Who took the NURSE out of Nursing?

Nurses General Nursing

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  • Specializes in CVICU, PICU, ER,TRAUMA ICU, HEMODIALYSIS.

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Quickbeam, BSN, RN

1,011 Posts

Specializes in Government.
I have nursing friends that have given up the battle of being a nurse and are now truck drivers.

In my state you make much more money as an over the road hauler than as a staff RN. Just saying.

NursesRFun

20 Posts

Thank you, Thank you Thank you.... For having the Guts to say what you said. Nursing is not for everyone. It take a certain compassion....a drive if you will.... to be a GOOD nurse. It really saddens me that our profession is sometimes only seen as a good Paycheck.... When i ask Fellow nurses or Student nurses why they went into nursing and they say, "The Money".... its like hearing nails on a chalkboard to me. it drives me up the wall seeing what is going on around our nursing floors. Yes, we are understaffed. Yes, we are overworked. Yes, politics gets in the way at times. But lets face it. This is NOTHING new. And having "warm" bodies around with us isn't going to help a thing.

NursesRFun

20 Posts

Thank you, Thank you Thank you.... For having the Guts to say what you said. Nursing is not for everyone. It take a certain compassion....a drive if you will.... to be a GOOD nurse. It really saddens me that our profession is sometimes only seen as a good Paycheck.... When i ask Fellow nurses or Student nurses why they went into nursing and they say, "The Money".... its like hearing nails on a chalkboard to me. it drives me up the wall seeing what is going on around our nursing floors. Yes, we are understaffed. Yes, we are overworked. Yes, politics gets in the way at times. But lets face it. This is NOTHING new. And having "warm" bodies around with us isn't going to help a thing.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN

102 Articles; 27,612 Posts

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Nursing is not for everyone. It take a certain compassion....a drive if you will.... to be a GOOD nurse. It really saddens me that our profession is sometimes only seen as a good Paycheck....
I respectfully disagree. I know of sweet, compassionate, driven nurses who have nearly killed their patients due to their lack of knowledge, assessment skills, and critical thinking. I also know of money-hungry nurses with "factory worker" mentalities (complete my shift and go home) who are wondrously knowledgeable, great assessors, abstract thinkers, and respectful to their patients.

I'd rather be cared for by a money-hungry nurse who is competent and skilled, than a compassionate nurse who lacks any morsel of basic judgment.

NursesRFun

20 Posts

You are very right in regards to the Knowledge base. I agree.... Maybe i should have elaborated on the Knowledge portion.... But Knowledge isn't everything. I have met a nurse who was Suma cumlaude (sp?) of her class, had all the knowledge, but was still just a Rock when it came to patient care and caring in general for her patients.

leslie :-D

11,191 Posts

i can always distinguish between the nurses, strictly in it for a paycheck, vs those who take their job seriously.

example:

a nurse's pt is excessively confused/disoriented, and is trying to get oob.

(pt has bone ca w/mets: fall risk, bones crumble w/little effort)

bed alarm sounding, nurse watching her pt, as she calls aloud for cna.

pt now ready to stand up, nurse calling louder for cna.

finally, i interrupted my count, and went to assist pt. (as any professional, should have)

example:

pt noted with lg, dry stool lodged in orifice.

(pt noted to be extra restless and agitated past few days)

nurse sighs, and turns to me, telling me to give mom on my shift.

at start of my shift, i removed all of stool.

agitation gone, pt sleeping rest of noc.

i could go on, but my point being, those in it strictly for money, will do as little as possible, only intervening to escape legal liability.

and there ARE too many of these nurses around.

it is obvious to see they're not in it for the pt's well being, for sure.

i see this stuff, all the time.

yes, there are many wonderful nurses out there.

yet i see even more of those who work minimally and will tuck it to their coworkers.

i wish there were stricter application processes for one's character, when entering ns.

i really do.

gpa is only a small piece of it.

being committed to integrity and professionalism, should supersede other criteria in becoming a nurse.

and.

i'm.

just.

not.

seeing.

this.

and again.

yes.

my paycheck means everything to me.

as does my standards of care, my ethics and to earnestly keep my pts safe.

sadly, there are nurses who do it only for the paycheck.

we all know at least one like them.

i say, get them out.

they make us look bad, and are dangerous to our pts.

there are plenty who want to be, only the best.

leslie

cpnegrad07

134 Posts

Nice reply. I admire your sentiments, tho i don't have a dog in this fight. ( am none of the above).

pagandeva2000, LPN

7,984 Posts

Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

I can't say age has much to do with nurses and their behavior, but the educational trends may contribute to it. I say this because they are piling more theory and less clinical experiences, some schools reducing to one day a week for 6 hours (but actually 3-4 hrs on the unit) as well as not teaching the real deal about nursing.

And, yes, provisions for nurses suck like lemons. For example, the med-surg units in my hospital only have one Pycksys for 40 patients, and the nurses have to stand on line to get their meds as if it were receiving charity...this taking up at least an 1-2 hours. Electronical charting makes it worse, because there are three places to chart a freaking fingerstick...and it MUST be all three, or the doctor can't pick it up. Insane paperwork that reduces patient time, and frustrated, tired nurses trying their best to make it through one shift. And, everyone gets to blame nursing...the pharmacist, the dietitian, the housekeeper, insurance companies and administration. Instead of calling me 'nurse', just call me 'slave'...

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