I think we could make a difference, let's do it!

Nurses Safety

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Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.

I was reading the thread about the woman whose baby was oxygen deprived and the hospital sued for inadqequate staffing. I propose that we all write a letter (actually pen, paper and stamp, not e-mail) to someone complaining about staffing and being pulled to areas where we are not qualified. To whom should we write? Oprah? We are a large intelligent group we could make a difference or at least make the public aware of our issues and concerns. If this is a bad idea, moderators please just delete this entire thread or close it. I don't want to stir up a hornets nest. Honestly not my intention. Just thinking it would be nice to get some national attention regarding our very legitimate concerns. Thanks.

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Specializes in Pediatrics Only.

I love the idea of Oprah-

She is a very respectable woman whose show draws in a vast number of viewers.

People always blame the nurses, and they dont realize how short staffed the nurses are working, how much that their actually is to do in nursing, etc. Nurses are always the ones to get blamed for just about everything, including the doctor not calling back right away!

I would jump on this idea to let people know what it is that a nurse does, and why the nurse no longer had time for each patient and why we are always running around to get things done.

I also read that thread about the baby being deprived of oxygen- from what I recall between all the nurses on the floor, there was no much experience. I'm a beleiver that all floors should have a seasoned nurse on them- I know when I worked in the hospital as a new grad I asked so many questions to the seasoned nurses, I dont know what I would of done without them!

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Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.
I love the idea of Oprah-

She is a very respectable woman whose show draws in a vast number of viewers.

People always blame the nurses, and they dont realize how short staffed the nurses are working, how much that their actually is to do in nursing, etc. Nurses are always the ones to get blamed for just about everything, including the doctor not calling back right away!

I would jump on this idea to let people know what it is that a nurse does, and why the nurse no longer had time for each patient and why we are always running around to get things done.

I also read that thread about the baby being deprived of oxygen- from what I recall between all the nurses on the floor, there was no much experience.

I'm a believer that all floors should have a seasoned nurse on them- I know when I worked in the hospital as a new grad I asked so many questions to the seasoned nurses, I dont know what I would of done without them!

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU MeghanRN. You are like the young nurses that I work with. They are very happy to be around us seasoned nurses and are very respectful. Likewise I enjoy working with the young nurses. They are so smart and have so much to give and I learn from them as well. This is as it should be.

Getting back to Oprah. Yes I think we should all write her about how we feel. She is a totally awesome and fair minded woman. I have always admired her for her honesty and objective opinions. We are a force here on all nurses of over 100,000 members, I think we could make a huge impact on the public.

Oprah Winfrey

c/o Harpo, Inc

1058 W Washington Blvd

Chicago, IL 60607-2103

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Specializes in Tele, Acute.

I'm in!

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Specializes in Pediatrics Only.

dutchgirlrn-

i will surely write a letter! i will put it on my to-do list for this week..

just as a side note, thank you for being willing to teach us young and new rn's. i can honestly say that i attribute my being successful in nursing to the nurses that i worked with for almost 2 years (1 1/2 as a student nurse aide and 3 months with them as a rn) who taught me everything. without them i would not be where i am today. they have taught me how to be a nurse, and what nursing really is. they have taught me how to do things, and signs to look for when things go wrong. even now that i have moved, and am no longer working with them- they are the ones who allowed me to go into the home health aspect of nursing that i am now. without them, i would not be capable of what i am today. they taught me their knowledge, skills, and their passion for nursing and shaped me into the nurse i am today. when i graduated and stepped into the role of nursing from aide to rn, they made it flawless. they had already taught me how to run the floor, do assessments, and do pretty much everything else.

they taught me how to be independent- a cruicial part of doing pediatric private duty nursing, which i am currently doing. i graduated may 05, and yet here i am today- being independent.

so thank you, from a new rn to a seasoned one such as yourself, for being willing and still having the passion left to teach us new nurses. for without your willingness, we new nurses would not be where we are today.

-meghan :nurse:

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Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.

Thank you Meghan ! I think you and I would be excellent co-workers. It's nice when different generations respect each other, their differences and the opportunity to learn from each other. Cheers!

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What an excellent idea. Several times issues that affect patients have been brought forth by the media like "readers digest" etc etc ....but what do they do?They go to the hospital and the hospital puts some doctor who has no true idea even what the heck staffing issues with nurses are even aboutin front of a camera..or quote DR XXXXX from XXXX med center.I mean hello????They write the orders and then do what? They leave and go home...and only complain about a nurses care when they have floated and "bad things " have already occurred.When we try to bring up patient safety issues they silence you so fast it makes your head spin by either writing you up...or terminating you.They have no idea at how specialized each area of care has become.....can a ob nurse manage wound vacs and apply leach therapy to ortho patients safely?- probably not she / he probably vagely remembers something about the term compartment syndrome but ......can a cardiac nurse manage a evd ( cerebral ventricular drain) safely? no....probably not.Can a neuro ICU nurse manage a balloon pump safely?no...probably not. Back in the day( when less specialized medicine was around) nurses could float.....now each area is so specialized...it is not safe for patient for nurses to float!!!!!!What an excellent idea!

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