Nurse Employment

[Volantus14]

In the State of Texas, despite a current very serious nursing shortage, approximately 15%-20% of the individuals who hold R.N. licensure are unemployed. This statistic comes from the statistical information provided at the web site for The Texas Board of Nurse Examiners. They are not employed in any capactity. This unemployment rate of R..N.'s does not include R.N.'s who hold employment in fields other than in nursing and/or who hold employment as part time R.N.'s. This seems to me to be a very startling and disturbing employment statistic to me. What could be causing the same, especially in the light of a very serious nursing shortage in Texas? I don't want to speculate on the because it appears to me to imply some very serious problems that nurses have with regard to employment issues in Texas and, probably, nationally.

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Mr. C.V. Compton Shaw, R.N., CLA

[Barbara Rose]

Hey! Enough of the Texas bashing! We aren't perfect,but then no one is and yet, alot of our nurses won't stand up for themselves or their patients! I have worked in Texas for 20 years! It is all I know, and I am considered by some as a trouble maker, but I take care of my patients, I am still a patient advocate and all my congressman, staterepresentatives, and just about everyone else who gets letters, etc. knows who I am whether I know them or not. I have yet to not be able to get a job just about anywhere I want one. It is because I am a good nurse, and they just have to deal with my "attitude". But let me say, that one voice will not change the system, it only stirs the waters. I need help!!! We all do, ya'll need to write, call, e-mail, wire, etc. your congressman,representatives, state legislators, dept. of health, human services, hcfa, and anyone else who will listen. A form letter is fine, pass them out to your co-workers. If we do not stand up for ourselves, who will? And you know that if we do not educate the public on the differences between health care workers, our education, training, and knowledge, then they won't know. Volunteer to give speeches at lodge meetings, service groups, etc. Let's change health care for the better, not just whine and become part of the problem! By the way, you have to be willing to be known-I have and it does help, but if you are afraid to "do" anything, then nothing will change.

[saphie]

Hey Barbara Rose, check out the posting in the general nursing discussion called, fabulous idea. We could use someone like you!

Tara

[GJBOUSHLEY]

TO ALL TEXAN NURSES

PLEASE COME TO GREEN BAY WISCONSIN TO ENJOY YOUR NURSING CAREER. WE HAVE EXCELLANT PATIENT/NURSE RATIO OF 1:3 MOST TIMES WITH A MAX OF 1:4 DEPENDING ON ACUITY, UTILIZING CNA'S ON REGULAR NURSING UNITS. THE RATIO IN IMCU IS 1:2 MAX OF 1:3 DEPENDING ON ACUITY AND OUR CCU 1:1 OR 1:2 AGAIN DEPENDING ON ACUITY. OUR HOSPITAL TAKES GREAT PRIDE AND IS VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE NURSES AND ALL THE STAFF AT OUR FACILITY. WE ARE NOT PERFECT BUT OUR MANAGEMENT LISTENS AND ENCOURAGES THE STAFF TO BE INVOLVED IN ALL ASPECTS OF OUR PATIENT CARE. YOU CAN E-MAIL ME IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT US [email protected]

[VanRN32]

I totally agree with Nurseprotect re. nursing in Texas. My first job was in Texas in an ICU that was 2:1 and didn't take long to become 3:1 (vents and all). I thought this was the norm. Being floated and put in charge of a floor I'd never worked on? Working 4 on 2 off 1 on 1 off etc...I was starting to get pretty pissed off at the situation I was in. So I left and returned to Canada. I'd never go back to Texas to work. It's too scary and the pay sucks. Work here in Canada is great when compared to Texas (and a few other states it seems). So all you Canadians out there missing the Maple Leaf come back!!!

[bunky, BSN, RN]

PPL where are you? Are you reading what VanRN has to say? I am a missing the Maple Leaf Van! I too am in Texas and you are soo... right! It does suck!

[siobhan]

Hello to all of you from TX. I think the situation you are referring to about right to work & nursing shortages is not confined only to Texas.

However, if you are really upset about the way health care is in TX you are missing your opportunity to speak out before the presidential elections. If I were thinking about voting for George Bush & heard this info I might change my mind. Consider informing nurses & patients if you feel his health care policies aren't effective before they become the policies of the nation. No, I am not working for the Gore campaign but do believe our discomfort should be shared with voters.

Also all of us involved in the Million Nurse March - is there someone who could create a one page color flyer that we could download & distribute at the polls defining our concerns & listed contact people?? In my state nurses are the largest number of voters by occupation. Let's not throw away this opportunity. I will be away from home on election day in Tallahassee, FL & would be happy to do that in FL since I can't do it at home. Please some creative person can you make us a simple flyer?? Let's not miss our chance to raise our concerns on election day. Can someone from Tallahassee contact me at [email protected] Thank you - Siobhan

[Nurseprotect]

Originally posted by maikranz:

Greetings!

