On sabbatical?

[abrenrn]

I find myself on sabbatical from nursing because:

My license tells me that the patient comes first.

Employers tell me, no, we come first.

Physicians often tell me, we come first.

I can only put one thing first at a time.

Is anyone interested in a grass roots organization? An organization of nurses and other interested parties that tell the truth about health care: it's about the money and egoes, not the patient.

Does anyone know how to go about it? I'm serious. I'm a lousy manager. It would have to be grassroots because so much of the media is caught up, financially via advertising, with the health care players. Also, they don't seem to find nurses interesting.

I suggest The National Organizations of Nurses on Sabbatical, The "NONOS"; who say NO to -

Mediocrity, incompetence, dollars over patients;

Physicians handmaiden (not in my license)

Hospital gofer

We say YES to:

Professional role of nurses

Patients first

Respect for the professional nursing role.

Anyway, something like that. We could start with bumper stickers, small ads in papers.

Anyone interested?? Have ideas?

[JNJ]

Responding to GlobalRN and abrenrn:

I'm with Global's sentiments.

I've done everything from charity nursing to NICU and home health, including some years as faculty in the UK and USA. I overheard my first 'boss' in the USA say she "didn't want a 40 year old foreigner" working on her floor! I 'replied' by becoming an indispensible part of her unit over the next six months, learning everything I could, then quit, telling her exactly what I had heard and how I had responded. I also asked HR for an exit interview and told them. I did this with as much calm, detached professionalism as I could find.

Take those hard jobs and stay while you are learning (but put in what it takes to be learning). Be an employee as long as it takes to really learn your skills. Then quit and offer back your services to facilities as an independent. As more of us begin to do this, more facilities understand the system and it becomes easier. Check out independentrn.com. It doesn't take supernurse to do this, just use those organizational skills and the help available at National Association of Independent Nurses to write your own contract. PTs, dietitians etc have been doing this for years and look at their conditions and pay rates.

One trend I have noticed which goes against nurses is the tendency to complain, sometimes with poor language and non-specificity. Work out what you want (not what you don't want) and ask for it. Keep the message simple and clear and keep finding new ways to ask for what you want. The most successful people are those with a flexible response system. Develop flexible responses, but continue to ask for what you want.

Example: As a registry RN in an acute hem/onc peds. unit, I, at first, used to get to the unit 2 hours before my shift. By the time my assignment was given to me, I knew the status of all the patients and I would negotiate and trade my assignment e.g. I took the extra patient the manager needed me to, but I wanted such and such a patient transferred to ICU before I did. My bargaining power: they knew I would leave before taking the assignment if it wasn't fair and feasible. (I had proved this by leaving once or twice - not abandonment - before accepting the assignment).

Another time I said I would assess and give all the night meds. on time to 10 patients, but the manager had to go to each patient with family and explain I would not be changing diapers etc; I insisted on extra ancillary staff to help comfort the children without parents in the unit. My requests were nearly always met, sometimes before I arrived on the unit. I had the skills they needed and they treated me appropriately. That's all it takes, plus the courage to negotiate in calm language.

I'm concerned that some RNs who are doing the most complaining - not, of course, at this web site - are the ones with least to offer. Even after 30+ years (and a back injury) I believe nursing is the greatest job there is; but you have to put in to get the good stuff back. Decide what YOU want - we have differing needs and we have to train facilities to meet those needs with their own flexible offerings. Power to all skilled RNs.

PS: I do like the sticker suggestion in general, but prefer that we find wording that echoes our commitment to take care of ourselves - as other professionals do.

[sjoe]

JNJ--excellent advice.

[abrenrn]

JNJ -

Echo Sjoe. As you may have noted, I complained after one post that I didn't like. Why do I give up so easily?

Partly cause I know I'm not a good negotiator or organizer. All I am is a good nurse - the one place where I have always made myself organize where it counts. I can negotiate anything for a patient, too. Since I'm a lousy negotiator for me, I don't get the type of conditions you are able to negotiate. But, why do we all have to negotiate individually?

