no matter what country I hate it when they tell nurses to shut up

oramar · Mar 20, 2003

My guess is that this crowding was related to the SARS outbreak.(If I am wrong I would love to be enlightened) Most likely none of these people were infected so it was more or less a dry run for real outbreak. So instead of sitting down and starting to figure out how to deal with a real outbreak, powers that be respond by silencing the warning voices. They do not understand that the fundamental ethics of nursing mandate that we speak up when patients are in danger. If it is true that "no patients were harmed" then it was by the grace of God and not by preparedness. The only comfort in this is that Canadian nurses have lots of company. "Shut up" would be the knee jerk reaction to this same situation in the US.

Jenny P · Mar 20, 2003

You know, I think that there is a nursing shortage BECAUSE nurses were keeping our mouths shut for too long.

This is a situation where nurses should speak out loud and clear and no one should tell nurses to shut up! The media and the general public need to be made aware of how dangerous the ED overcrowding is.

BTW, Oramar, what is SARS? I'm not familiar with that acronym....

ShandyLynnRN, BSN, RN · Mar 20, 2003

very interesting

Jenny P · Mar 20, 2003

Originally posted by Jenny P
BTW, Oramar, what is SARS? I'm not familiar with that acronym....

Nevermind, I just found the thread about the CDC SARS link! :rolleyes: :eek:

This does sound very scarey; I have seen a number of young people with pneumonia this past month, but no one has been dx with SARS in Mn. yet.

cargal · Mar 20, 2003

Thanks for posting this Oramar. I agree with what you stated, that nurses were told for too long not to speak up, but guess what? This is America!

fergus51 · Mar 20, 2003

You see why I left BC?! I had a similar experience in a hospital in Washington where there was a list of things we were not allowed to say to patients (or we would be fired). The whole place was a hell hole and I fortunately left after a few months.

nurseman · Mar 21, 2003

Originally posted by cargal
Thanks for posting this Oramar. I agree with what you stated, that nurses were told for too long not to speak up, but guess what? This is America!

Fraser Health Authority is in Canada.

Jenny P · Mar 21, 2003

Originally posted by nurseman
Fraser Health Authority is in Canada.

Canada is in North AMERICA--

Just giving you a hard time, Nurseman! :chuckle

nurseman · Mar 21, 2003

Thanks for posting this Oramar. I agree with what you stated, that nurses were told for too long not to speak up, but guess what? This is North America!

RN always, BSN, RN · Mar 21, 2003

interesting..........the article wasn't too informative, left me a little confused. thanks for the post though.

TNcanNURSE · Mar 21, 2003

This doesn't really same out of the ordinary to me. I agree with the poster that said it wan't very informative. In my experience, nurses are told repeatedly not to discuss staffing shortages etc. with the patients and families. We're told not to make excuses for long waits etc. by telling them that we are short staffed or are being required to assume extra duties. Supposedly by saying these things you are opening yourself and the hospital up to be sued.

I think that almost any half observant person will be able to tell that we are understaffed without being told.