Whenever I experienced problems in my life, my father used to say, "To solve this problem, start by looking in the mirror."
Nursing is a great profession and we should all be very proud of what we do. Nursing is the backbone of healthcare, try running a hospital without them--doesn't happen. Nursing is the largest, single profession in healthcare and has more power than we realize, like a "sleeping giant."
When I reflect on my experiences as a staff nurse and in hospital administration, there are some things that stand out. The old phrase "nurses eat their young" is very true in many ways. How many of us have worked on oppressive, negative nursing floors or units? The gossip, character assassination, complaining, whining, refusing to help each other out, lack of teamwork, more patients than you can handle, nurses writing each other up, etc., etc. What new nurse would want to work under such conditions?
As I have said before in many posts, the culture and atmosphere of a nursing unit and department starts with the nursing leadership. I can tell you that hospital administration depends on the nursing leadership to tell them what is needed. If the nursing leadership lacks the skill, knowledge, or general where-with-all to EFFECTIVELY communicate nursing needs then we will get what we have now. The old "bleeding heart" soap box just does not work. Hospital administration looks at numbers, you have to communicate your needs in numbers and show how nursing contributes to making the numbers. Nursing does in fact contribute to making the numbers but "nursing" has failed miserably to portray itself as a generator of revenue and not a mere consumer of resources.
It all starts with the nursing leadership. Staff nurses are generally just too busy and exhausted to jump into doing things of substance, on the job, to advance the profession. This responsibility rests on the nursing leadership--that is the nurse managers and DONs. Improving nursing and advancing the profession has to start at a grass roots level, one hospital at a time, right in your own backyard. The ANA is not doing it for us, no one will do it for us--we must do it ourselves.
If you are a burned out, tired, walk around with a cup of coffee, complaining about management and complaining about the new nurses who just don't want to work kind of manager--please do us all a favor and resign. Likewise, if you are the kind of nurse manager that insists on everyone knowing that you are in charge and create an oppressive, intimidating, negative culture--please do us all a favor and resign. If you are a nurse manager that really cares and is passionate about what you do then help your staff succeed and create an atmosphere that is positive, energetic, professional, and will ATTRACT people, not run them off!!
DONs--please learn how to communicate effectively with administration--know the overall numbers and your numbers, know what drives those numbers, know how to make operational changes that will change the numbers, know how to engage in effective financial management. Demonstrate your nursing department's financial contribution to the hospital. Administrators know numbers not clinical issues. Stand up for your staff effectively. Help your nurse managers learn how to make their staff nurses successful, your success depends on their success.
We should all be more positive and proud of what we do. Our attitudes speak volumes to new nurses and people that are considering nursing. If we are negative and come across as a down-trodden, powerless, victimized bunch of people--who in their right mind would want to go into nursing?!?!
Greedy administrators run over nursing because nursing allows them too. Same with arrogant doctors. Think about what usually happens when there are not enough nurses in a hospital, they either bring in very expensive agency or close beds. Neither option is appealing and an administrator will be in very hot water with their board or corporate boss if they don't straighten it out. Creating an adversarial "us versus them" situation with your administration is counterproductive and will not help nursing, it only perpetuates the negativity that is so common in nursing departments today.
So has nursing created the nursing shortage?? I think nurses have been the MAJOR contributor to the shortage. Let's be positive and help each other succeed so we can attract people, not run them off.
After reading this thread it occurred to me that many, many other professsions/careers have management training programs that potential managers go through BEFORE they become managers. Why don't nurses?
From your muckitty-muck Ivy League MBA prepared consultants to your average Joe managing at McDonald's...they attend corporate sponsored and FUNDED training programs to learn the ropes.
And nurses, w/ what we're accountable and responsible for, just get the good ole "baptismal by fire?"
To Gardengal: Great post. I've been salaried for almost all of my career and I feel the same way you do about having to use vacation days to stay home for a day during a week in which I work over 40 hours. That's the type of thing people who have never been salaried are rarely aware of.
Another thing is that we salaried people rarely have anyone who does our work when we are not there. So, when you do take time off, you have to work extra (unpaid) hours before and after to get the work done. In the end, you don't really work fewer hours when you use your vacation time, you just shift them around a little. For example ... you work four 12-hour days Monday through Thursday and then to stay home on Friday you have to use a vacation day. So you worked 48 hours that week, but got paid for 40 AND burned 1 whole vacation day. I hate when that happens!
Specializes in OB, Telephone Triage, Chart Review/Code.
According to my manager, we are staffed by budgets set by the hospital. We staff with bodies, not nurses.
There is no nursing shortage. There are plenty of nurses out there. Some hospitals aren't hiring even though they are advertising.
Some hospitals pay peanuts. Tends to send nurses looking for higher pay.
Nursing schools are turning students away or have them on waiting lists.
We are treated as "workers", not professionals as we should be. Some patients think they are staying at the Hilton! Not enough time to take care of patients the way they should be taken care of.
WE didn't create a nursing shortage. Hospitals have.
If we are negative and come across as a down-trodden, powerless, victimized bunch of people--who in their right mind would want to go into nursing?!?
As someone who is looking about making my career in the Nursing field and also being young and impressionable, I find this attitude to be a horrible turn off.
On one hand, I look forward to doing as you say and making a difference here. On the other hand - from the outside looking in --I have the attitude of: "who in their right mind would want to go into nursing".
When I have to look at those with the bad attitudes and seemingly powerlessness(lol), I just believe this is something is going to continue(Maybe in a lesser fashion in the future) in all fields of work and life in general. I find it tougher to fathom in a career like Nursing that takes a degree and some kind of compassionate heart.