I like your suggestion about the bumper sticker indicating that we care for ourselves - it would be a cool positive affirmation (you know, you lie to yourself until it becomes true).

How about, "Nurses on sabbatical: Sorry guys. Before we can take care of patients, we have to take care of ourselves."

That's why I love these threads, even though they annoy me so much. I learn more than I get annoyed. I have to work on my negativity.

What do you all think?

[abrenrn]

I just looked at the voting again. So far, less than ten percent have never considered a sabbatical. The poll on the depression thread is even more interesting.

It's only 35 votes. I hope people keep voting. I know how I think it might go - but I always like being surprised.

[globalRN]

Umm...we have to be more like the Loreal commercial....

'cause you're worth it"

ask for what we want

(and don't take no, know what you would really like but also what you can happily settle for)

[Youda]

I hear the negotiation, stand-up-for-yourself, etc. What do you suggest when that has already been tried? I run up against budgets, cut-backs, etc., etc., etc. The answer is NO. If you leave, they hire someone else; and you go somewhere else and encounter the same mandatory OT, staffing ratios, poor bennies, etc. You can only negotiate if someone views you as valuable; nurses aren't seen as valuable, in my experience.

[abrenrn]

Many voices speak louder than a single voice.

Sometimes I think hospitals allow a few special nurses to get their vacations, get their satisfaction, not work too hard - just so they can tell the rest of us - I did it, why can't you?

It's called divide and conquer. Machiavelli wrote about it a long time ago.

[abrenrn]

As per cap idea:

I still like it but:

Baseball type cap - or the guys will look really funny.

White, what else?

Says - One nurse takes care of a patient. All nurses take care of the world. Take care of us.

A bit long but - right direction?

On re-read (hence edit) - think it needs work but right direction. What do you all think?

[DIPLOMATICRN4HIRE, MSN, RN]

I go after each assignment.

I have too, because after each assignment in the states I fly home to some off the wall place overseas(currently Cairo) and I just cleanse off what I have placed on me during the assignment. I have to, when Im on assignment I work as many hours as I can just to keep my time occupied and I intenstionally burn myself out doing as much as I can. Then when I come home I just let the wounds heal and become refreshed so that I can do it all again.

Zoe

[cargal]

Zoe,

This is very interesting to me, as I may do travel nursing when my youngest is in college, not too far off. Question for you. You state that you work alot to purposefully burn yourself out as much as you can. Do you take anytime off to enjoy yourself while ON your assignments? What is your favorite time off activity, country, etc. I realize this may belong in a different forum, but I am asking since we are right here right now.

Blessings,

[DIPLOMATICRN4HIRE, MSN, RN]

I take my golf clubs with me on every assignment I go on. I find someone in my new assignment area that also plays and we go out and play whack the ball, for a few hours. Oh I explore every inch of the town Im on assignment in and I do as much there as I can. I burn out on purpose because it takes a burn out to get the job done. How any of you can do it on a constant basis without taking a break is beyond me. I get to take breaks and I completely give myself a break when I get on the plane to come home the only thing my husband sees from my assignments are the pictures of the staff and where I had gone while I was away. He never hears anything about the bad stuff that goes on. I want him to understand why I have to do what I do and how much I enjoy the time that Im on assignment .

Zoe

[cactus wren]

Originally posted by Youda

I was the happiest I've ever been in nursing at my last job. The difference was one of the best human beings, and nurses, that I've ever had the pleasure of working for. She encouraged everyone, was always positive, fought corporation tooth and nail, defended her staff, and demanded to run nursing the way it should be run.

They fired her.

Yup, that`s exactly what happened to me....so here I am freezing my butt offf in the snow, and looking forwards to a nice long break, and when i get around to it, will check out other employment ooptions......But, for now, am done with hospital nursing....

Durn poll won`t let me change my answer( that i did before the stuff hit the fan) My son told me to get my CDL, and he`d put me to driving his 18 wheeler