Modern nursing--Administration - You do what you're told, and no backtalk!
How it used to be--Administration - Thank you for bringing up that issue. We'll be sure to take care of it.
Modern nursing--Administration - Remember, the customer is always right.
How it used to be--Administration - Remember, the nurse is right until proven wrong.
Modern nursing--You're getting more patients. There are too many out sick already.
How it used to be--Since we're short on staff today, I'll help you out.
Modern nursing--He/she thinks he's/she's Mr/Ms perfect. Well, let me tell you a thing or two about him/her.
How it used to be--Do you need help? I have some free time.
Modern nursing--You are not allowed to attend your award dinner, because you're being mandated to work a double. (Something that I actually witnessed.) The nurse worked a double.
How it used to be--Of course you may have that evening off so you can attend that special function.
Modern nursing--Get with it, Nursie, or whoever you are. And DO NOT take time to pee. You have too much to do.
How it used to be--Nurse relieving herself in the bathroom, "Ahhh!"
Modern nursing--Administration - When the insurance companies say jump, you need to ask, "How high?"
How it used to be--Administration - The health insurance agencies did not question nurse/patient care. The company's philosophy, "If the doctor ordered it, then it's needed. No problem, we'll pay.
Modern nursing--I'm going to sue the pants off of you, the doctor, and this hospital!
How it used to be--I understand. Everyone makes a mistake now and then.
Modern nursing--Doctor - Hey, you! What do you mean, doing that? Don't you dare bother me. You solve that problem yourself!
How it used to be--Doctor - Okay, I'll be right there nurse.
Too many people today are ready to sue at the drop of the hat. Instead of working for their income, they'd rather sit on their you know whats and get easy money from someone else.
The insurance companies run most hospitals, so the hospitals and staff bend over to please their clients.
How it used to be--People and insurance companies earned their keep, they also gave a helping hand when needed.
They seem to have all the answers.....so let's see what happens when they enter our forces
They will probably eventually end up in nursing management somewhere and cut your staffing some more.
At our facility the nurses are long timers and truly committed to the institution (no union...blind faith) and they have been asked to give money from their pay to support the capital fund. Many of them have. Also...the little conveinences in life have been taken away to save money. There are no plastic forks or canned soda on any unit (everything a patient eats off shift can be eaten with a spoon) so now nurse who want to eat their lunch during the nite need to bring in their own forks. Does saving the 2 bucks a day really make a difference in the big scheme of thiings? No...but you can bet it makes the nurses just have one more thing that feels unfair and lousy in their work enviroment.
It was tremendously different 15 - 20 years ago. This new world takes it's toll on the bedside nurse.
Specializes in ER, PED'S, NICU, CLINICAL M., ONCO..
:) Another one of these posts..
I would really sincerely love to know, what do you propose nurses do about it to start to change things?
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I posted already.
While many specializations around nursing are appearing on the sand and many new nursing students (Believing to be Gladiators) talk about, as if complainers belonged to another planet, what we most around this world find is a nursing shortage, and the few that remain on the sand are more victims than winners of a system that every day pretend us to be Mother Teresas, and Florence Nightingale paying for our sins through the nursing profession.
I told you what the media show about us, coming from US movies and TV series, but also coming from UK movies, and comics actors series. Not necessary to explain the old concept ordinary people have about us. NUNS, PROSTITUTES, and SLAVES.
Because this is the public opinion, few will get in our profession, and many will continue thinking that it is fair what we find on it.
Bull****! I remember a Doctor's answer in the area of Clinical meds while a Co-worker tried to share some observations about a pt. He said " You just keep his ass cleaned and leave the rest for us".
I personally would kick his mouse, however I cannot be so stupid to pretend that this kind of thinking is just an exception.
We are low caste guys!, believe it or not, in order to change it we must campaign.
The first tool we have is the web.
The second one is our daily pt teaching.
Nursing is another object that belong to the consume market. If people think that we are not of value, no one will pay for what we deserve.
Well I'm one of the old nursing folks, who remembers when I could work a double, and most of the time, go home feeling good about the day! YESS there were days when we were short, BUTTTTTTTTTT there was NEVER a day when I had to stay over for more than a few mins to chart something I had just done, and NOT for the whole dang shift, because I never got a chance to stop running!
Yes there were those MDs who came in, and wanted to have you get up for them to sit. But even then there were those of us, who didn't and wouldn't do this! I'm sure there were docs with temper tantrums, but "I" never saw any! But the last few years, I have seen it more than I ever even heard about it!
