I've Had It! Nursing is NOT what it use to be!

pepperbark · Nov 13, 2003

I know what you mean when you say torture. I feel the same way. I work weekends and spend all day Monday and part of the day Tuesday recovering from my 12+ hours qd. I feel that it has taken a toll on my health. I have to take htn meds tid.

The patients are usually not the problem where I work, its the families. Most of the time things go fine until the families arrive. The patients also have been known for telling the family an entirely different story about their care than the actual one. I am now counting the days until I retire. I'm too old to go back to school and change careers.

live4today, RN · Nov 13, 2003

Pepperbark..........my sentiments exactly! I too spend the better part of two days recovering from my two twelve hour shifts in a row. Sometimes, I get a day off in between two twelve hour shifts, and that just is not enough time for me to recuperate. :rolleyes:

I also agree that the majority of verbal and emotional pain nurses suffer comes from the family members and not the patient.

FOR ONCE....I'd like to be able to address my patient about their health, the night they had, their pain assessment, their meds, any questions they may have for me that needs further attention, etc. WITHOUT the butting in of the family or friends (all at once ya know :rolleyes: ) who answer for the patient.

I'm going to start an open group on AOL for family and nurses to talk because I think it is crucial for the visitors (family, friends, etc.) to understand the importance of a nurse's assessment coming from the patient and not from them. We simply must get this message out to the "visitors" regarding their constant interruption of the assessment process.

Whatever happened to that necessity? How can a nurse in "today's nursing" do her/his job without being attacked every second the nurse is at the patients bedside? How can we address the patients care plan with them to even bring them to their optimal level of wellness with "the intruders" constantly nagging us for information, blaming us for every little thing gone wrong, or not supplying them with info they think they deserve to have before the patient has the right to know. And..........whatever happened to the patients right to know from their healthcare providers --------the doctors who constantly say "that's not my organ system....." and the nurses who are assigned to carry out the patients healthcare plan during their hospitalization?

I think that HIPPA (or whatever the initials are) needs to enact a law to protect the privacy of a patient being assessed by the nurses and deny them (visitors, family) access to the patient during the patient/nurse visits. Use to be nurses could send "the visitors/family" out of the room during an assessment or conversation with the patients. What the hell has happened? :confused:

If I cannot NURSE the patient without constantly being under attack, and being rounded on like I'm the evil intruder, then I do NOT wish to work at a hospital that intrudes with my licensed right to be my patients nurse.

mattsmom81 · Nov 13, 2003

A few of us 'troublemakers' in my ICU are pushing for a policy that supports nurses having an hour of uninterrupted time with our patients before being overrun with visitors. All we are asking is NO VISITORS between 730 and 830 am AND pm for both shifts to regroup/report, get in a quick asessment etc.

My manager is fighting us tooth and nail...says we are behind the times and should learn to multitask better. Multitask??

What...like flying over hoards of visitors or asessing patients through telepathy?? Intervening by magic wand??If we ignore these people (and I must...just to DO my job) then we are accused of being rude and not 'meeting family needs'.

:rolleyes:

passing thru · Nov 13, 2003

AnneRN: You are right about no one respects nurses anymore.

We can go back to all the posts & substitute the word "teacher" for "nurse."

Whose kid respects teachers now adays ?? If your kid doesn't respect teachers...your kid won't respect nurses.,

I bring up this point because there's lotsa teachers in my family.

For the past 20 years, all I hear is:

"There is no respect shown for teachers anymore."

These clods who disrespect nurses learned it in the home.

healingtouchRN · Nov 13, 2003

you need a vacation & job change!!! Self care is they way to deal with this....

RNanne · Nov 14, 2003

Passing thru, you are so right. I think that there is a profound loss of civility, manners, and personal responsiblility in this old world. My husband works as an engineer for the county. He suffers the same lack of support, poor leadership, and public abuse on his job. It makes it very hard to stay positive out there. It is as if the world has gone mad. I don't know what to think about it anymore.

My daughter has her Master's in education and she suffered such abuse from parents that she only taught two years. And she is a wonderful teacher. She now works for the homeschool system in California. There she is shown respect.

CseMgr1, ASN, RN · Nov 14, 2003

Originally posted by SmilingBluEyes
[bjust today the powers-that-be asked US NURSES to remove light covers in ceilings and vacuum out flies. (yes they are disgusting). Reason? This ought to make you scream: For SAFETY REASONS OUR HOUSEKEEPING STAFF CANNOT BE PERMITTED TO DO THIS---THEY WOULD HAVE TO (gasp) GET UP ON LADDERS!!! (and maybe risk on-the-job injury)........
[/b]

Middle finger extended, as the door closes....... :devil:

live4today, RN · Nov 14, 2003

Originally posted by RNanne
.....................there is a profound loss of civility, manners, and personal responsiblility in this old world.....................lack of support, poor leadership, and public abuse......... It makes it very hard to stay positive out there. It is as if the world has gone mad...................

EXACTLY! Amazing how this trend of disrespect and lack of support and human dignity has been stripped from our society, and it is only bound to get worse as more and more people demand to have "what they want when they want it" or else. :devil:

I've got to get back to finishing my two books that have been hanging in the wings since I returned to work. I'm a much better "author". At least as an author, I work ALONE and call the shots. Just don't make any moolah......yet.

In my personal opinion........the world started going really really sour and became more and more INhuman when God was no longer respected in the good ol' US of A. And...I'll take that fact to my grave and beyond.

MiaLyse, APRN · Nov 14, 2003

Originally posted by cheerfuldoer
EXACTLY! Amazing how this trend of disrespect and lack of support and human dignity has been stripped from our society, and it is only bound to get worse as more and more people demand to have "what they want when they want it" or else. >>

People have also become more *me oriented. As in, as long as I am happy. Personal happiness shouldn't necessarily come above everything else. And today, I think it takes first seat above all other priorities and in turn we have become a selfish society. Just an observation.

Kelly

RNanne · Nov 14, 2003

Cheerfuldoer

Have you noticed that they are even saying "Happy Holiday". or your "Holiday Shopping instead of Christmas.??? Where has our moral compass gone.?? It is Christmas, for crying out loud. grrrr. :confused:

healingtouchRN · Nov 14, 2003

It's a reflection of just what has happened to society, I believe. Once upon a time, nurses & teachers were respected, & revered. I know my mother thought so highly of the teachers & healthcare providers as I was growing up. But I just don't what happened, people give more credit to people working with computers than in healthcare. That is a definite reflection in salaries, as my husband is a software developer (engineer) & has made more than me since his 2nd year out of BSBA school. Annoying. I try not to let it get me down. I know what it takes to do our job effectively & efficiently... tough, smart, thinking professionals! I also know I won't be doing exactly what I am doing now forever, because I need change to grow as a person. I am forever going back to school. :rolleyes:

live4today, RN · Nov 14, 2003

RNanne.........RIGHT ON! I refuse to play into the game of changing what is truth to me as I have lived it and experienced it first hand. CHRIST will always be the beginning of the MAS for me because it isn't a holiday for "gift receiving" as much as it represents a holiday of a "GIFT" received.....freely to us, for us...without cost of labor or union involvement. :kiss