It's Does No Good To Gripe About Nursing

[EGspirit]

What I'm saying is that nursing is a profession. So, it's full of people who went to college and when you deal with college-type types there's always a lot of rivalry, competition, narcissism, etc. It's like that in all the professions. I have come to learn that part of being a good nurse, one of the tools a nurse must possess, is the ability to remain above and unaffected by the negativity of the workplace. It should be a 3-semester-hour class they teach that you have to pass a clinical in. All professional environments are negative by nature (Law, Medicine, Accounting, Science, Teaching, etc.).

Because nursing is a profession rather than just a job, you have to be really proactive in your own career. You cannot expect anyone else to help you. They may! But you really can't expect it. So, it does no good to gripe about nursing as a job, because it's not just a job.

If you need training, you need to go in and get it on your own--maybe even on your own time and dime.

You need to avoid any confrontations if at all possible, and when not, you really need to be really professional and blameless.

You cannot burn bridges, so don't set out to expose your supervisors or whistle-blow this or that, or report your colleagues, or anything else.

If you don't like an organization, resign gracefully and for reasons that are perfectly legitimate and positive. YOU WILL NEED your colleagues and supervisors on applications of all types for the rest of your career.

...Now, as I re-enter the nursing profession, let's see if I can take my own advice for once.

[EGspirit]

Because a certain number of us were put on this earth to be selfless, dedicated, altruistic beings who live only to provide service to others. Quitting a job, refusing to work our days off, or (Heaven forbid) going on strike means we have grossly deviated from our one true mission on this earth.

I call it NurseGuilt and I admire anyone who manages not to be sucked in by it.

Really? NurseGuilt? So, what then is "compassion?"

When I first became a CNA, way back when, the first day, we got our text, a really nicely illustrated guide on how to do all the various CNA tasks. I remember reading it in my bet that night, or starting to look through it, and it hit me that I was looking at the Gospel--applied.

See, I had always been a debater of religion--especially online where I could get into big arguments about big philosophical topics (I know, I know, it's not like me at all!) But I knew the Gospels inside and out, still do, every verse, all the deep meanings of Jesus Christ.

But that night, as I flipped those glossy pages and saw all the techniques for helping sick people who couldn't help themselves--I saw the Gospel for the very first time--and that propelled me into the profession hook, line, and sinker.

I have a lot of that NurseGuilt. I do, and I hope I don't ever lose it. Because it means a lot to me.

[Workitinurfava, BSN, RN]

He has a point, but some of it is fused with subjective-ness.

[Katillac, RN]

I'm grateful for threads like this in that they help me think through my perspective on issues.

The OP and I differ drastically in our opinions on this. I don't think griping per se is an effective means of driving change, but I also don't think suck it up and deal is an effective professional response, either. The reality is that unless nurses push back against bad staffing practices nothing will ever change. New York and other states have made laws around mandatory overtime to prevent organizations from forcing nurses to bear the consequences of their unsafe and exploitative staffing practices, but those laws never would have been enacted if nurses hadn't advocated for themselves. In New York, the law specifies that unless there is a bona fide health care emergency like a natural disaster or a mass casualty (call-outs aren't included in that because they should be anticipated) nurses can be mandated only after very specific and detailed other solutions are explored. Organizations there can't use the spectre of a BON charge of abandonment to meet their staffing needs but instead need to develop an actual plan for responding to staff outages.

But those laws only addresses a small part of the issue. Any number of deficits in working conditions can result in nursing burnout. However, as opposed to the OP who seems to think the primary problem is colleague behavior and attitudes, I believe most of the dissatisfaction results from increased demands on nursing staff and decreased resources with which to deal with the demands. The demands and resources are under the control of management, who unless there is sufficient motivation to be more generous will continue ever asking nurses to do more with less. In my opinion, those conditions absolutely predispose nurses to burn out. If one believes, as the OP seems to, that as a nurse one is irresponsible unless one does one's best to see to it that nurses are in it for the long haul, advocating for change seems a far more responsible response than suck it up and deal.

[EGspirit]

I'm grateful for threads like this in that they help me think through my perspective on issues.

The OP and I differ drastically in our opinions on this. I don't think griping per se is an effective means of driving change, but I also don't think suck it up and deal is an effective professional response, either. The reality is that unless nurses push back against bad staffing practices nothing will ever change. New York and other states have made laws around mandatory overtime to prevent organizations from forcing nurses to bear the consequences of their unsafe and exploitative staffing practices, but those laws never would have been enacted if nurses hadn't advocated for themselves. In New York, the law specifies that unless there is a bona fide health care emergency like a natural disaster or a mass casualty (call-outs aren't included in that because they should be anticipated) nurses can be mandated only after very specific and detailed other solutions are explored. Organizations there can't use the spectre of a BON charge of abandonment to meet their staffing needs but instead need to develop an actual plan for responding to staff outages.

But those laws only addresses a small part of the issue. Any number of deficits in working conditions can result in nursing burnout. However, as opposed to the OP who seems to think the primary problem is colleague behavior and attitudes, I believe most of the dissatisfaction results from increased demands on nursing staff and decreased resources with which to deal with the demands. The demands and resources are under the control of management, who unless there is sufficient motivation to be more generous will continue ever asking nurses to do more with less. In my opinion, those conditions absolutely predispose nurses to burn out. If one believes, as the OP seems to, that as a nurse one is irresponsible unless one does one's best to see to it that nurses are in it for the long haul, advocating for change seems a far more responsible response than suck it up and deal.

