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

canesdukegirl, BSN, RN · Mar 12, 2011

I have to agree with the charting issues. There is so much redundancy in our paperwork, all created by administrators who are cow-towing to JCAHO to look good on paper. If we could streamline our charting and only chart ONCE for the ONE task that was completed, I think you would see happier nurses.

Example: simple implementation of placing a bair hugger on a pt intraoperatively. I must chart this as a circulating nurse, although the anesthesia care provider is responsible for actually doing it. I must, as a circulating nurse, ensure that this has been done, so I understand WHY I must chart it. However, the charting is such that on one screen, I chart that a lower body bair hugger was used. Then I must chart in another screen that the machine used was a bair hugger. Then I must chart in another screen that a LOWER body bair hugger was used. To make sure that everyone is nice and happy, the anesthesia care provider must also chart THE SAME IMPLEMENTATION. Why must we do this? Does it make sense to any of you? It creates a mountain of unnecessary paperwork that each provider must fill out when time is better spent actually taking care of the patient instead of satisfying a faceless auditor.

I understand the importance of charting, and I do it religiously. But in the words of my favorite TV clip from ESPN..."C'MON MAN!!!"

3dayRN · Mar 12, 2011

There is no nursing shortage where I live. I have a friend that has been looking for a job in a hospital for months. Since I graduated from nursing school 8 years ago I have been hearing about this "shortage". It's just not true!!!! I love my job, I think I have a reasonable workload. Not to say I don't have bad days but 95% are good days. I'm not gonna complain about that!

FlyingScot, RN · Mar 12, 2011

I've always said the nursing shortage is a fallacy. When you look at how many actively licensed nurses that are out there you can see that. The only shortage was nurses willing to work at the bedside. Very few wanted to do that kind of work. What happened when the economy tanked bears me out. As soon as things went bad nurses were coming out of the woodwork and going back to the bedside for many reasons including husbands losing their jobs or taking pay cuts, fear of the former and the supposed stability of a healthcare job. Suddenly we didn't have a "shortage" anymore. When and if the economy stabilizes things will go back to the way they were but nobody knows when that will happen. There have been dire predicitions that there will be a severe shortage in the coming decade with our huge aging population but with healthcare changes that may not even happen. I don't think we will be seeing sign on bonuses and hiring incentives again...ever.

Meraki · Mar 12, 2011

I think you have to define shortage.

There is a nursing shortage in many rural / remote areas.

There is a nursing shortage of experienced nurses in certain specialties.

There is not a nursing shortage when it comes to new grads looking for full time jobs in big cities in acute care.

There are still many, many employed nursing recruiters because there are still nursing jobs out there.

I agree with the excessive documentation piece - takes so much time away from patient care.

Psychtrish39, BSN, RN · Mar 13, 2011

My issue is why do the hospitals not train the new grads. I know its a money issue but they need to fill the slots. I don't really think hospitals want to hire nurses out here where I am there looks like there are hundreds of jobs and there are but are not full time and not with benefits and they want such a narrow scope of skills and education that they probably will never be filled. I think its is the issue of money in healthcare with being a nurse myself is the biggest problem.

BrookeeLou_RN · Mar 13, 2011

There is no generalized, non-specific nursing shortage . Maybe in some far off corner of some tiny place in the US, HR might have to actually look hard for a nurse. But in mainstream America it is not happening.. The economy forced nurse to stay longer, come back to get food on the table or whatever the case may be.. Those predicted to retire did not do so!

And there is an abundance of new grads, many with BSN chomping at the bit to work.

And if you get or are lucky enough to have a job.. patient care must be excellent but Admin only cares about their bottom line.. More now than ever before. And I think nurses do not get the respect they deserve.

Meraki · Mar 13, 2011

Edited

harnof · Mar 13, 2011

I think nurses continue to accept the abuse of administration and unfortunately do not have a voice as a whole to try to establish limits on workloads.

Example from Betty Boop is exactly right. It seems to me that we do everything except take out the trash. Our mistake is if they asked us to do that we'd do it just to keep our jobs...my opinion ladies...it's just the way I see it. There seems to be no end to what they ask of us: ans. the phones, bathe the pt, give the meds, check and be responsible for the CNA behavior and their work,ans family concerns, chart to death, run the whole store in order to keep Their costs down and we make the mistake of saying OK. Seems to me that we sometimes forget that We are professionals and should be treated as such and in turn should act as professionals...not be the worked to the bone nurse.

There, I said it!

allnurses Guide · Mar 13, 2011

There are many causes for job dissatisfaction in nursing. I'm not sure if the topic was assigned or if you thought of it, but the title itself is "invalid" as they would say in logic class. Is the nursing shortage real? If it is real, is it caused by nurses being dissatisfied by the job, or something else entirely. For example, not enough faculty, mushrooming numbers of aging baby boomers, a huge influx of people from the passing of healthcare reform? I do hope they didn't assign that topic as it was written, because it sounds like they might be asking students to carry water for a point of view that benefits a special interest (their jobs).

Anglkses · Mar 13, 2011

I work in LTC/SNF nursing. I would say that the biggest obstacle I see to adequate nursing is overall resources set aside for LTC/SNF nursing (or any nursing subset I think would be safe to say). Multiple issues previously mentioned in this thread are born of a lack of resources. TOO many patients, overworked staff, lack of financial reimbursement for residents with significant behavioral issues (which administration will say is nurses fault because behavior monitors are not filled in- maybe thats because in an 8 hour window I am supposed to assess, pass pills, do IV's, assist with feeding, hydration, help my aid (yeah because I only have 1 a majority of the time), answer the phones, talk to doctors, process orders, inform families of issues, and provided psychosocial support for those with behaviors), etc.

If change is going to happen then people need to start supporting nurses who are providing more and more care to patients rather than criticizing them when they are stretched too thin. It amazes me that the nurses I work with get as much done as they do and there are not more dire patient outcomes.

I think it is safe to say there is a nursing shortage looming. At some point the nurses over 55 are going to either want to retire, be able to retire, or have to. After that you will have half a decade to a decades worth of new grads who never were trained. All healthcare subsets must be willing to invest in the future instead of putting out the fire immediately in front of their face.

roser13, ASN, RN · Mar 13, 2011

There are many causes for job dissatisfaction in nursing. I'm not sure if the topic was assigned or if you thought of it, but the title itself is "invalid" as they would say in logic class. Is the nursing shortage real? If it is real, is it caused by nurses being dissatisfied by the job, or something else entirely. For example, not enough faculty, mushrooming numbers of aging baby boomers, a huge influx of people from the passing of healthcare reform? I do hope they didn't assign that topic as it was written, because it sounds like they might be asking students to carry water for a point of view that benefits a special interest (their jobs).

That's what I've been wondering about OP's assignment - are faculty/institutions in fear of students learning the reality of the nursing job market? That kind of information might lead to increased drop-outs, transfers into another program and fewer applicants overall.

canesdukegirl, BSN, RN · Mar 13, 2011

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.

The first sentence seems to be out of place in regards to the rest of your paragraph. One hypothesis is far different than the following sentiments, meaning the "nursing shortage" has nothing to do with dissatisfaction we as nurses feel on the job.

Is your paper SUPPOSED to focus on the nursing shortage, or is it supposed to focus on dissatisfaction in the workplace?