NY POST Article in Yesterday's paper.

Published

Specializes in Currently: Certified School Nurse.

Interesting 2 page spread on the effects of the nursing shortage in NYC. Highlighted some instances where patients were suing due to the inadequate care they got. Patients complain of lack of attention they get from nurses. How family members of patients take on the role of nurse and change bedding, ensure that meds are given etc. All because the hospitals are extremely understaffed.

Also had a reference to visiting nurses in NYC. The jist being that they have no real ties to the hospitals and to the patients because they know they're not going to be here in a month.

What did i get out of the article? That nurses are extremely overworked and in some cases that leads to patients not getting the care they deserve. I can't imagine the stress that nurses are under.

Is this a typical "NY Post- portrayal" of nursing in NYC? Or is this accurrate? I know how the Post has a tendency to sensationalize things.

In any event, I am still excited to enter the field!

Btw, I went to NYPOST.com to try to fnd a link and couldnt - maybe someone else will have better luck.

Have a great day all!

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Ya they are understaffed unfortunately. I had a friend whos Mom was a nurse and never kept a job for more than 6 months. Number 1 some nurses take advantage of a situation. In the case of the lady I know, the reason why she jumps from job to job because shes always looking for more money. And some places are so desperate they'll give it to her even if she never kept a job for more than 6 months. Where theres Honey theres Bees

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Ya they are understaffed unfortunately. I had a friend whos Mom was a nurse and never kept a job for more than 6 months. Number 1 some nurses take advantage of a situation. In the case of the lady I know, the reason why she jumps from job to job because shes always looking for more money. And some places are so desperate they'll give it to her even if she never kept a job for more than 6 months. Where theres Honey theres Bees

I don't feel that nurses job-hop because they are "taking atvantage" of the situation. My feeling is that after years of being taken atvantage of, many nurses have decided that "if you can't beat, 'em, join 'em."

They are tired of fighting the system, and have learned to "play the game."

Any facility that provides a positive and supportive working envirment for nurses, as well as competetive wages will have no problem finding and keeping nurses.

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Specializes in Home Health, Primary Care.

I think this might be the link....

http://www.nypost.com/seven/05092004/news/regionalnews/20533.htm

I think one of the moderators posted this article in the news section of this website too. It was a very frightening article.....the horrors these patients must have experienced, my goodness!

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Very scary.

Beyond drawing new students to Nursing programs, is there another solution right now? How serious is the situation with traveling nurses? After all, they are nurses like any other, and one would think, or at least want to believe that they are interested in their patients health like any other nurse.

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Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.
Very scary.

Beyond drawing new students to Nursing programs, is there another solution right now? How serious is the situation with traveling nurses? After all, they are nurses like any other, and one would think, or at least want to believe that they are interested in their patients health like any other nurse.

We are just interested in the patient.

There are good PerDiem/Agency/Traveler nurses and there are bad ones. Just as there are good Hospital nurses and bad ones.

Did the NY Post speak to any travelers, to provide a balanced view? Did the NY Post talk to the same number of nurses as victims? Did they discuss abusive MD behavior and refusal to come in to "merely" put in a foley....a nurse's job. Did they cover mandatory overtime, physical attacks on nursing staff, and lack of proper equipment, orientation, and chronic understaffing that occurs in many New York Hospitals (though thankful not at the one I currently am working in).

These would have provided a "fair and balanced" article. However, that is clearly not the purpose of the NY Post. The purpose is to slam and divide nurses.

And sadly, it seems to be working.

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Specializes in Step down, ICU, ER, PACU, Amb. Surg.

Ever notice how they always highlight and emphasize some of the worst case scenarios but never really address the BIG picture?? Looks to me like there were little to no nurses interviewed and certainly no traveling nurses. Like caroladybelle said, there are good and bad in both areas of nursing...I have worked with good and bad travel nurse and I have worked with good and bad staff nurses.......I think I speak for everyone here when I say that we have nothing but the best intrest and well being of our pts at heart....which is why unsafe staffing reports get filed several times a week and we jump up and down till we get some sort of help so that the needs of our pts do not get lost amidst the insanity of poor staffing. NY Post published a jaded view in my opinion.

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