Does anyone know how to start a revolution? I'd like to know because I think our profession is in serious need of a nationwide strike...quite possibly a global one. Of the 4 hospitals I've worked at 3 of them have awful working conditions....and I've worked in 4 hospitals in several states and different cities so I don't just think its the 'region' I'm in. From the horror stories I've read about nursing in the U.K., I guess I should feel lucky to have an 8:1 ratio, no aids, on a post op ortho floor.
I love caring for people...I became a nurse to care for people, but I'm just darn tired of our 'profession'. We are still treated like waitresses and ****** on severly by upper management and hospital administration in my opinion. There is very little professional respect given to us...there is a lot of talk about giving us respect, but it rarely happens. We mistake all the hot air about respect from our managers/hospital administrators for real respect, just because they talk about it a lot doesn't mean they are doing it.
What is worse is that I feel that it is horribly misleading to encourage ANYONE into our line of work. We talk about being fufilled by helping others and what not in our profession, or at least that's the line of bull I fell for when I decided to become a nurse. Hospitals (75% of them in my experience) don't want us to provide care to patients. You'll be lucky to see your patient again after assessment and med pass. I understand that medicine is a business, BUT here's the kicker: Don't ask me to be compassionate, caring, and customer serivce oriented if your bottom line is more important than my patients. I can't provide good service to 7,8, or 10 people at a time. There's a reason that research is showing that a basice med surg nurse should have no more than 4....you know why? Because that is the number of patients the RESEARCH is showing to be a safe and feesible. And to be frank I'm tired of being the hospital's scapegoat for unmet unreasonable expectations
Why do we allow are selves to put up with being gripped at for staying late but knowing we can't leave until we are done? I've seen nurses clock out on time just to stay for 2 more hours to finish up. THAT IS NOT OKAY! I've seen nurses clock out that they got to have a lunch when I know for certian that they didn't, just because they don't want to get in trouble with management. This is perpetuating false beliefs in what we are capable of!
We brow beat each other when other nurses are not willing to work like a dog and stand up for themselves. It's usually because then we get screwed into taking on the load that that nurse wouldn't take, but really what we should be doing is saying no too. We tell other people who have less loads but still high loads, that they are lucky and should quit complaning about their job. HELLO! We should ALL have reasonable loads and just because you are taking care of 8 people instead of 12 does not mean that either load is good!
We should all be able to go to work and on a regular basis (75% of the time) be able to have 2 breaks and a 30 minute lunch, do a through check of our patient's charts for errors and missed orders, have time to spend with our patients and know their needs, and leave ON TIME!! That shouldn't be a dream! That should be the average day! We should be complaining about missing a break, not missing urinating for 12 hours!
I do not, cannot, understand why there are nurses out there who stab us in the back with the ideal that they took care of 20 people back in the day so we need to shut up and quit complaining about our 8. Well the fact was you were getting screwed back in the day too, I'm sorry they treated you that way, but that doesn't make our current loads right.
We need a revolution. We need to say no, not just for our sakes but for our patients! And it isn't just nurses, this is for most of the people in medicine. 80 - 100 people for a doctor to see in a hospital in a 14 hour shift is crazy unreasonable too. I have a friend who is having to do this right now and I told that to a doctor I worked with and his response is that my friend was 'lucky'. Crazy!!! It's all maddness I tell you and we aren't helping anyone by not be more vocal about it!!!!!!
Specializes in LTF, ALF, Primary & Rhuematology offices.
Needshaldol Thx for responding I've got thick skin I also understand it's business if they don't paid neither do however respect is something I feel we always should receive. I know that a unions can't fix things all things anyway but I know that and I did have a horrible day lol. Buy what I mean is if I work 3-11 and I pass on a ppd on a readmit really no one else can do that especially when when 3 admissions at 9p then I still have 27 others to care for with on my set one that required one hr for tx. Plus the pysch pt that came from a locked unit from other places. I've been in nursing for over 9 yrs. ( I know that's a drop in the ocean for some of you) but I like to think I know the ropes pretty well so far but when. Come in to work to people fussing over little stuff or my don forgetting that her rn does not mean Dr It's a problem. When they say keep people in here until 12am so they get paid but the md said send them out. Or ppl having things amputated or worse bc of listening to them It's an issue. I send ppl out if they need it not bc I don't want to deal with them and they say I'm wrong the md says I'm right and the hospital stay, the state, my conscience says I'm right. All I'm saying is healthcare should focus on the health of people a little more and the outcomes as well as the bottom line. I know when I feel like I need help I go where my health is important. I refer ppl where their health is taking into consideration. I mean make money but don't let it be obvious that all you want is the money. I understand they have bosses too and a job to do but I've seen an know other nurses who have seen these same things all over the place. I'm a skilled nurse I love what I do I just don't like what it is starting to become. It could be I need a change from where I am to back in the md office for out pt surgery so I get the stimulation I like on skilled units.
