How About Us?

we're on the same boat brother. depressing and sad but then, i guess, we're partly to be blamed by taking up this course and getting into the mind set that it will get us to indefinite opportunities. we advocated that illusion. Anyway, since we are here, there is nothing to be done. it's not like any psychosis that with just a medicine, everything will stop. In this path, it is either you get into a different field (Engineering sounds fun! or call centers -the job that can do wonders! LOL) or bury yourself in your house and wait that you'll be that one in a million applicant who will get hired for a nursing position.

and as to voluntary service, i actually am against this idea...Why? Because as how i see it, they, the hospital, get volunteers and convince these people that the hospital is doing them a very big favor. But in reality, THE VOLUNTEERS are doing them GREAT FAVORS! They are what the management use to mend their grossly understaffed employees without the expense of paying them. That way, not only do they benefit from the payment these volunteers give but also relieve the staff of the unbearable situation brought about by understaffing most specially within the government tertiary hospitals (usually with nurse:patient ratio of 1:30).

not even mentioning the harassment and maltreatment these volunteers get from mean and vicious staffs (pls get the vital signs of all the 50 patients, include the I&O, regulate their IV fluids, give prescriptions to unpurchased meds, etc of course while they supervise you while they sit on their post while eating while talking to nurse aid while...and of course, did i mention the CHARTS, how about the follow up of the doctors, referrals, diagnostic procedures! MY GOD! YOU ARE PATHETIC AND SLOW LEARNERS! Is that how you were educated? LOLLLL!). (well, just in case, I am retelling my life story here..hahahaha!) imagine, the volunteers are given a workload equivalent to what 3 nurses should be handling. then at the end, where can the EVER GLORIFIED HARD EARNED CERTIFICATE get you? tantantanannn!!!! congratulations you are now eligible to get to -NOWHERE! It is not even being considered an experience by most hospitals! They just regard it as training nonetheless.

some consider that everything is worth it because you learned and had an experience. But then consider the quality of your training? Given what you had, if you will be asked to present a case presentation without preparation, will you be able to make it? rate yourself? Ok, consider it true and worth it rather than dying doing nothing in your rotting putrifying life, however, come to think of it, What if, no RN will offer voluntary service to these hospitals??? Of course, its just like the pathophysiology of every disease:

the quality of care will get to an unacceptable level (50 patients, 50 charts, 50 new doctor's orders, laboratory procedures, medications, etc)>>>people will complain to the government (due to increase mortality, increased hospitalization days, poor sanitation, poor service)>>>the government will increase fundings for health care (this is where the IMPOSSIBLE comes in)>>>Hiring process to solve this>>>happy ending!

sounds funny? well yeah, but this will never happen if we keep on supporting this kind of system. The current and rotten management we have. The hospitals will never hire a single additional staff as long as there are someone out there willing to get compromised inhumanely! Remember, hospitals, no matter how authentic and genuine their motiffs and goals might be, still, remains a business establishment and as how every business is being run, they are governed by the power of DEMAND and SUPPLY!

Ok, enough of the impossible dream cause as how i see it, this is very far from happening...as if the demons in every heart of ALL politicians will get touched by our sentiments. just sharing! :wink2:

and as to voluntary service, i actually am against this idea...Why? Because as how i see it, they, the hospital, get volunteers and convince these people that the hospital is doing them a very big favor. But in reality, THE VOLUNTEERS are doing them GREAT FAVORS! They are what the management use to mend their grossly understaffed employees without the expense of paying them. That way, not only do they benefit from the payment these volunteers give but also relieve the staff of the unbearable situation brought about by understaffing most specially within the government tertiary hospitals (usually with nurseatient ratio of 1:30).

Sorry sir/mam but i have to disagree with you about this. The word "volunteer" itself could undoubtedly justify my reason. One must not expect something in return if he/she decides to work as a volunteer. Every nurses has their own intellect and free will to choose. I can't see why some nurses blame these hospitals for having them work as a volunteer. Unless I would see a hospital forcefully getting nurses to work for them (like those ancient times).

That is what great about volunteering....service free of charge. The bosses will demand more from you and ask you to do anything since you volunteered you will do anything. More scenario and rants about volunteering can be expected from the future graduates.

