LUCKY! to have a job

[madwife2002]

During these hard financial times, I have heard management repeatedly tell staff 'you are lucky to have a job'. Now whilst we appreciate we are indeed fortunate to have employment being told this repeatedly to control a bad working environment is in my opinion bullying, in truth they are getting away with during this period of hardship among our community.

What I find worrying is that this type of control which is being utilized during this time, will be difficult to overturn once things return to 'normality', because even the nurses who will speak their mind, stand up for what is right, support their less fortunate colleagues are now quiet and the silence is deafening.

Nurses work hard, we demand respect from our management, fellow employees, other members of the multi-disciplinary team, pts and family members, yet we struggle to actually achieve this.

Most nurses when questioned really just want respect and acknowledgement for a job well done and sometimes it seems we are swimming up stream to achieve any sort of recognition.

Throughout the years we have been labelled as 'Angels', 'Handmaidens', 'Battleaxes" and 'Whores' (nurse education today vol 4, pages 121-127) I dont know which one you are but I cannot relate to any of these labels.

I would see myself as provider of care, pill pusher, drug enabler, punching bag, furniture mover, phone sales person, scriber, pack horse, bed maker, family counciller, security guard, mind reader, housekeeper, but most of all Lucky to have a job!

[Laney123]

From what I understand,when a perspective employer contacts a former employer, only concrete objective questions can be asked. Questions about tardiness for work, number of sick days used, how long the person was at the job, their salary etc. They are not allowed to anwser questions of a subjective nature like, was she a problem at work? Did she get along with co-workers? Negative answers can be considered slander against the person trying to get a new job. :angryfire They may also ask "Would you rehire this person? That question kind of sums it all up.

Good luck with the job search. Im sure something will be the right fit. What kind of nursing do you do?

Laney

[joanncm109]

I have done pediatrics my entire career including general med surg, PICU, pedi ER and Pre and Post op surg.

[aereo2002]

I suggest you go to an agency. I just got hired by Maxim, and I hope it goes well. Keep a positive attitude, I know it is hard, it has happen to me too. I've been told "you just don't fit," and that's it. It is frustrating to see that it all comes down to personality differences, and not your quality as a professional. And I think, ourselves as nurses, are the only ones accountable (not to say guilty) for this problem, because instead of supporting each other, we just stab each other in the back.

[vloho]

Many think it is against the law to say something or ask some untoward questions but we all know it happens. A nurse worked with another nurse 20 years ago and they have kept in touch, you know the conversation that goes on . We are left with the burden of proof.

[akareasie]

Although I do feel lucky to have a job..I feel that my employer is lucky to have nurses who work hard taking care of patients. I know after almost 30 yrs. of nursing that age discrimination is there...just hidden under some other excuse..there is the manager's favorites and social butterflys, ect. Working nights, I feel I am only missed when I am not there and the "on call" people may have to come in or stay over. I am left with the clean up of any celebration but never any scraps. I have gotton good evaluations and then not so good.."let go for not being a good fit". At, present my job is becomming more and more toxic and I know I have to move on after 8 years. I have worked PACU for most of my career..have my certification..But events of the past couple of years has taken it's toll on my health and most importantly my own self esteem. Akareasie

[KJ0615]

Since corporations started outsourcing US jobs off shore, this has statement has been used as a veiled threat. I have read that in some areas, experienced nurses are being replaced by "less expensive" nurses coming in from other countries. This country is getting rid of US citizens for more affordable (foreign) employees. The ones who come to this country live together and send large amounts of their pay checks back home to their families. Off shore employees live in countries in which they can afford to live well on the lower salaries. Why is are economy in such a mess??? I wonder. I can tell you from first hand experience, Americans living in these other countries who seek emplyment do not get hired. They hire their own. The people employed in this country accept abusive behavior from management to cling to the jobs. I wonder when we are going to get tired of this and unite to protect ourselves. I have never been pro-union, but could unionization be the answer?