Focus......sorry sister but you have way too much on your plate. 27 patients! I had 4 today and no cna and I had a bad day. There has got to be something better for you.
Focus......sorry sister but you have way too much on your plate. 27 patients! I had 4 today and no cna and I had a bad day. There has got to be something better for you.
I agree, that's just waaaaay over the top! Can that seriously be safe? They must have different regulations for nursing homes? I don't believe a hospital could ever get away with something like that?
I agree, that's just waaaaay over the top! Can that seriously be safe? They must have different regulations for nursing homes? I don't believe a hospital could ever get away with something like that?
They do , and they do get away with it because when nursing homes now called long term care facilities started back in the 1960s, the patients (residents) weren't as sick as they are today. 27 to 28 is average for a medication and treatment nurse. I have dealt with tube feedings, vents, CHF, Parkinsons, diabetes ,strokes,cancer and hospice patients and mental health issues and dementia and Alzheimers sometimes in the same residents and it should be illegal . My state of Washington supposedly has laws on the books for supposed ratios . I have never seen them enforced and they wont be until we do something like the nurses in California did and that is demand ratios. The worst places for a nurse to work in long term is the corporately owned facilities . They are purely profit driven and treat the residents like a bag of money. I sat in on what they call morning meeting and they literally had admissions and discharges on a white board and what it was costing them each resident daily and how it was affecting the bottom line. Meanwhile nurses in long term care and the residents pay the price. I have and am still trying to get back into acute care and I have not been able to land a job in it. They seem to think if you work LTC you have no skills which is not true. You have to have more critical thinking skills because of all the different diagnoses and patient load. I was going to do flu shots this fall and this company that was ran by a NP actually stated to me he didnt know if I could give 30 immunizations an hour.. HA I guess people think we read the newspaper and eat bonbons at work in LTC. I tried to explain to him my patient load. People dont get it and every day there are LTCs nurses that are ate up and spit out because of burn-out or of years of taking care of that many people have tore their bodies up... I enjoy taking care of the elderly but I dont enjoy how I am treated by the companies involved and the patient load I and any other nurse in LTC has to have and how no accrediation bodies or my state who brags they are so health oriented will not do anything about it.
Exactly true. So in my opinion it is all about $ and they hold the bank book.
My parents were in long term care facility and a bit over 3 years cost them almost 250K. Yes, 250K. Everything added up. Medication dispense $400 each. Then my dad needed extra help, just twice a day and that was $30/day. Then due to the stress of my dad, my mom started to get anxious and ended up almost dead with hospice involved. After a week of paying for 24hr care I stepped in and threw away the meds (they gave them to me to give her as I am a nurse) and mom perked up. That was 2 years ago. She is walking, talking, 100% alert, and cooking. I moved her into my home 18 mo ago when dad died. So if I had left her there, she would have used up every cent and then they would have put her in their skilled nursing section and let the state take care of her. Disgusting to take every cent my dad earned as a less than average earner.
So, after this rant folks, my advice is to document document document. Get unionized and get safer staff ratios and get out of that long term nursing position as soon as you can. The owners of that assisted living are living very well and do not care. They will never care. It is what it is.
Specializes in LTF, ALF, Primary & Rhuematology offices.
thanks everyone for the words of encouragement I had a wonder interview for a postion I really really want both interviews went fantastic one more to go then I'm on my way out!