Volunteering would, in a way, be beneficial to nurses. The fact that you can apply and enhance your skills would be very fulfilling for a nurse already.

Again, no hospitals are forcing these nurses to be a slave for them. Volunteer work is free for every nurses to choose.

Maybe no one is forcing them but the hospitals are certainly taking advantage of them. Many countries require nursing experience to allow them to nurse and will not count volunteer nursing. Very much a catch 22

Maybe some "nurses" do take advantage with other volunteer nurses. In the first place, these volunteer nurses get "hired" and report to the same nurse they say are taking advantage of them.

Another thing is that this volunteer nurses are capable enough of thinking and deciding for their own acts.

I just hope that nurses should be more responsible for their own choice.

Maybe no one is forcing them but the hospitals are certainly taking advantage of them. Many countries require nursing experience to allow them to nurse and will not count volunteer nursing. Very much a catch 22

Exactly. You get treatment worst than how my dog is being treated in our house, (working straight shift without a break, not unless you will still have time after dealing with 30-50 patients per shift) yet you don't get the recognition you rightfully deserve. I wouldn't mind volunteering for years just as long as it will be counted as a VALID working experience. But...well, *keep dreaming...keep keep dreaming*!

As to the experience, well, yes, it is in an individual basis...well, after volunteering for 6 months in a tertiary government hospital, handling a minimum of 45 patients a day-maximum of 55 (thank God, there's no more space for folding beds!)..but why...oh why...are you going to waste your time, getting the experience ALONE when...you can get better experience and SALARY at the same time if you work as an employee? don't think on a short term basis...where will you use the experience after you volunteer if there is no job available anyway? Also, well, I don't think private hospitals recruit volunteers but since most of the time, government hospitals are the ones who keep on doing this, 50 patients? 60? 70? and that is what fulfillment is? how can someone feel fulfillment if everything they ever do is to replace empty IV bottles, checking BP, giving meds, and all those routinary measures with SUBSTANDARD level of health care delivery (don't tell me, at 50, you can give a HIGH LEVEL, GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE QUALITY of care in 8 hours, well, you might be eligible for a nobel prize for that!)? pardon me but I took up nursing because I want to reach out to people, know their suffering and be part of their recovery...4 years of hard work in school, trainings, requirements, suffering, etc..not to become a robotic housemaid where I can't even remember their nicknames or WHERE they won't even CALL YOU your name, but instead just a polite Ate (older sister) /Kuya (older Brother) / or Hoy (Hey!) / and sometimes, they don't even give prefixes, just purely the demands (and oh, did I mention being shouted at for not meeting ALL their demands).

If you take the time to do some reading here, you will see a sticky at the top of this forum about what to do to create your own job. There are many things that you can do to create a job that you will get credit for as well as help some others. This is hopefully why you went to nursing school in the first place.

Instead of just complaining, be proactive and do something about it. And there are many things that can be done if you are willing to exert the effort to do so.

Again, please read the sticky that is at the top of this forum about it. Nothing is going to get done if you do not do anything about it.

yes mam, I actually read it the first time I lay a foot on this great forum. nice advice but then, even such things seem somehow impossible for us nurses to do in a developing country like the Philippines. First, majority of the people won't afford to spend a single cent after his/her BP has been taken. Second, sponsors for outreach program can be found next to impossibility due to the oil price hike (Yes! blame everything to the oil! *just kidding*), well due to the high prices of stuffs. Some company would rather sell their almost expiring products 50% less than the original rather than give it for an outreach. Also, you will need "gods" to contact and get into them...Third, if ever we build a nursing homes, do you think they will bother spending money on such things considering that they don't even eat anything? Sorry...all your ideas are absolutely good and mind you, just in case I get hold of something to make one possible, I will surely give it a try. But as of now, just *keep dreaming...keep keep dreaming!*

That is what great about volunteering....service free of charge. The bosses will demand more from you and ask you to do anything since you volunteered you will do anything. More scenario and rants about volunteering can be expected from the future graduates.

you bet it!

