that form the hospital policies that the suits were in violation of regarding safe staffing (JCAHO requires policies about bed closures, etc). SO keep documenting , each and every time you feel your assignemtn is unsafe and why and start calling the State DOH. In fact call your DOH and ask for a copy of the specific state regs governing your unit. I was amazed to learn that my state requires staffing by acuity. Suits always left that part out!!!

As far as voting with your feet, I just did that. I gave the required 3 week notice because I didn't want to forfeit my several hundred dollars worth of vacation time and I also want to be able to use the past 14 years on my resume and get a decent recommendation for future employment. I know they don't give us notice and that is it very tempting to just walk but they can screw you in the future for no notice.

maizey · Sep 15, 2002

NMAguiar - how long have you been nursing that you think nursing is pure? We are a very caring bunch but as for pure, I've been in this profession 20+ years and cannot figure out what you are talking about.

Yes, there have been some strides made in nursing but for most of us it is too slow. We have worked in horrendous situations for a long time now. Excuse us if we get a little bitter and out of sorts once in awhile and even go off our rockers by talking about suing hospitals that we work for. This is a place to vent afterall.

Do you think we are a pure profession when we continue to try to take care of 10 or 11 patients fully knowing that we cannot do that with any kind of confidence. Maybe we can throw meds to them but God help us if one of them goes bad because the other 10 are on their own.

As for the two week notice thing. I was not intimating that I would not give two weeks notice. I was trying to get across that we should not have to quit our jobs to make things right. We are not griping about poor staffing just to hear ourselves gripe. We are griping because we DO CARE about our patients and know that unsafe staffing does not allow for good or safe patient care.

NMAguiar · Sep 15, 2002

Excuse us if we get a little bitter and out of sorts once in awhile and even go off our rockers by talking about suing hospitals that we work for. This is a place to vent afterall.

How true! Much better to vent here than on the floor within ear shot of patients, which is what I've heard too many in our profession do.

As far as "purity," I guess it's in the eyes of the beholder. I'm a "glass half full" kinda guy -- I couldn't be part of any profession that I didn't believe I could have an effect in. So I stave off bitterness by tunnel-focusing on the bright side.

I believe plenty of good still exists in nursing.

JailRN · Sep 15, 2002

What a cancept!! I like it, I don't think it would work, though.

I was told by one DON, that I was not there to give GOOD pt. care, I was there to give ADEQUATE pt care. I told her, then I won't be giving ANY pt care in this facility, here's my 2 weels notice.