Point is, these people will always be in Nursing. If you do not like, make a change in yourself inside as well as your projection outwardly. It wouldn't hurt to not fall into the traps of fellow rotten employees too. If you do not engage them, they will eventually get tired of no response and move onto someone else.
All these posts have made very interesting points. Also, please consider the in-the-trenches staff nurse who sees a nurse manager hide out in her office all day...the care coordinators who come around with more jobs for the staff nurse to do - you know the ones: drop what you are doing and take care of this now nurses. The nurses who will let a call light ring because they don't "hear" it, then there's the nurse in grad school (who just graduated from a BSN program 1-2 years ago) who says: I'm in grad school because I don't want to be a bedside nurse my entire life...
I will try to be brief as I know I get very long-winded.
The so-called nursing shortage has many contributing factors and it is relatively complex. There is no quick fix and I think changes that will advance the profession must begin at a "grass roots" level by focusing on a few key things that anyone can do regardless of role or position in nursing.
With that being said, the LEAST we can do is be nice to each other!! With all of the issues going on we shoud be sticking together and doing what we can to support each other and helping to make the workplace more pleasant instead of fighting and not helping each other. I know there are units/places where there is good teamwork, but, after being in nursing for 18 years I have seen and received my share of nurses eating their young. It is real, it is out there, and it is prominent. This should stop, it can stop, there is no reason for it and it does contribute to people choosing to leave nursing or changing their mind about coming into nursing.
I am not advocating that we should all smile and be very nursey and cutesy while administration (or anyone else) gives us the shaft. Not sure how this was construed from what I wrote.
Maybe we need about as many of these threads as can be posted!! :) Not sure. How does change begin in your opinion?
This BB does not effect change. I have been here too long and seen too many of threads about effecting change. I have even seen where nurses here were going to get together and do this or that from the board. Yep. A lot of good intentions.
We talk about it here. That is as far as it ever goes. Personally I prefer to quietly go out and clean my little corner of things and do something. It ain't big and sweeping in and of itself but it is better than talk. ACTION is the ONLY thing that creates change. We can talk about it forever.
I doubt you will find anyone to disagree with you that change is needed. Nor will anyone likely disagree about how to effect change. I hear a lot of ADVICE about effecting change. Which means we know what and how to do it. Doing it is another
matter.
What it really comes down to is A LOT OF REALLY REALLY HARD WORK. I cannot point my finger without three more pointing back at me. ACTION is the only thing that effects change. TALK never has.
Specializes in Pediatrics, Geriatrics, Call Center RN.
I have to tell you all about the place I work. I started working there in '98. I never got a raise I worked extra shifts because I liked my DON. Not necessarily a good DON but a great people person. I left on maternity and didn't come back. The pay wasn't worth it.
I received a phone call recently from one of my former co-workers. She told me that she was taking over the DON position. She also told me of a new administration. I did go out and resubmit an application. I got hired back at 8 dollars more an hour. The DON and the Admin are seen on the floor all the time. I work nights PRN. The last time I worked the Admin was bringing back a patient who had been out of town. The DON came in later that night to hang an IV for me and to bring in some Glucerna. I can always talk to them. And they tell me over and over again how much I'm appreciated. I'm glad I went back. Everyone seems happier.
Sorry about my post earlier. I am just tired how hearing how nurses need to do this or that to evoke change but I have to admit I didn't really read your posts thoroughly before I responded and now that I have I can see you are very knowledgable about nursing politics and why things are the way they are.
I TOTALLY agree with you on nurses changing their attitudes towards each other. Alot of the most exceptional nurses leave because they simply will not put up with being treated badly by staff and admin. Admin too often either doesn't address interpersonal problems or addresses them in a punitive manner that is reminiscent of a high school principal.
The negativity in the interpersonal aspect between nurses MUST stop or we will not be able to recruit and retain really good nurses.
You see folks, it ain't got a thing to do about us.
IT IS THE FUTURE.
The future that will be what we have left those in the generation behind us.
Well I don't know about you (most are whom we will leave it to) but something seriously needs to be done with the healthcare system in this country. The Canadians seem to be on tract.
First see where we the wealthiest, most powerful nation in the world rank in infant mortality.
Specializes in Med/Surg, ER, L&D, ICU, OR, Educator.
Originally posted by bluenurse
Nurse management calls a MANDATORY staff meeting. So people have to put their lives on hold and pay an extra hour of daycare when all they want to do is go home.
What is this oh so necessary meeting about? The NM is going to tell everyone that she "just needs staff to pull together and get through this hard time" and then everyone gets a little cookie with a bow on it and a pat on the back.
I do believe that this thinking (I refrain from the word "attitude") is exactly what the wise Ainz, is speaking about.
She speaks directly to morale and its importance, but nurses behaving like blue-collared workers (that is bald, sorry) and not taking ownership of their profession, is exactly what she is talking about! The above post personifies this.
Specializes in Med/Surg, ER, L&D, ICU, OR, Educator.
Originally posted by nurse51rn
... please consider the in-the-trenches staff nurse who sees a nurse manager hide out in her office all day...
Hide out? If she spends too much time on the floor, they say, "No wonder nothing changes around here! How can policy changes occur, and much needed in-services come about when she spends all her time out here micro-managing us?"
There is actual office time required by these individuals.
jadednurse
435 Posts
It must be frustrating to be a nurse manager too!
After reading this thread it occurred to me that many, many other professsions/careers have management training programs that potential managers go through BEFORE they become managers. Why don't nurses?
From your muckitty-muck Ivy League MBA prepared consultants to your average Joe managing at McDonald's...they attend corporate sponsored and FUNDED training programs to learn the ropes.
And nurses, w/ what we're accountable and responsible for, just get the good ole "baptismal by fire?"
Something is amiss.