What would you change about nursing?

[Tay245, RN]

In a perfect world, what would you change about nursing?

I changed careers to become a nurse because I wanted to help people. I was dissatisfied with my former life and just wanted to follow my dreams for a change. Here I am years later and although I love my patients I can't say I always love what I do. What would I change, lets see:

I would make it so that people could SEE how HARD we work as nurses

I would put administration in a room and lock the door until the end of the work day is over

I would pay us hire and give us better benefits

There would be enough jobs for all of the nurses that have wracked up all of this debt training to be nurses

Facilities would be staffed adequately

This is just the five that immediately came to my head, what do you all have to add?

[MinnieMomRN]

1. Safe staffing.

2. A ban on transfering patients to the floor at change of shift

3. No mandatory OT

4. Understanding of the value nursing provides to ensure better patient health outcomes - maybe then we wouldn't be one the first area cut when they need to "find" money.

[kcochrane]

1. Safe staffing.

2. A ban on transfering patients to the floor at change of shift

3. No mandatory OT

4. Understanding of the value nursing provides to ensure better patient health outcomes - maybe then we wouldn't be one the first area cut when they need to "find" money.

Get out of my head.. Although there is no mandatory OT at my job, nor in NYS. I would also add not having to spend most of my night looking for IVACs and other supplies that should be there.

[Ayvah, RN]

I'll have to agree with safe staffing. I think that would in turn solve a majority of the other issues out there.

[wishiwereanurse, BSN, RN]

i would like to change the backstabbing...

but then again, only people can change themselves...

[Sonjailana]

No interruptions when I'm passing meds or doing assessments. No overhead paging. I know it's on line 1 #$@$, I'm sterile/in iso /busy here.

Other departments being held accountable (like lab actually drawing labs, pharmacy actually stocking meds, linen actually stocking linens)

Having what I need to do my job without searching/making phone calls/raising hell.

[canesdukegirl, BSN, RN]

In a perfect world, I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to have all the equipment that I need to start a case. I work in the OR, and I spend MOST of my time searching for the needed equipment I need to do the case. Example: I am setting up for an ACL surgery. I need a tourniquet. I don't see the need for me to spend 20 minutes searching the entire OR for a freaking tourniquet. I ask the ORAs to find me one, but they are so backed up (lack of staffing) that they cannot help. So here I am, an RN wasting valuable turnover time looking for equipment when I should be doing things like...oh, lemme see...checking labs, checking the H&P, checking the consent, getting all of the supplies together to start my case, interviewing my patient, checking to make sure that blood is ordered, getting the right bed and positioning stuff in the room as well as getting all of the drugs and the hundreds of specialty items ready for the surgeon so that he doesn't turn into The Hulk when he sees that his requested items are not in the room!

Please don't misunderstand...I don't mind turning over the room myself and mopping the floors. Heck, I just see it as part of the job. Whatever it takes to get the next case ready is what I am willing to do. HOWEVER, it would be nice if I didn't have to spend so much time looking for essential equipment when we have staff that are supposed to do this to streamline turnover times.

OK, so that was a bit of a rant. Ask and you shall receive!

[RNDreamer]

I don't want to hear about any more customer service satisfaction scores.

My job needs to be about satisfaction in my patient's care.

[Crispy Critter]

How about a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T!!!!

[BigB_RN]

1. More job opportunities for inexperienced nurses and new grads

2. A better balance of female and male nurses

[sabrina_RPN]

1. Visiting hours actually enforced

2. A force field around me when I am doing medications so I can't be interrupted

3. Respect from family members and patients, I don't appreciate getting called horrible names...I'm trying to do my best

[nursing6207]

Oh I could go on and on and on......

-Yes lets lock management and administration up. They just make things harder where I work it seems. Everything is ab pt safety. Yea right. Everything to them seems to be about FTE's, budgeting, and putting pts in beds.

-Management, could you please do your job and figure out staffing? Please don't leave it to the CN who has 3 pts, giving chemo, making the schedule for night shift, trying to help other nurses on the floor to call to see if ppl want to work for bonus. (I don't know how our hospital hasn't gone bankrupt for all of the double bonuses they shell out. It's nice when u are in need of the $$ but they have used and abused it so much that it is very hard to get staff to come in now.

-DO NOT send a pt at shift change. Pt safety ppl!

-Materials, pharmacy, housekeeping keep us stocked. I understand things coming up every now and then but when it is happening every singe night.... we have a problem.

-NA's- stop bad mouthing nurses.

-Everyone take responsibility. It always seems to get thrown back on the nurses. Pre printed orders from physicians drive me insane bc when they check everything and it doesn't even apply to the pt, the legally guess who is responsible?

-Nurse pt ratio revised.

-Policies revised to be more cohesive with the work enviornement. Please don't set us up for failure.

-Narcotic abuse

-verbal abuse from pts and families.

-Drama

Ok I am done for now. Yes, ask and u shall receive :)