Newsweek letter to editor

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

here is the thread with the first article posted by momoftriplets in the er forum

https://allnurses.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55675&highlight=newsweek

p

overwhelmed in the er

i read paul duke's feb. 2 my turn with great interest ("if er nurses crash, will patients follow?"). as an emergency-room nurse in a trauma center, i, too, feel the pressures of providing safe and compassionate care to my many patients. the increase in volume of patients and decrease in staffing is one of the most frustrating parts of this profession. there is no greater feeling of helplessness than to have to prioritize by who might die first, rather than being able to provide quality care to all patients. that said, i think the public has a responsibility to educate itself as health-care recipients. coming to the er because of a sore throat that has been going on for 15 minutes (which i had to deal with), a low-grade fever for two hours or other non- emergent complaints is frustrating for nurses and costs millions of dollars each year in er supplies and resources. by misusing health care, we are taking away from the sickest people--and that could have deadly consequences.

s. nelson

virginia beach, va.

as a medical resident in a new york city teaching hospital, i experience firsthand the understaffing that paul duke describes. but duke, who seems compassionate and dedicated, is not the typical face of the nursing shortage that i see. instead of working harder, the nurses i observe often take advantage of the situation, using staffing shortages as an excuse to not perform basic responsibilities like drawing blood, recording vital signs or administering pain medication, no matter how many patients they are taking care of. i have seen nurses sit around complaining about working too hard, or filling out "protest of assignment" forms while patient call lights go ignored. it is easy for nurses to shrug and claim they are too busy to perform a task because they know they have job protection due to the nursing shortage and that there is a resident physician who will have no choice but to do it for them. for the doctors, there is no such thing as a protest of assignment, and certainly there is no overtime pay. picking up the slack for these nurses subtracts from time that could be spent on educational activities, and detracts from already limited patient-doctor interactions.

name withheld

new york, n.y.

did anyone catch the first article... it was written by a frustrated er nurse concerning issues that we are all facing. just got this weeks issue and was wandering if anyone would respond to it.. what about this residents response to the "lazy" "complaining" nurses?? funny how his name was withheld :angryfire huh?

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

If anyone has sen the original article could they post an attachment...I am post night shift and lazy.

[momoftriplets]

I posted the article in the ER forum last week, under newsweek article,

[oramar]

I thought letters to the editor required a signature in order to be printed. Our local paper usual has information about where a person is from and frequently their profession as well as their name.

[ceecel.dee, MSN, RN]

I am speechless (almost).

Funny how a legitimate complaint like short staffing can be construed into something like "the whining of a female profession" by a presumed male author. (I admit that I am jumping to conclusions here; it seems I am programed to be defensive about our profession's portrayal.)

[Stitchie]

It's easy to see from that cowardly resident's answer that he considers RN's "task managers" and really doesn't see them as professionals. Am I alone in thinking that ONE way of resolving the Dr/RN conflict is to stop referring to RN's as appliances to make the Dr's job easier? Or that physicians need education and reinforcement that nurses work WITH dr's, as in collaboration. I know, the can of worms is creaking open once again, but this letter from the physician certainly is belittling to RN's and the staff who works in hospitals.

I cannot remember a single day where I was able to be "lazy". The idea is unthinkable, especially in an ER. And as for a resident answering a call light, or administering medication? Laughable.

[fab4fan]

It is laughable, except people will read that and believe it (after all, this is an opinion coming from a "Medical Deity"). It wouldn't surprise me if he thinks a nurse's job is to pick up after him when he makes a mess.

[bluesky, BSN, RN]

As my 2 yr old would say "nasty stinky eeeeewe ". Another great physician in the making.... NOT

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

Well even tho I have never worked in an ER setting, I have never seen a resident or doc "pick up the slack" and do nursing tasks... Does this resident honestly expect us to believe that he has changed linens, bedpans, given meds, ran for food etc.... ??? That comment really made my blood boil... yes I have been a pt in an ER many a time and also took family for treatment and NEVER saw a resident do nursing tasks and never saw a nurse sit down let alone take a break and complain. (of course we all find time to b*tch to each other, but thats everywhere)

[katscan]

After a long hard day, I sat down last eve with the latest Newsweek. I did not need to read that letter from that resident. To make such sweeping statements, and lump all nurses together...His narrow mind will get him in trouble long before he becomes a "real doctor".This kind of narrowmindedness will not go away, and will get him in trouble sometime, somewhere with his patients. It's just a matter of time...

[bellehill, RN]

Never have I seen a resident pick up the slack from nurses...usually they are running to get us. I have never worked ER but on the floor it just doesn't happen.

[fergus51]

I have never seen such a thing either. Our residents are mostly nice, but all too often they are clueless.