I know I may not make many friends with this post, but this is something that has been brewing in me for a few days and today the nail was hit on the head...
I am a recruiter for a Home Health organization. When I took this job 4 months ago, I feared that I would not be able to fill the nurse positions we had because I knew, heard, and read about the shortage. Well, I have hired 13 nurses and have found that there truly is not a shortage of nurses in general, but there is a shortage of nurses who truly care about being a nurse. Day in and day out I receive many resumes. I know you may not believe it, but I try to contact all that apply. You cannot imagine the poor attitudes, the "you have to hire me because I am a nurse" or the poor communication skills that I hear. Just today a nurse called me back after I left her a message over 2 weeks ago. I advised her that currently my positions are filled. She basically yelled at me over the phone stating that I told her that we had openings. Well I did, but she waited too long to reply.:angryfire
I truly respect what nurses do :bowingpurand I am proud to say that I am very selective in my hiring practices. I am not afraid to give a new grad a chance or someone a career change in a different field. I just wish I received the same respect.
I chose Human Resources as my career after managing a medical practice for 10 years. I feel that this is my way of helping others...by getting them a job that they will truly love.
P.S. I have been reading allnurses since I began here. Everyday I am more enlightened by all that you do. Thank you for letting me vent.
Yes, a lot of it depends on what area of the country you are in, but a lot of it depends on what you are willing to put up with. Bear with me as I just worked four 12 hour night shifts in an incredibly busy ER, and have had 4 hours sleep today, so I may not articulate as well as I would like.
If you are looking for nurses who want to work day shift, essentially monday thru friday, no holidays, for decent pay, and a reasonable patient load, then you will never have problems finding good nurses.
If you are looking to staff a busy ER where the patient loads are dangerous, the pay is barely passable, the working conditions are deplorable, the patients are trying to kill each other, and nurses are not respected, then you will always have trouble finding good nurses.
There are extremes on both sides of the coin as well as everything in the middle. I have been a travel nurse in ER for the past 6 years and have seen quite a few examples of bad hospitals but have also had some wonderful experiences.
Respect your nurses, give them some autonomy, the abiltity to have some control over their schedule, safe working conditions and a decent salary and you will always have good staff. Unfortunately, those simple requirements seem to be lost on a lot of staff coordinators and administrators.
Sorry if you have not been treated with respect as a recruiter, there is no defense of this attitude. But try not to look at us all as simply a number on a schedule but as individuals who have diverse backgrounds and may be able to bring a lot to your facility.
Unfortunately, I have seen many things change in nursing in my 32 years on my feet, not all of them good for nurses or for patients. We are expected to do more with less, and documentation seems to be the priority, not patient care. Buff and fluff the chart above all else, and if you have time to do patient care, then do it, but make sure the chart looks good for JCAHO!
Sorry for the rant, but I am tired. I am tired from my long stretch, I am tired of getting dinged by accreditation organizations for what I consider "stupid stuff". I am tired of not being able to take care of my patients the way they need and deserve it, because I don't have adequate equipment, my patient load is unsafe, and my schedule is so variable, I can't keep up with it anymore. I think I am just tired of being a nurse, and want to be a goat herder in Tibet!
Wonderful post. I couldn't agree more. I hear you, sister.
Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN
2 Articles; 3,563 Posts
Wonderful post. I couldn't agree more. I hear you, sister.