Focus, keep us posted regarding getting the new job and if it is better than the awful one you talked about. Is it in the same area as where you live? Are you re-locating? These are difficult things to do for many but if a better life, better job, means re-locating, it can be worth it. So hard when family is involved. I don't know if you are male or female but in the old days men moved their families due to job. I know we sure moved a few times. And dads job always improved so it was worth it. But still always adjustment. Life is all about adjustment. But who wants to work forever in a terrible place? Now my place of work is not so hot but since the pay is so good, I will learn to keep more focused on doing the best I can. More than 100K for 4 days/week which has about 2 months time off is something I focus on to keep sane. Good vacations!! Then there is another 7 days off paid for education.
Thank you needsHaldol and good luck to you focusedvallpn , One bright spot in this is I had to apply for unemployment and after telling them what happened with the illness and then the cutting of my hours. They are treating it as a layoff by my employer. I just have to have a medical release from doc signed and no issues . So hopefully will get unemployment until I can find a good job. I have to get out of long term care before it ruins my career and burns me out as a nurse.
Specializes in LTF, ALF, Primary & Rhuematology offices.
Good luck psych! Needs I'm female and this position is still in my local area it's actually a hop away jump on the highway jump off and I'm there in 10mins with traffic. It's a health coordinator position in alf the atmosphere is awesome I've met a few people in other states in the position on other sites and the last person in the position who is retiring after 8 years in the position and 27 with the company due to declining health. Learned some of the challenging aspects seems to be universal with the different people in the position. But I'm super pumped for NEW challenges and atmosphere. It's day shift job but we're looking to start a family so day shift is best for us if this turns into what feels like the best place for me. It's not surgery but it's an area I have worked in outside of skilled ltc and enjoyed. So fingers crossed all smiles over here in VA finally. Plus they are matching my pay 50k and giving me the option of choosing pay per hr or salary too so long as I get the executive's thumbs-up per the director for health services I'll be in there. Any advice on which way to go? I'm thinking per hr bc there will be times I have to cover the med pass it's not a big deal to me I've done it as a floor nurse and a supervisor.
Specializes in LTF, ALF, Primary & Rhuematology offices.
Ps nobody leaves this place it's extremely hard to get in their turn over rate is barely 1% for this building people retire there . I met a lady who lives there that worked there before she moved in. While I was waiting I met the receptionist of course and she lives there and works there too the first woman was telling me about when she trained the lady now working there.
Fantastic. As for salary or hourly pay, well it all depends on if there are benefits to be gained or lost. In my state, people in your type of position usually get salary. Whatever you get, good job. So sorry for the person who takes the awful job you left. Turn over tells a lot about a hospital/organization.
I guess people think we read the newspaper and eat bonbons at work in LTC. I tried to explain to him my patient load. People dont get it and every day there are LTCs nurses that are ate up and spit out because of burn-out or of years of taking care of that many people have tore their bodies up... I enjoy taking care of the elderly but I dont enjoy how I am treated by the companies involved and the patient load I and any other nurse in LTC has to have and how no accrediation bodies or my state who brags they are so health oriented will not do anything about it. 
focusedvalpn
57 Posts
Needshaldol Thx for responding I've got thick skin I also understand it's business if they don't paid neither do however respect is something I feel we always should receive. I know that a unions can't fix things all things anyway but I know that and I did have a horrible day lol. Buy what I mean is if I work 3-11 and I pass on a ppd on a readmit really no one else can do that especially when when 3 admissions at 9p then I still have 27 others to care for with on my set one that required one hr for tx. Plus the pysch pt that came from a locked unit from other places. I've been in nursing for over 9 yrs. ( I know that's a drop in the ocean for some of you) but I like to think I know the ropes pretty well so far but when. Come in to work to people fussing over little stuff or my don forgetting that her rn does not mean Dr It's a problem. When they say keep people in here until 12am so they get paid but the md said send them out. Or ppl having things amputated or worse bc of listening to them It's an issue. I send ppl out if they need it not bc I don't want to deal with them and they say I'm wrong the md says I'm right and the hospital stay, the state, my conscience says I'm right. All I'm saying is healthcare should focus on the health of people a little more and the outcomes as well as the bottom line. I know when I feel like I need help I go where my health is important. I refer ppl where their health is taking into consideration. I mean make money but don't let it be obvious that all you want is the money. I understand they have bosses too and a job to do but I've seen an know other nurses who have seen these same things all over the place. I'm a skilled nurse I love what I do I just don't like what it is starting to become. It could be I need a change from where I am to back in the md office for out pt surgery so I get the stimulation I like on skilled units.