P.S. to all those who find my posts insulting or offending or threatening or w/e, I deeply apologize but since the title of this thread is WHAT ABOUT US? well, im just sharing my honest and sincerest opinion that for me is what most of the newly graduate, newly board passers, unemployed nurses are undergoing (in a batch of 93, only 15 are employed, that is either underpaid, in another field, or family business -where is the remaining 78, *dreaming*). I know that due to the over supply of nurses in the country (Philippines), even voluntary service is already something to look forward into. at least something related to nursing than being at your houses getting scolded at for not being capable of bringing a single cent in the feast table (after those very expensive nursing school years) but rather, make the electric bill soar higher each month for watching ALL soap operas and teleseryes in all network channels all day/all week/all month..

I just feel sorry for all of us for receiving JUST this thing when we deserve something absolutely BETTER. Many are sick, dying, needs comfort, needs our care, that is why I can't accept the fact that there is no JOB for us aside from being a volunteer...these situations wouldn't be here, existing, real, if the world doesn't need more nurses..we are absolutely needed, wanted, demanded. I JUST DON'T KNOW, WHERE and WHEN!

and as far as I can remember, volunteers before can be found in outreach programs in the most depressed area of one's country...or in the warzone giving first aids to those wounded...not and never in hospitals. and for me, you volunteer yourself in the service of man kind if, only if, you are already fulfilled with so many things to offer the world (Maslow)...not just because, you DON'T HAVE A CHOICE. -and as to volunteer, you don't volunteer for experience...cause for expecting to learn something out of it, you already forfeit the meaning of the word "Volunteer" - giving everything while having no right to expect a single thing. otherwise, you might want to change the word volunteering to training instead. and training is something that should and must be given ONLY to those the institution is willing to employ, not and never should be to those they will just use.

~PEACE and advanced Holidays! :D:D~

Thank you for the responds. I would say that when i volunteer in the hospital my goal was to help and gain experience as a registered nurse conducting health teaching and caring my patients to health but what happened was we are abused by some staff nurses and the hospital we are being treated as nursing aides as what cybefanatic mentioned "the harassment and maltreatment these volunteers get from mean and vicious staffs (pls get the vital signs of all the 50 patients, include the I&O, regulate their IV fluids, give prescriptions to unpurchased meds, etc of course while they supervise you while they sit on their post while eating while talking to nurse aid while...and of course, did i mention the CHARTS, how about the follow up of the doctors, referrals, diagnostic procedures" we are not able to perform other essential functions of a nurse. sometimes these staff prohibit as performing basic nursing procedures such as catheterization instead of letting us perform and supervising us. I think I went to far about these volunteer so and so. Again thanks for reading.

Hey cyberfanatic! That was indeed very amusing to read. ( spunky, hilarious but very poignant), why dont you start up a blog? Your line of thought was very catchy (at least for me.):redpinkhe

A lot of what you said are simply true.

There should be no false hopes ever again to be given to incoming college students. There are so many of us already in this dark hole.

Question is, when do we get out?

Hey cyberfanatic! That was indeed very amusing to read. ( spunky, hilarious but very poignant), why dont you start up a blog? Your line of thought was very catchy (at least for me.):redpinkhe

A lot of what you said are simply true.

There should be no false hopes ever again to be given to incoming college students. There are so many of us already in this dark hole.

Question is, when do we get out?

OMG...this is absolutely flattering...:imbar:imbar:imbar

but actually, Im just a jolly person who always look into the brighter side of life...though sometimes, I can't actually differentiate:D!

but really, that was heart-warming. thank you! :loveya: actually, with all those lengthy lines I wrote, I never imagine someone will read them...but well, again thank you! =)

and as to male_nurse22, well, I would just like to imply that you are not alone in this struggle, never were...there are actually more who suffer worse than what we are undergoing (like those who unfortunately fail the board, or those who were not able to finish college, etc.) well, im not that experienced myself to give advices but...let's just keep our hope burning and extend our patience more.

anyway, good night / morning / afternoon to all for now. =)

everytime I see nursing students I want to tell them and say "Run and shift to another course! Your lives will be ruined!" hehehehe...well the most pathetic course here in our country is the allied health course (nursing,doctor,PT,OT,caregiver etc) because every pinoy whenever they're sick, most of them won't consult a doctor yet until their case is worse. So the formula goes for the healthcare in our country (and most of you would agree with me):

Sick+no money= death