In fact the first time I ever had a run in with an MD, was in 1996, 16yrs after being in nursing!
To those who think they have a handle on what "modern" nursing is all about, and feel there has been "progress". More power to ya! I will stay away from the killer hospitals/floors, with unsafe ratios, and steer clear of those who "think" they have all the answers:)!
I remember waiting for my postop to arrive with a positive attitude. I actually loved preparing my post op bed. (remember folding the sheet vertically in the triangle? everyone knew it was for a postop..) Now i see so many nurses bogged down by one more patient no one 'looks forward' to anything. The patients have gotten much sicker and with the resistant organisms a 5 patient assignment can be a nightmare. Because i am everywhere in the hospital i get to see it all. I have yet to come across a unit where a nurse is not rushing around trying desparately to get out on time while praying she won't get 'mandated'. As much as my role makes me crazy somedays I do not think I could go back to the bedside without ending up fired for mouthing off about staffing.
YES I remember folding the sheets back, and I remember waiting on my pt with a positive attitude! Funny I had forgot about that! Now you while you're running from task to task, your CN tells you're getting a post-op, and you look up, and here they come! Report is given at the bedside WHEN they arrive! You have nothing set up, have to run find a pump/PCA, nurse on a stick, suction/setup, etc..etc! Boy ole boy ...fun, fun, fun:rolleyes:!
Specializes in LTC, CPR instructor, First aid instructor..
Well put Brownie.
I too remember how much I loved it and didn't mind pulling a double every now and then.
One time the flu was affecting our facility severely. I was working dayshift at the time. When our shift ended and the second shift began to sign in, I noticed one of the Nurses Aides looked quite ill. The RN on duty took her temp, and it was 102. I offered to take over for her so she could go home and rest. She and the RN were very grateful. In fact, at the end of the seventh hour, the RN told me I could go home and she thanked me.
Back then we didn't get paid for pulling doubles, but we didn't mind pulling one for a fellow co-worker. There was no such thing as mandation. Our pay was an extra day off instead. Wages were $1.50 an hour, but we supported one another all the way.
It would be nice if the new nurses could have those experiences today. Yes, the good old days in nursing were truly wonderful, and many, many patients loved and respected us too.
I MEAN they come in here, telling us how griping/venting does no GOOD and PROPOSE WE DO SOMETHING...(which many of ARE already, but they don't know this)........
They seem to have all the answers.....so let's see what happens when they enter our forces and fix it all as they propose.THAT is what I meant, Todd.
Saw the "men" in your post and wanted clarrification. Thought I might have to take off my ovenmitt for a second :kiss
I remember on a quiet night we had time to do the 'little extras' for our patients and the unit...we didn't mind then because nobody was canceled off because census was low...we were all there, enjoyed the downtime and kept busy doing extras that needed to get done.. Stuff like deep cleaning (we didn't mind doing it then), stocking, assembling chartpacks, cleaning out old closets, making lists...stuff we would do at home when we had downtime!
Back then, nurses didn't mind pulling together doubling, working short, etc...because when the boss asked us to we knew it was really 'in a pinch', not business as usual like today. And when we did it back then it was a favor...appreciated... not mandated like today.
Today I come home whupped from a 12 hr shift ALWAYS short a nurse, with no breaks, often charting ONLY after finally (whew) turning over my load of patients to the next nurse...knowing the manager will likely browbeat me about the OT. Even though she knows I am one of her best when it comes to time management....we can only skimp so much with today's critical patients. I am constantly biting my tongue...speaking out when I can safely...at the 'right' time with the 'right' tone of voice...but some days I lose my cool ; one day it will probably be the end of my career too...:stone
Perhaps us older nurses in our extraordinary work ethic have enabled managers in their abuse...we keep trying to recreate days past but we have different players now..and by trying so hard we have become stooges of the money hungry administrators we have today.
So......IMO we gotta slow down...my new favorite saying at work is " I only have two speeds and if ya don't like this one ya sure aren't going to like the other" :roll
Am I the only one who has noticed that agent never did come back with any real solutions? It has always amazed me how some people can be so negative about the nurses on this board and how we post yet they keep coming back. It is a free country if you find this BB to negative move on to one more to your liking. As for us we like it here and will continue to post about reality as we who actually work in it see it.
eak16
184 Posts
Modern nursing:evidence based practice
old nursing: no gloves. Fingercots for suppositories.
modern nursing: collaboration and opportunities for advancement
old nursing: giving up chairs for doctors
modern nursing: stressful but fulfilling (if you work at the right hospital)