I appreciate your response to this, and I would certainly concur that legitimate union action and legitimate, professional efforts to affect good change are essential. One should not "suck it up" or deal with poor working conditions; however, they must be careful not to fall on their sword in the processes of trying to change things.

And I do believe there are elements of the medical profession, as with all professions, that will never change, and a nurse shouldn't sacrifice their career trying to change them (e.g., rude doctors, nurses eating their young, etc.).

[matcha-cat]

Ah, snarky hostility. I missed the sweet sound of it.

You sure do seem to get defensive at peoples' "snarky-ness" for someone who is preaching to ignore it.

[TriciaJ, RN]

Really? NurseGuilt? So, what then is "compassion?"

When I first became a CNA, way back when, the first day, we got our text, a really nicely illustrated guide on how to do all the various CNA tasks. I remember reading it in my bet that night, or starting to look through it, and it hit me that I was looking at the Gospel--applied.

See, I had always been a debater of religion--especially online where I could get into big arguments about big philosophical topics (I know, I know, it's not like me at all!) But I knew the Gospels inside and out, still do, every verse, all the deep meanings of Jesus Christ.

But that night, as I flipped those glossy pages and saw all the techniques for helping sick people who couldn't help themselves--I saw the Gospel for the very first time--and that propelled me into the profession hook, line, and sinker.

I have a lot of that NurseGuilt. I do, and I hope I don't ever lose it. Because it means a lot to me.

Okay, think of it this way. You are a person too. With needs. For food, hydration, rest, socialization. When you work for a poorly-run facility, your compassion may drive you to work without meeting your basic needs. They're short staffed. Again. Who will look after those people if you don't go in? So you shelve your plans. Again. We can only do that for so long.

When your employers take advantage of your compassion, and you aren't assertive enough to ensure your own needs are occasionally met, then your compassion becomes NurseGuilt. Any positive trait taken to its extreme can become a negative.

[EGspirit]

Okay, think of it this way. You are a person too. With needs. For food, hydration, rest, socialization. When you work for a poorly-run facility, your compassion may drive you to work without meeting your basic needs. They're short staffed. Again. Who will look after those people if you don't go in? So you shelve your plans. Again. We can only do that for so long.

When your employers take advantage of your compassion, and you aren't assertive enough to ensure your own needs are occasionally met, then your compassion becomes NurseGuilt. Any positive trait taken to its extreme can become a negative.

That makes perfect sense. It's like they say: In a pool full of drowning people, the life guard has to survive no matter what.

And for sure, if a nurse pushes herself or himself to a limit and then they can't come to work because their sick physically or mentally, then the life guard has not survived. So, what you say makes a lot of sense, so long as we can stipulate that we would never want to label something as nurse guilt when it really is just a lack of caring.

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

I have to say, I've kept my manners. I've not engaged anyone with hostility even when it's been thrown at me. It's just a conversation. If you feel it makes you too emotional and requires that you take yet another Xanax to get through it, why not just ignore it? I only come in here looking for responses, because, well, this is a discussion group, and I'd like to have this discussion. Frankly, I think I've been pretty downright agreeable.

But I will say this too, the people who have come in here and been insulting and hostile--they are exactly the people in the medical profession that act that way at work. And there's no solution to it, except you have to learn not to dish it back when it's thrown at you. So, in that way, this post is kind of like a training thing for me--because in the past I have often been very hostile to hostile people, and that is not a solution to the problem.

I agree it is so tempting to respond likewise to hostile judgemental, unfriendly coworkers; but as satisfying as it may be in the moment it is unproductive and only escalates things. I have learned to bite my tongue when faced with a backhanded slur or insult and just disregard it as a false slanderous comment from someone whose opinion I don't respect anyway!

I find it funny so many people have taken offense to your comments and feel they must defend themselves. I don't know why they think your comments were written about them personally, unless you touched a nerve.

The judgemental perfectionist is among the most difficult person to get along with and it isn't always nurses, sometimes it's the CNA too! Then when they find you aren't perfect they condemn you as lazy or don't care about the patients. There isn't time to do everything perfectly by the book especially with all the neverending computer charting added every day!

In my book, the most important thing is that the patients are safe and taken care of to the best of your ability given the working conditions and the time constraints!

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

Okay, think of it this way. You are a person too. With needs. For food, hydration, rest, socialization. When you work for a poorly-run facility, your compassion may drive you to work without meeting your basic needs. They're short staffed. Again. Who will look after those people if you don't go in? So you shelve your plans. Again. We can only do that for so long.

When your employers take advantage of your compassion, and you aren't assertive enough to ensure your own needs are occasionally met, then your compassion becomes NurseGuilt. Any positive trait taken to its extreme can become a negative.

I learned pretty early on administration chooses to short staff and tries to manipulate nursing to work overtime rather than hire enough staff in the first place. It is one thing to want to work extra for your own personal reasons and another to be emotionally blackmailed to make up for managements disregard in the first place. Their refusal to staff adequately is not my problem. I work my scheduled shifts and I just don't answer the phone when they come begging. They have many solutions to the problem from agency, pool, travelers to sweetening the pot with bonuses and overtime so people that want the extra shifts will be motivated to pick them up.

The corporate overlords where I work have laid off supervisors and educators and are trying to con the floor nurses into doing their jobs for free. I can promise it won't be me!

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

delete