Just to clarify: Texas Board of Nurse Examiners and the Texas Nurses Association are NOT the same entity. I would guess that the Board offers the licensing exam. For what it's worth, in NC, we nurses are allowed to elect our BON members and, except for a public member, they are all nurses. Many other states are not permitted to do this. I guess Texas may be one of those.

Membership in the nurses association is entirely voluntary.

Have you heard of whistleblower laws?

[This message has been edited by maikranz (edited August 13, 2000).]

Maikranz,

Yes I have heard of whistleblower laws. Let me tell you about using them in Texas, or probably any state as a nurse. Have you heard the term BLACKBALLED and UNEMPLOYABLE and LEGAL FEES? I was going to pursue Memorial City Hospital in Houston Texas after I was made a no client return when I requested more staff and/or assistance from the House Supervisor-I had been working there for approx. 1 month without any problems and then I suddenly "had an attitude" after I had made this (I might say very calm and professional) request for safer staffing. The shift was a nightmare. There was an investigator at the Texas Board of Nursing who informed me that the supervisor did not violate the nurse practice act-If I only knew then what I know today, and if I could only remember who that investigator was.....I attempted to call the hospital admin. repeatedly to speak with them about the events that occurred only to be ignored. The agency I had worked for over a period of almost 3 years would not use me any more after Memorial contacted them. The agency, DSI, had one of their representatives contact me and tell me not to call the hospital (I was calling to ask the name of the Supervisor on that shift to report her to the Board-the Hospital refused to even provide her first name). I informed the hospital that I would report the incidents to the JCAHO, State Health Department, and Board of Nurse Examiners. The reply that allegedly came from the hospital CEO to my agency was to inform me that I would never work within their system again.

So I pay $75 to a Houston Attorney experienced and successful in a similar case involving 3 nurses in Galveston.

She laid it out for me as follows:

-Are you willing to become unemployable in Houston, and probably Texas?

-Are you willing to endure 2-5 years of legal battles?

-Do you have $5,000 to get the case started and file necessary paperwork....and another $5,000 within the next 6 months to keep the case going?

I walked out of that office feeling incredibly depressed and powerless (and $75 lighter in the wallet-pretty significant on Houston Texas nurse's pay). The attorney asked me if I had considered any other profession, explaining that she did not recommend health care and especially nursing to anyone.

Stephanie Tabone at the Texas Nurse's Association said I should have used the Safe Harbor Peer Review form-I did not know about it at the time. I called the State Board of Nursing and asked a male employee how many times he thought I would use Safe Harbor as an agency nurse before I was made a do not return at every hospital in town? To my surprise he said "about 3 months maybe." He then started preaching to the choir as he told me that we needed Unions for nurses in Texas. The Texas Nurses Association was the ringleader in blocking the American Nurses Association from providing collective bargaining in Texas. In fact, the TNA threatened to disaffiliate from the ANA if they were "forced" to provide collective bargaining for nurses in Texas.

I hope this provides some perspective on one of the MANY instances of injustice I had endured as a nurse in Texas, and my strong feelings about the sorry state of the workplace conditions that my colleagues endure there just to get a paycheck.

Now another good Whistleblower story comes from Barry Adams in Massachusetts. I am in contact with him all the time. He should not have needed to go through that hell but our weak nursing leadership has been too moderate in implementing workplace protection for nurses. go to the www.massnurses.org web site and click on the Breaking news banner and go to Board of Nursing Reform and Barry Adams links.

I was blackballed in Austin Texas for talking about collective bargaining in the Summer of 2000.......

Any questions?

Steven S. Lee, RN

[email protected]

cc Stephanie Tabone, RN

Texas Nurses Association

Cheryl Peterson, RN

American Nurses Association

Barry Adams, RN

Massachusetts Nurses Association

[bestblondRN]

Oramar--I think to have been a nurse since 1967 is admirable. Since the average "life" of a nurse is only 7 years, you've outlasted the average significantly. I, too, have been in nursing a long time (23 years), and find that there are times that the stresses of this type of work outweigh the benefits, and would also agree with your comment about greater longevity in other professions. I also know a number of nurses who are currently licensed and choose to be unemployed as a nurse for a variety of reasons--some have chosen other professions, others have simply "burned out", and others have demands at home that make it difficult or impossible for them to be effective both at home and at the bedside. This career takes a heavy physical, mental and emotional toll on those who choose it, and the benefits are minimal when you compare it to other disciplines. I believe we can liken our profession to teaching--we have a huge responsibility with few rewards. I think if we looked at compensation, professional development and more flexible scheduling for nurses, more of them might remain in or come back to the profession. Any thoughts out there?????

[bany22]

i just graduated last may 2006 here in ny. i took a month vacation, reviewed for NCLEX and finally passed it last august. i had to wait for a VS since i'm Canadian, and have been looking for jobs since beginning of October. Until now, I still don't have any job offer and i'm kind of getting worried... is there even anybody who would hire a new ADN grad here in ny, or anywhere else