I hate my job and I can't get out.

[ewrn]

So I have been an RN since March 2011. In Sept. 2011, I moved 1,600 miles to get a new grad job in a clinic ( that is all they would offer) . I got a sign on bonus and had to sign a one year contract. After about 7 months I asked if I could transfer to the hospital and my manager agreed. I interviewed for a rotating position on the surgical floor. I was excited to get the experience and finally feel like a real nurse. Well, now I'm in a nightmare. When I first started the ratios were 1:4 on days and 1:7 on nights. This hospital has problems keeping staff but I figured the ratios were not too bad and I could get some overtime. Well now 5 weeks in they changed everything. No more over time pay at all. The ratios are now 1:6 on days and 1:8 on nights. They even cut back on what we chart IV's and PCA's once a shift now instead of Q4. They didn't want nurses staying past their shift to chart. They are tightening up and now saying they are fully staffed which is a lie. They employ over 30 travel nurses right now. My orientation is up soon and I'm really worried. I don't see how I can safely take care of that many patients. The last day I worked I had 5 patients : #1 MVA with chest tube and spinal fractures, #2 fresh post op appy, # 3 was a patient with a trach , spinal fractures, and feeding tube ,# 4 and# 5 were patients detoxing off alcohol after MVA's . This week I'm supposed to take 6 patients and I feel overwhelmed.

[Sensibility, BSN, RN]

My union actually twarted the sale of my facility to a shady company. When the facility was then sold to a different company with a better reputation, the union protected our contract and prevented layoffs of senior nurses only to be replaced with younger, cheaper nurses. Without the union we would have gotten a much worse deal on PTO, annual percentage increases, health insurance, job security, etc. Our union dues are a few dollars per pay check. I often wonder if the people who do all the union bashing have ever actually been in a union, because everything they claim simply isn't true (tyranny, expensive dues, etc).

In America, you are not allowed to discriminate against those who are older. If there were such a trend where senior nurses were fired and new young nurses were brought in, the hospital could be sued. I don't see anyone buying off any hospitals either. We do have issues with those who are old getting hired. I definitely had that problem. But the reason is because of Medicaid only paying a certain dollar amount per person for a nurse and the way that nurses have to work double time to make the same pay.

[Sensibility, BSN, RN]

Fiona59: Ignore Ms. Sensibility shes got problems of her own making to deal with, i dont think she'll be vouching for society anytime soon.

Hmmm, I can't imagine what you could be talking about.

[xoemmylouox, ASN, RN]

Being on a waiting list sure beats not getting the surgery at all. How many people are uninsured or underinsured here in the U.S.? How many people go without preventative care everyday? Canada's healthcare may not be perfect, but neither is ours.

[Sensibility, BSN, RN]

Being on a waiting list sure beats not getting the surgery at all. How many people are uninsured or underinsured here in the U.S.? How many people go without preventative care everyday? Canada's healthcare may not be perfect, but neither is ours.

It's probably not as many as you think. Surely few children go without healthcare. I have seen some children who are chronic that use plenty of tax payer dollars. Medicare pays for the elderly. So if anyone has problems, it is the middle class adult.

[xoemmylouox, ASN, RN]

It's probably not as many as you think. Surely few children go without healthcare. I have seen some children who are chronic that use plenty of tax payer dollars. Medicare pays for the elderly. So if anyone has problems, it is the middle class adult.

I agree that the middle aged adult (especially males) are the ones who are often left out with no assitance. Prior to getting married my husband was in that position. He qualified for nothing and has a spine issue so we went into huge debt, and he went without proper care for many years. So again there is no perfect solution, but ours is seriously broken.

[nursewreched]

30 per cent bracket. $31/hour.

There are opt out clauses for those don't want union membership. But remember who got you paid vacations and stay holidays,overtime pay, maternity leave (and yes we agree your nations is pathetic).

I don't know about your unions, but in union hospitals I have seen, you are either in the union, or you don't work there.

[Fiona59]

If a person opts out of the union their contributions go to a charity. Striking isn't an option for us, we're deemed an essential service by the government and legislated back to work within 24 hours.

