Nurses are self governed

[BkirbyRN]

I was taught in school that the practice of nursing is "self governed". I believed it and had major respect for it. But the current masses have taken it for granted all that hard work that our predecessors did for us to get where we are today. I am guilty of this. It becomes most apparent to me when I am given 47 patients receiving dialysis all at the same time and the only nurse there, because a corporation decided that I need to just make it happen and make it through state inspection for them. Nurse to patient ratios... Isn't that something that is supposed to be our call?? If you've been a nurse for 20 yrs, you know the difference between a challenging situation, and just a true unsafe, dumb thing to try. I am not here just to make money for a fortune-500 and pray I don't lose my license while I break my back and pray nobody gets hurt. And it's everywhere now. I don't know how to change it. What do we do????

[Golden_RN, MSN]

If you want to make changes at the state level (since you mention how ratios exist only in certain states), you have to be active with your own state reps and tell them what you want. Write to them, call them, meet with their aides.

Additionally, we have to have healthcare professionals elected into state legislatures.

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

On 7/4/2019 at 12:39 AM, BkirbyRN said:

Basically, if the ANA, for instance, stands up and says, "No. It is not ok, ethical, or safe to put 47 patients at one time in the care of one RN" -- All recieving dialysis, in a fragile patient population (meaning having to try to get 8 kilos of fluid off of one or more of them because the physician said to..), and also while all 47 are discharged at almost the same time WHILE there are 47 more coming in and starting their treatments. Dialysis is brutal.

The ANA is notorious for NOT having nurses backs, but following the money. They justify what the corporate climate and insurance companies say. Then attempt to make us feel like we're the ones at fault for not living up to their 'evidence' based practice. It's sad, and I don't fall for the hogwash anymore, I dropped membership years ago for this reason.

I don't know what company you work for, but this is dangerous. Find a clinic with better standards and RUN! That's a tragic event waiting to happen...

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

On 7/3/2019 at 11:39 PM, BkirbyRN said:

This is what I thought I was taught, in essence:

As with many other professions, such as physicians
or pharmacists, registered nursing is a self-regulating
profession. The purpose of regulation is to
ensure that regulated health-care providers practise in a
safe, competent and ethical manner. Regulation is all of the
activities directed toward this end.
Self-regulation means that the government has granted a
professional group, such as registered nurses, the privilege
and responsibility to regulate themselves. In essence,
society contracts with the registered nursing profession
to regulate its own members in order to protect the public
from harm that could be caused by RNs in the course of
their practice.
Self-regulation acknowledges that a profession itself is
in the best position to regulate its registrants because
their specialized body of knowledge makes external
regulation difficult and impractical. RNs understand
registered nursing better than anyone else so it simply
makes good sense for the public to have professionals
regulate themselves as long as they do so in the public
interest.

Basically, if the ANA, for instance, stands up and says, "No. It is not ok, ethical, or safe to put 47 patients at one time in the care of one RN" -- All recieving dialysis, in a fragile patient population (meaning having to try to get 8 kilos of fluid off of one or more of them because the physician said to..), and also while all 47 are discharged at almost the same time WHILE there are 47 more coming in and starting their treatments. Dialysis is brutal.

The people running the fortune 500 company that are making those decisions are not "clinical" people and have no idea what our job truly entails. I thought WE decide as patient advocates to say NO. Wallets or no wallets.

Situations like this exist because of a lack of nurses uniting. Unions.

I am sorry you are in such a ridiculous, dangerous, brutal situation, but you must get out of it stat. And think about what I said about organizing.