Is Patient Safety A Good Reason To Quit Anymore?

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Specializes in Ortho and Tele med/surg.

Based my location it seems that ALL the hospitals are just plain unsafe. It seems like everyone is jaded and doesn't seem phased by pt safety anymore. It has become the norm. So my question is that a good reason anymore to quit if the hospital across the street is just as bad?

Thanks

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Specializes in MS, ED.

Just my two cents, but yes! You have to be able to sleep at night knowing what you've done during the day; what happens when the day comes that the environment / staffing / protocol / etc causes you to harm a patient? Besides the legal liability and potential loss of job/license, is 'everyone does it' really a leg to stand on after it's happened? My guess is that you'll be standing there alone.

I know how you feel, and of course it's not easy but you have to live with yourself too. I lost a job in a facility recently because they 'didn't feel I was a good fit, coming from a hospital'. Know why? I refused to discharge a patient with 220/115 BP who couldn't ambulate or care for herself after surgery. Doc said 'she's fine'. I said, 'I'm calling the ambulance if you won't treat her!' OH WELL! I could never get that poor woman out of my head if I'd just said, 'uh, ok!'. The other nurses...not a care in the world.

Work a few jobs PRN, go back to school, move, bartend at night....anything but endanger others just because someone says it's okay. You know it's not, or you wouldn't be asking. ;)

Good luck.

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Probably depends on the severity of the problem. If a person can afford to be unemployed, then yes. Otherwise, you are taking a chance no matter what the situation. That is the nature of nursing. I've wondered about this sort of thing since I became a nurse. At the time I was unaware that nurses get blamed for anything and everything.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.

op: unfortunately, this is the nature of most bedside nursing jobs! if you have a problem with working this way, you can try to find a better facility (and pray that you do) or move out of bedside nursing.

there are a million or so obtaining nursing degrees (i am referring to the thread someone else posted not too long ago linking a .pdf document on page 124 "what's it worth: the economic value of college majors" by george washington university), so we are unfortunately easily replaceable in the eyes of employers. we are not easily replaceable to our family members. gl!:up:

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This reminds me of a bumper sticker get in sit down shut up and go with the flow so sad but so true its a double standard until something happens I believe we have the power to change things for the pts and ourselves if all nurses act as one but we don't so they win and its just like sisyphus in greek mythology and when you get uphill the rock rolls back down only to start over again when you complain you are a crybaby but in reality most feel the way you do

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Please, I urge you not to forget the resources that you do have at hand. You can always implement the safe harbor if you feel you are placed in an unsafe situation. If you quit and go across the street and it comes to it, do safe harbor there. The point is, once every one starts to voice these concerns they have to act. It is not ok to just turn a blind eye. You are obligated by law to report unsafe practice and many of us don't understand that if we know of something and don't report it, then WE are breaking the law. In numbers we can accomplish more. Don't be afraid to speak up for yourself or your patients, you are the #1 advocate!

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This reminds me of a bumper sticker get in sit down shut up and go with the flow so sad but so true its a double standard until something happens I believe we have the power to change things for the pts and ourselves if all nurses act as one but we don't so they win and its just like sisyphus in greek mythology and when you get uphill the rock rolls back down only to start over again when you complain you are a crybaby but in reality most feel the way you do

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it is for this exact reason, we need to stand together...."

op: unfortunately, this is the nature of most bedside nursing jobs! if you have a problem with working this way, you can try to find a better facility (and pray that you do) or move out of bedside nursing.

there are a million or so obtaining nursing degrees (i am referring to the thread someone else posted not too long ago linking a .pdf document on page 124 "what's it worth: the economic value of college majors" by george washington university), so we are unfortunately easily replaceable in the eyes of employers. we are not easily replaceable to our family members. gl!:up:

"takes one person to change a mind.......

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