[Prairienurse1989]

I only know that Medicaid and Medicare will only pay a certain dollar amount for a nurse per patient in home health. Unionizing nursing will only ruin what we have here. It gives certain people power over others and forces everyone to comply. Our country is about freedom for individuals not tyranny; and unions create tyranny where politicians and union leaders have absolute power over what is going on in terms of our most precious needs. Since a job is something that every person needs to live, those under the union have to bow to the union . I don't think you should compare medical care in Canada to what's here. I have friends in Canada that come to the USA for medical care. Socialized medicine also forces the individual to comply to medical treatments demeaned necessary or face the consequences much like if you don't have documentation of car upkeep, the warranty is moot. It also regulates who gets medical care, how much medical care and when to stop medical care....of course, unless you have more than enough money to cover the cost of what's necessary. This means that the rich get the necessary treatment and the poor and needy die. Not to worry, everyone dies, right? During my parent's era, people had excellent health care. Even now with Medicare and most elderly under Medicare, you can see that those who do not have money are denied treatment. I predict that as more and more of medicine becomes socialized, the salaries will stagnate and the care will be mega-regulated. And if what you say is true, our individual rights will be demoralized and washed away.

You obviously have no Idea how Canadian healthcare functions. Granted it is not perfect nor are our unions. That being said our unions protect us and unites nurses to give them a voice within healthcare. We do not "bow to unions", unions work for their members. In fact in the entire history if BCNU we have never taken a wage rollback. And just a little lesson on "socialized" Canadian healthcare: it does not discriminate against social class, race, ethnicity, or disease. Front line medical professionals do not know whether a patient makes a million dollars or no dollars. We do not have to seek approval from a CEO to order medical treatment, if it is needed it is ordered. The patient decides how much or how little care they receive, no one else decides this. It is not perfect but it sure as sh** beats the hell out of the USA. Give me me Canadian socialized medicine any day of the week.

[Prairienurse1989]

And just FYI Canadian healthcare already beats out American Medicare on the simple principle that absolutely everybody (including middle class males ) are insured. Check the WHO website, let me know who is in one of the top ranking positions for healthcare delivery (that would be Canada). Proud to be Canadian, proud to work for "socialized" healthcare, and proud to be a well paid union protected nurse.

[Sensibility, BSN, RN]

It is not perfect but it sure as sh** beats the hell out of the USA. Give me me Canadian socialized medicine any day of the week.

Who in America is ever denied health care because of money? If you are truly sick and need care and can't afford it, the government here does pick up the tab. It happens all the time. In our hospital, every person who walks in the door gets the best of care whether they are migrant workers or political leaders. I don't know who told you that we could discriminate like that but if anyone thought they were being discriminated against and denied life saving care because of their financial situation, we could be sued. In America, if you don't have money, you can still get health care especially children. The key word above in your statement is "needed." Who decides what and when something is "needed?" You are not telling the truth if you are suggesting that this is the patient. Clearly someone thought 6 months was when your class example A "needed" surgery. I think our healthcare in this country is excellent. It is probably too excellent. I have seen kids living on tax payer dollars here who are absolutely totally mindless. No affect. No nothing. They have g-tubes and the only activity one sees from them is seizures. Yet, they are given the best of health care with round the clock nursing. I disagree with your evaluation of unions. They are not helpful historically. They have been known to wreak havoc and cause so many financial issues. For example, when they don't get their way, they strike. Can you say, "No. I became a nurse to help people and I don't want to leave those people without care."? The flip side of this is that because doctors make so little from the Medicaid/Medicare patients, they gouge the stuffing out of people who do have money. So in essence, they are paying for the one who doesn't have money in a round about way unless they don't need the care. In a socialized situation, so much taxpayer money from everyone is being poured into medicine that there is little for anything else. How much money do you put toward your military? Why is that? Do the poor pay taxes. Our government gives people money at the end of the year.

[Good Morning, Gil]

How did the OP's topic end up leading to the superiority of healthcare option A versus healthcare option B? Not that it's not relevant to today's healthcare issues, but the OP was asking for advice.

OP, yes, some nursing units just are not the best work environments. You're finding out that your unit is not ideal; it happens. There are many like it. Just put in your one year, and then find an area you'll enjoy (and make sure you research it first; turnover rates, etc). You'll have more flexibility as you gain experience :).

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

"if you are truly sick and need care and can't afford it, the government here does pick up the tab."

seriously? if you are middle class and lose your insurance for any reason (like we did when my husbands company went on strike) you are screwed. if it is an emergency you will be treated and then you will be bankrupt. a co-workers wife had a heart attack and they now owe 100k. and yes, we tried to get a catastrophic policy and pay for that, but if you are 50 years old they want all your records going back 25 years and make it impossible to get at almost any cost. oh cobra you say? at over 2k per month that was not an option.