Non-profit Nursing Facilities: A place to heal from burnout

[MarylandMomma]

Hello Nursing Community! It's been on my mind to share with other nurses about how my current employment saved my future nursing career. After being a nurse for 8 years mostly doing hospital nursing at a for-profit company I was very close to giving up on nursing for my own mental health. Health care changed so much since I first became a nurse and I was turned off by the shift of values I experienced. Where I worked there was pressure to consider the cost of treating the patient as the most important factor when choosing the course of treatment. I decided I could no longer work full time as a nurse and went prn at a small nonprofit long term care facility. I had no idea that doing so would renew my love for nursing and heal the wounds from being treated as commodity versus a caregiver. I wanted to let other nurses who are about to give up know that there may be hope for them at a facility like mine. Don't give up on the career you chose and worked so hard for because of the bad apples. I believe that with a good attitude and willingness to try new things every nurse can find a workplace they are comfortable working in. Just wanted to share something positive to you all!!

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

I am glad you found your happy place. My experiences have only been in LTC. I'd just like to mention that not all nonprofits are the same. I worked for a huge for-profit chain. While at times, it felt like it was all about the $$. Looking back, it really wasn't all that bad. There were systems put in place, a clear organizied corporate structure and a policy for everything. Sounds overy structured? yep and I really miss it.

Now, we are owned by a nonprofit. There is no structure. There are random consultants, there is little consistency. While a huge corporations isn't "making all the money" someone still is. We run short on supplies, we are accepting diffuculty admissions, vendors have changed...now much cheaper etc.

When we heard "nonprofit" we were all thinking more resident centered care. What sets nonprofits apart is who is running them. The Babpist home up the road....The have a mission. They have fundraisers and donors. We do not.

[Steffy44]

You can keep my not for profit. Constant short staffing and figuring out ways to cut like having no spare TP on the floor so you can restock the pt bathroom or visitor bathroom. Putting one change of linen in the closet because we pay by the pound to clean. 2 washcloths and 2 hand towels in the closet for bathing. Linen stocked in the room once a week. Cutting unit secretaries and then never any CNAs on the floor. Staff burnout is high on my floor.

[PeakRN]

I have worked for or been affiliated with multiple not for profit and non profit healthcare systems, and they can pinch pennies just as well if not better than the for profit systems.