We had this huge discussion at work today, and i thought i'd get your opinions.
The statement was this: "We have to many people becoming nurses for the money. Its not like it used to be, where a nurse chose to be a nurse because they liked helping people. Its all about the money,."
We were talking about the increased patient complaints, and an older nurse stated the above and thats the reason for increased patient complaints.
I wasn't ever referrring to a profession that would be labelled as "easy". We couldn't even come close. Other than being a physician, try to find a profession with a fragment of the responsibilities we face daily: (#1 or #2 factor affecting the life of a human being, legal issues that we must be held accountable for every minute of every work day, based on "Standards of Care", that exist in a secret vault somewhere, ( I call us the "KRYPTONIGHTINGALES" ). What profession, anywhere, is expected to follow professional "legally" recognized standards of care, for every single move they make, without ever seeing exactly what those "legal" standards are?! Nurses spend the entire shift with the patient, and are the #1 target for Malpractice cases. Reason: Deviation from "Standards of Care" are broad, general, and we don't know what they are, "specifically speaking". Go and ask what the Standards of Care are for (pick a topic). Utilize your crystal balls, nurses, because, many if not most policies are only based on them. If your place of employment does not even have a policy based on a Standard, you are to be held to the Standard, that you cannot find, and are liable for practicing under the Standard. Think you are making enough money yet? I believe a "Standards of Care Course", "Legal Course", and a "CYA" Course should be a "Standard" of Nursing Education, or Nurses should be allowed to sue the Nursing School that spit them out. Also, yes, Doctors are sued due to malpractice situations, but remember this, Doctors actually have a "say" into their practice, unlike nurses. If a Doctor feels he or she needs help, they get help. Do you think they would do a procedure without every bit of needed help? Would they put up with anything less than the utmost of respect and acknowledgment of their expertise when expressing concern for patient safety? Forget hours worked, we work them! Christmas, New Years, Weekends, etc... What other profession runs all day, non-stop, and dares stop for a break only to pay back with being behind on charting and staying late? Our overwhelming responsibilities, stress, lack of input, ignorance to our needs, and liabilites could be a Saturday Night Live Skit if it weren't true. Easy pay? or Easy prey???
Speak up today!!!!!!!!
:rotfl:
It is, but I'm not really aware of any jobs that are "easy" and pay well. There are a lot of things I could have done, but none promised the amount of pay this one did with the shortest amount of education. Having said that, I highly underestimated the difficulty of nursing school, or nursing as a career -- but I don't really know of any "easy" jobs.
Physicians and lawyers -- the supposed top-eschelon of the "professional" world -- often have no control over the hours they work, if they're successful. I would never want to work they hours they do, and if I did, I'd probably match some of their paychecks. I've heard that argument, too, from nursing professors -- "don't take an hourly job -- insist on a salary."
No thanks. Again, after 10 years, I do enjoy what I do -- but I don't need other people's perceptions of "professionality" to make me feel secure in the workplace.
Have you been sued? I've been a nurse for 12 years. Fill me in, I'm all ears.
I have been a nurse since 1967 and have been named twice, in lawsuits. After a few weeks, following the first one, my name was dropped. It was what was known as a shotgun naming. Everyone who ever came into contact with the patient was name, just to cover all the bases. Those not involved in the actual event were dropped.
The second suit, in 1990, I was sued for negligence. My 'crime', failure to pay tuition for a client. I was a senior WC case manager. Her attorney had settled with her WC carrier and two years later realized he had fallen very short on her income. :angryfire It took a year but the case was finally dismissed, with prejudice, and I have never been sued since. Made me very glad I had always carry my own insurance.
Have you been sued? I've been a nurse for 12 years. Fill me in, I'm all ears.
We had a death by restraints and the family is suing the hospital and five staff members (most being management, but also the nurse). I'd better not say any more.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Have you been sued? I've been a nurse for 12 years. Fill me in, I'm all ears.
This is something most prudent nurses wont' discuss online, I am afraid. I WILL say in OB, I do know people who have been SPECIFICALLY named in lawsuits as nurses. That is all I will say. It DOES happen and can to anyone.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
There are some really good threads about legal liabilities and debates about whether malpractice insurance is useful in nursing, for those who are curious.
If you read the thread, the overwhelming majority of us take the same view of as you. It's partly about the money. No need to stay on that soapbox for long. :rotfl:
Unlike mycotton and some others, I've haven't really heard anyone say "I'm going into nursing only because it pays well". Many I've heard add things like "I like people...helping people......science....", etc. in addition to the money.
I have heard many of us, myself included in times of extreme stress, "I'm staying only because the money." Or "I'm burned out with nursing, but after all these years, I make good money." Because quite honestly there've been times I'd rather flip burgers if they paid $30.00/hr. :)
DUH!!! I think thats the point, flipping burgers doesn't pay 30.00/hr
DUH!!! I think thats the point, flipping burgers doesn't pay 30.00/hr
I think the point is that many of us would rather be nurses even if flipping burgers did pay $30/hr, but few of us would be nurses if it paid minimum wage, and almost all of us have days when we would rather flip burgers, even for minimum wage.
On the other hand, I've heard it said that if one swallows a live frog upon awakening in the morning, nothing worse is likely to happen the rest of the day. By that reasoning, I would recommend that everyone should work in fast food for a year, to better appreciate any other job they have.
mycotton
15 Posts
I wasn't ever referrring to a profession that would be labelled as "easy". We couldn't even come close. Other than being a physician, try to find a profession with a fragment of the responsibilities we face daily: (#1 or #2 factor affecting the life of a human being, legal issues that we must be held accountable for every minute of every work day, based on "Standards of Care", that exist in a secret vault somewhere, ( I call us the "KRYPTONIGHTINGALES" ). What profession, anywhere, is expected to follow professional "legally" recognized standards of care, for every single move they make, without ever seeing exactly what those "legal" standards are?! Nurses spend the entire shift with the patient, and are the #1 target for Malpractice cases. Reason: Deviation from "Standards of Care" are broad, general, and we don't know what they are, "specifically speaking". Go and ask what the Standards of Care are for (pick a topic). Utilize your crystal balls, nurses, because, many if not most policies are only based on them. If your place of employment does not even have a policy based on a Standard, you are to be held to the Standard, that you cannot find, and are liable for practicing under the Standard. Think you are making enough money yet? I believe a "Standards of Care Course", "Legal Course", and a "CYA" Course should be a "Standard" of Nursing Education, or Nurses should be allowed to sue the Nursing School that spit them out. Also, yes, Doctors are sued due to malpractice situations, but remember this, Doctors actually have a "say" into their practice, unlike nurses. If a Doctor feels he or she needs help, they get help. Do you think they would do a procedure without every bit of needed help? Would they put up with anything less than the utmost of respect and acknowledgment of their expertise when expressing concern for patient safety? Forget hours worked, we work them! Christmas, New Years, Weekends, etc... What other profession runs all day, non-stop, and dares stop for a break only to pay back with being behind on charting and staying late? Our overwhelming responsibilities, stress, lack of input, ignorance to our needs, and liabilites could be a Saturday Night Live Skit if it weren't true. Easy pay? or Easy prey???
Speak up today!!!!!!!!
:rotfl: