This Is An Outrage

Nurses Activism

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A/A/OX3

14 Posts

Oh, come on ladies and gents. I am ICU x13 years. I have been fired from three jobs for patient and nurse advocacy. It wasn't the doctors that took me out... it was other nurses.

Why? Because I refused to participate in: the abuse, the brutality, the gossip, the tattling, the laziness, the ignorance, special favors for special friends, the committees, dangerous staffing, substandard precepting, screwing other nurses, cannibalism, etc.

We are our own worst enemy. Few of us have grown beyond what worked in junior high. The sisterhood is more important than the profession and that will NEVER change.

I am proud to have been asked to leave three times. It tells me I must be doing something right. According to Kohlberg's theory of moral development, the highest level is achieved when you do what is right no matter the cost.

Tell me... when is the last time you met a nurse willing to buck a manager or hold a friend accountable. When is the last time you witnessed a nurse do what was required if it meant jeopardizing her place in the pecking order. We don't need to examine the profession, we need to examine ourselves.

WinkRN

15 Posts

I would say that you hit the nail right on the head. I am in total agreement with you. I have tried to approach those in authority about lazy coworkers, coworkers who will NEVER help but who scream for help when they need it. I have tried to talk to the coworkers themselves; didn't work. So off to the charge nurse and the response is - "are you whining?" And I fight back when I have a 3 patient assignment in the ICU and 2 other nurses have 1 patient a piece - and these are not patients who need a 1:1 ratio. So I am beginning to be labeled as a troublemaker - only because I want what's best for my patients while I am at work. Most of the other nurses will not say anything. Hospitals are big business and it is ALL about the bottom line. And we are kidding ourselves if we think otherwise.

sjoe

2,099 Posts

Specializes in Corrections, Psych, Med-Surg.

aaox3 writes: "Tell me... when is the last time you met a nurse willing to buck a manager or hold a friend accountable. When is the last time you witnessed a nurse do what was required if it meant jeopardizing her place in the pecking order. We don't need to examine the profession, we need to examine ourselves."

And I would add: And when is the last time you saw the other nurses backing this person up? They might whisper guarded, and private, phrases of support--but only when support can't be "tracked back" to them. They will say "I wish I were as strong as you are but I am too far in debt,' or "I have kids to support" or whatever excuse they can think of for remaining sheep and cowards.

Meanwhile, the nurse with courage is fired or "asked to leave" or simply gives up on that facility after beating his/her head against the wall too often with negligible results. The cowards sigh in relief when it is all over, no longer feeling like a potential target by management, having once again learned the lesson "you can't change anything here, so why try"--the phrase they all too frequently cluck to each other.

A phrase THEY make true, and then turn around and complain about "the state of nursing these days." Yeah, right.

And the ANA, as do most advocacy groups, offers nurses the remedy of giving that organization more money, more members, more "support," etc. when their track record is dismal and ineffective, as always--a fact which they ascribe, in characteristic circular fashion, to not having enough members, not having enough money, not having enough support. Yeah, right, once again.

ainz

378 Posts

True statements. ANA has been ineffective, nurses don't back each other up, and our healthcare system is all about the bottom line. Meanwhile, nurses continue to have degrading, unsafe, and insulting things shoved down their throats by corporate leaders and hospital administrations. These same healthcare "leaders" paint a dismal financial picture when actually healthcare corporations are enjoying record profits (our hospital is making more money that ever before).

The question is what do we (nurses) need to do about this and what are we (nurses) willing to do. My experiences after 18 years as an RN and 24 total in healthcare is that nurses will essentially do nothing meaningful and continue to stab each other in the back over petty issues, and perpetuate the helpless, powerless, victim mentality that is prevalent.

Some nurses are standing up and fighting this trend through union negotiations and strikes. That takes some courage and has won some gains as you can read about their experiences here.

It's a shame to watch this going on and when you make attempts to rally the nurses and offer suggestions on strategies that will be effective or have a chance at being effective, they get offended as if you are talking to them like they are ignorant.

You can lead a horse to water but . . . . . .

Perhaps many nurses don't realize the gravity of what is going on, perhaps they don't believe what is going on, maybe even don't care until they are out of a job. Nursing is getting shoved out of the picture more and more, little by little, and may be gone all together if we don't demonstrate the necessity and financial benefit of good, quality, professional nursing care.