[madwife2002, BSN, RN]

I think unions work well but I had heard that even a sniff of them mentioned and you are fired. This bothers me and does make me fearful. Here in AZ I dont think we are allowed Unions no matter what profession, I know if we were I would be interested in starting one up or being involved

[foxc1121]

Hello all,

I too have been told that I should feel very "honored" to have a job in today's economy (by management). Having said that, it took a nurses aide to make me think....(her words, not mine)....Is the hospital going to go out of business? No. People are living longer and are sicker than ever. Many are sick due to ignoring problems, others due to lack of insurance and come to the hospital with a multitude of problems. Am I worried that the hospital is going to go out of business? No way - look at the patients that we have on stretchers in the hallway.

I have been told that my manager gets a bonus yearly for keeping her costs down. I don't know how true it is but I am starting to believe it. Case in point....we all come up for a yearly review. The maximum increase is 6%. No one has ever on my floor received a 6% increase. We are a small hospital, 200 bed capacity. We often have patients lined up in the hallway (on the floor) waiting for a room, patients receiving blood, elderly patients that are bedridden. It's awful. As a nurse, I must "apologize" and try to find somewhere for the patient to urinate or put the patient on a bedpan in the hallway. I don't see any hallway patients when JACHO or the fire marshall come to inspect because the hospital is well aware that this is a violation. Well, as a patient advocate, I feel that being in the hallway is a violation to the patient and the patient's family.

I have voiced my concerns to management, stating that it is unsafe to try to walk a patient to an "employee" bathroom to urinate, when they have an unsteady gait and refuse a bedpan. I was told that we need to keep doing this in order to avoid the added expense of opening a satellite. As a nurse, I always treat my patients as I would want to be treated, or my family. It is unacceptable to have a patient in the hallway, being assessed, receiving blood. I have been told that I am a trouble maker, that I complain too much. I am FRUSTRATED!!!

[joanncm109]

I used to work in FL and the hospital was union. Towards the end of my time there, the union did not seem to be doing anything for us. Management was not union of course. They really wanted the union out of there. I am not sure that is the answer. So much of management seems so flip about alot. Of course they have their favs even though they shouldn't. I worked with a gal who was fairly new to nursing (

[ericcire]

I doubt the unions are a good idea as they quickly become either over bearing or far too passive. overbearing ones cause too many rules and red tape while the passive ones never seem concerned.

As far as the economy, that always seems to have cycles. when the economy is doing well we have a shortage because more people are job hopping. there are fewer jobs right now but keeping an eye open may lead to something.

any time spent in this field, it's easy to know and find out what places(clinics, hosptials) are good and bad. so enough people hear about the poor places to work and not go to work there then that place will either go under or improve when they figure it out. but in the mean time why go to places that have bad rep?

[VTBabyNurse]

I have also heard that if we mention the word "union" we are canned. But could someone tell me how we are supposed to unite together and stick up for ourselves? We all know that our hospitals can not run without nurses. And yet our voices are being smothered and we have threats hanging over our heads. Not that it would take a whole lot to make us happy either...fair ratios, fair wages, a voice in how things work so we can provide better care. It makes me so angry to hear that our CEO gets million dollar bonuses!!! He can have his bonus, but we need to feel appreciated. Imagine what would happen if we didn't show up to work...all of us...oh wait, they have a word for that "abandonment".

I just would like some suggestions. I am still giving my input to management when I feel strongly about something, but the last time it bit me in the behind. I just want to feel like I have some kind of autonomy, instead of feeling like a sheep.:sofahider

[aereo2002]

Don,t make that mistake ever! The problem with nurses is that we do not stand up for each other, on the contrary, we stab each other in the back. As lon as we continue doing that, we will never growth as professionals capable of enforcing our rights and voicing our opinions.

If you are the only one voicing the unfair practices and dissagreements, but everyone else leave you alone, then you loose, you are the troublemaker, then management will use any excuse to get you in trouble and pursue disciplinary action. If others support you then the history would be different, because just not showing up to work is appropriate, but, if all staff puts in a 2 weeks notice resigning the position, then that might do it, but the key here is being united. As long as you say what you don't like, and others are just going to tell management on you, then we will never advance nowhere.

The answer is, stop the backstabbing and unite as a force! we don't need unions or anything like that, we just need to voice things and do it together, and I don't think they will fire everyone at once!