I am doing a paper for school.... please post your opinion

Nurses General Nursing

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The nursing shortage is real and we are already feeling the effects of it. I am writing a paper for my class on my way to getting a BSN. I need some ideas on why nurses are dissatisfied in our field. (examples: poor management, no voice, high pt to nurse ratio///////// Please respond and post your biggest dissatisfaction, or what you've been hearing. :nurse::eek::uhoh3:

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I would like to add that the nursing shortage is not real for ALL areas. Where I am, most employers are un-willing to hire new grads. The ones that will consider a new grad have between 200 - 400 applications for EACH position! I am aware of new grads that passed their boards over a year ago and just got a job. I had considered moving to an area where there is a nursing shortage, but finally found something after 10 months of searching.

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Specializes in Med surg, LTC, Administration.

If you spend an hour reading this board, you will find enough information to write a book! Good luck on your paper!

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Definately the poor staffing. They are cutting the secretary hours, cutting the cnas, and giving the RNS more patients. So now we have more patients and less help. And then on top of the added workload, you had to answer the phones, put in orders, etc etc. At my former work place they were calling off nurses, purposely leaving us short staffed to help the budget. They are cutting supplies & linens as well.

The biggest issue by far, is that you go into nursing to care for the patients, but it isnt about the patients anymore its about the money. It is ONLY about the money. You always leave feeling like you did not do a good job. You can't possibly give the care you want with all the cuts. You physically cannot keep up with the work load they try to dump on you. It is a for sure burn out job. You try try try try and bust your but running all shift and still cannot get it all done.

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Specializes in ER.

I have heard of this mysterious "nursing" shortage, but haven't been lucky enough to catch a look at it yet....

The only dissatisfaction that I can report, is knowing that I have to put up with all and every piece of unfairness and poop, because there are probably 500 people waiting for my job if I don't smile and "take it"

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Specializes in LTC.
I would like to add that the nursing shortage is not real for ALL areas. Where I am, most employers are un-willing to hire new grads. The ones that will consider a new grad have between 200 - 400 applications for EACH position! I am aware of new grads that passed their boards over a year ago and just got a job. I had considered moving to an area where there is a nursing shortage, but finally found something after 10 months of searching.

what area are you in? please don't say FL.... :lol2::uhoh3:

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Specializes in Intermediate care.

Higher demands on nurses. For example...our hospital was a 4:1 patient to nurse ratio. It's now moved to 5:1.

Charting has gotten insane. We actually have 2 nurses, with masters degrees, scheduled every shift to "check on our charting" throughout the day. So if we have a patient that is lets say...on 15 minute checks. If these nurses see that we havent charted and its been 17 minutes, then we get a talking to. But the reality is, maybe i didnt do it because i was in a code? or a patient fell? or i was taking my patient to the bathroom.

They expect us to be in many places at one time, which just cannot happen.

They are putting more and more work on nurses. I wouldnt be opposed to all of that if my patient to nurse ratio was lower, like lets say...2:1 or 3:1. But its getting to be 5:1 and are pushing a 6:1 within the next few years. Don't even think that is safe....

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what area are you in? please don't say FL.... :lol2::uhoh3:

I'm in the Chicagoland area.

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The nursing shortage is real and we are already feeling the effects of it. I am writing a paper for my class on my way to getting a BSN. I need some ideas on why nurses are dissatisfied in our field. (examples: poor management, no voice, high pt to nurse ratio///////// Please respond and post your biggest dissatisfaction, or what you've been hearing. :nurse::eek::uhoh3:

Doctors, they do not communicate with nurses efficiently./

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Specializes in ICU & LTAC as RN. FNP.

My biggest dissatisfaction pertains to the rediculous amount of charting required. It seems like there was a new form for us to fill added to the stack on a weekly basis. Whatever time you have left over can be given to the patient (not really, but that's how it feels).

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

If it's your nursing instructors who are perpetuating the "nursing shortage" disinformation, I think you and your classmates would do well to investigate a little. Not in the national media, but on this board where real live nurses are telling the whole story.

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OP, now think a bit. Don't get caught making an invalid statement. You might recover by stating and citing projections made re: nursing shortage. But then counter with reality: no nursing shortage and cite examples. THEN you can go on with your meat about why understaffing/corporate greed/foreign recruiting, poor conditions, lateral violence, is causing nurses currently working to become dissatisfied = nurses leaving. I'd lean heavily on a summary statement that gives some validity to the shortage projections, but somehow mention that projections from government sources don't at all influence how huge corporate hospital networks choose to conduct business re nurse patient ratio/hiring practices/environment.

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