I am done with this.

A/A/OX3

14 Posts

Wink,

Funny thing is, other's would call US tattletales. Understand that for more than half the years I've been a nurse, I said nothing... just took it. But, finally, I couldn't look a one more crying nurse, watch one more patient being ignored, overhear one more piece of gossip. Frankly, it makes me lose my belly.

The other day I passed the med room and standing there were two nurses who went there to hide while they gossiped. When I walked past, they both went silent with the deer in the headlights look plastered on their faces. I replied, "And here is the trouble with nursing today. Whoever you're talking about now is NOT the enemy. How about a little support ladies". They both rolled their eyes and waited for me to leave.

Much of this thread makes others responsible for our pathetic gender behaviors. The guilt is within us and not management nor CEOs nor ANA nor unions nor legislation will change the female mentality. Few male nurses are involved in this garbage... other garbage perhaps, but not this garbage. Most women NEED friends, have low self-esteem and are riddled with jealousy.

We are a sorry lot. Success in the nursing arena will never happen until we can enter the unit genderless professionals there for the common good of ALL present.

WinkRN

15 Posts

Absolutely A/A/O. Management loves nurses who just do what they are told. My charge nurse will say, "so and so is such a good nurse". She is speaking of those who will take on a 3rd patient because the unit is full and of course understaffed. And what really irks me is that as soon as the charge nurse walks away, the other nurse starts ranting about how unfair this is. My response now is "you asked for it". I won't do it any longer. It is not fair to my patients, fellow nurses or ME. And you are right - the problem truly lies within us. Nursing is a female dominated profession that allows itself to be dominated by everyone else.

oramar

5,758 Posts

I hope someone has suggested that you drop in and visit, calnurse.org.

A/A/OX3

14 Posts

Hey Oramar,

Just wondering if its the California 'whine' that makes your females more palatable.

sjoe

2,099 Posts

Specializes in Corrections, Psych, Med-Surg.

aaox3 writes: "Frankly, it makes me lose my belly."

Maybe that is why it is so widespread. It is a weight loss program! (Doesn't seem to be working, though, as I look around.)

night owl

1,134 Posts

Who started this whole mess? Gov't! They downsized and privitized due to Clinton's big ideas that "everyone deserves and has a right to health care." Sounded great didn't it? Who suffered? Everybody. I know people who can't afford health care and I know people who keep their wages at a minimum just so they can beat the system and get free health care. My neighbor has many kids and they all have perfect teeth! Mine are falling out because I can't aford the dentist even with dental insurance. Who else suffered? Ahhhhhhh yes, the nursing profession...The gov't controlled privitizing, downsized staffing levels to bare minimum to below safety levels. Why? for the almighty dollar. Management are the people who see that institutions are run smoothly. They do what the gov't tells them to do. Directors, CEOs, DONS and ADONs are the ones who see that their institutions are run smoothly and what's in it for them??? MONEY! We are the underdogs who have suffered because of these money hungry mongers. They don't want to hear from us and if they do, nothing is done because they already have everything where they want it. Where it is now, that is the way they'll make the most money. Remember, gov't never makes decisions unless they're get something out of it and that is the most money. Now you'll never hear on the news about a million nurses march because the gov't doesn't want stuff like this to be made public, they'll try and sweep it under the rug, cover it up just to keep things quiet by letting the media news stations know that if this is made public, you're finished! Health care runs this country and puts money in their pockets, so anything that interferes in their little games will be hushed up to Joe Public. We have only ourselves to blame for electing these money mongers in office by voting for them. Now you want to try to fix it. Do you think you can??? Remember who you're fighting...Even Oprah will never have another show on the nursing shortage, but bless her heart for trying the first time.

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
Originally posted by debralynn

Like I said in another thread, maybe we need a Million Nurse March on Washington! At least we would then make all the national news stations!

:stone I'd be there in a heartbeat for such an occaision.

night owl

1,134 Posts

Didn't make it before the way it should have been made public, and it won't make it again. It's one of those hushed up things even though thousands of nurses participate, the news media have their hands tied by the gov't. News stations need to go beyond the fear of the gov't and risk being sued by them. This could mean literally wiping NBC or ABC etc out and forcing them to go under. Do you think they would risk that???

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