Nurses are the 'Canary in the Mine'

RN WRITER NC, ADN

Nurses wonder, in the middle of a moral crisis, should I continue in bedside nursing; amid the nursing shortage, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the broken healthcare system? Nurses are trained to apply skills and interventions that are evidence-based which helps their patients feel better, have hope, and improve the quality of their life. But some nurses are questioning: "Is it possible to give quality care to patients and at what risk is it to me?”

Advantages still exist for the profession of nursing. The pay is great, and the hours are flexible with a choice of morning, afternoon, and night shifts. The length of the shift varies from either four, eight, or twelve hours. There is always lots of overtime for those who want to make a ton of money! The uniform is comfortable and feels like pajamas, available in different styles and colors with the potential for coordinated comfy shoes. No need to exercise, already getting that at work! Most nursing jobs are active with intermittent sitting, bending, and walking all day or night long. Lucky for nurses, there are millions of job openings to choose from. But you just may have to update your education to take advantage of them. The on-call doctors are a lot friendlier nowadays. Job satisfaction used to be a great benefit with an opportunity for nurses at the bedside to connect their scientific minds with a compassionate heart for the benefit of patients. A nurse could clock out and despite being exhausted still feel rewarded with the thought that they have made a difference in someone's life.

Nurses are unique and very special. They are like angels because they are drawn to helping others with understanding, compassion, and knowledge of the burden of care. Unfortunately, some nurses neglect their own health and other obligations; to work overtime. They are working more hours than they want or need to, due to the shortage of workers. They work overtime, sometimes adding an additional four or eight hours to equal twelve or sixteen hours straight, and then they will come back and do it over again. Often nurses are working multiple days in a row, more than four to five days which is beyond safe for patient care and for themselves, especially for night shift workers. Traveling nurses have told me that sometimes they work from far away and are so tired that they aren't safe getting to and from work. In the aftermath of Covid-19, nurses are flaming out. Other nurses see the writing on the wall and are fearful this may happen to them. Admittedly, nurses are so drained; that they are losing their hearts for their beloved profession.

Thanks to the corporate model, the profession of nursing has become less about the heart and more about money. Most nurses are working overtime now, whether they want to or not. Employers are desperate to recruit new staff to fill open positions and take the pressure off full-time nurses. So, they offer sign-on incentives to new staff and competitive pay but exclude those already working, who remained loyal and worked so hard to stay the course through the pandemic. Unfortunately, there just aren't enough nurses to fill the open slots. As quickly as nurses are trained, they or others already in place; leave after burn-out or for another job with better wages. Nurses have growing anger and increased fatigue with work/life imbalance. They feel intimidated by their employers who constantly ask for more and more of them. Some say, "the money is not worth it,” and so they choose to back away from the work they love, or the needs of the patients and the huge demands made by the employer.

Nurses are being asked to do and be it all. Due to the pandemic scare, there are fewer housekeepers, phlebotomists, nurse aides, kitchen workers, and janitors in healthcare settings. Nurses are the housekeeper, who cleans and dumps the trash in the patient and breakrooms. They are the absent nurse's aides, who ordinarily assist the nurse with patient personal care and most importantly, are an extra pair of eyes for patient and resident safety. Amidst all this, the stressed nurse feels the heightened demand to give adequate care, administer medications on time and as needed, and detect changes in the patient. No wonder nurses are leaving this scenario, the staff has only a few minutes to do what they need to do with each patient and then on to the next. This is a no-win situation for the patient, as well as the nurse. The fatigued nurse cannot give patients the emotional support they need and that leaves the patient feeling guilty for being so needy and lonely due to the lack of support from the tired staff.

The Covid-19 pandemic is the last straw. During the past two years and still today, nurses are asked to wear the tight-fitting KN95 or N95 masks in addition to plastic shields over those masks when caring for their patients and residents. It is hard to communicate with another with one mask, and almost impossible with both the mask and the shield; especially if one is hard of hearing or very hot with little or no air circulation. Granted this is all in the name of safety because of the risk for contagious spread, but with so many interventions that nurses already need to perform; the pressure on all providers has steadily increased.

We have not known a pandemic in over a hundred years. Couple this with society's growing distrust of healthcare and government policy, there is fear and uncertainty almost everywhere. Everyone is on edge, not knowing; will Covid-19 ever end? Perhaps, if nurses and their advocates speak up for more efficient healthcare policies in boardrooms of corporations, on social media, and in the legislative government; something will change. Nurses are one of the most respected professions today. Nurses have been deemed trustworthy and must share their perspectives. Board members and CEOs need to listen and understand that nurses want a seat at the table and an opportunity to help create the change that needs to happen for improved care of the patient and residents. Hopefully, this will bring back nurses to the profession they love so dearly.

Margaret Scranton, RN

Nurses are the 'Canary in the Mine'

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