Over 20 years at the hospital, left and not even a "thank you"????????

[27YearRN]

Hello all,

I've been lurking around for quite a while, and I had a discussion with a fellow nurse yesterday that has just set my blood boiling and my blood pressure near the stroke zone.

I am employed as an RN in a Magnet Hospital and have been there for over 17 years. In the last year we have lost many of our long term fellow nurses to retirement, disability, and job changes. On my own unit, one nurse who was employed for over 25 years went back to school and now works as an APN. Another nurse left to get a job a little closer to home, she had been employed here for over 20 years.

I had lunch with "Peggy", the 20 year nurse, who told me that the only thing she was told the day she left was to "return your badge and locator, and... don't forget to do your exit survey". She told me she cried every day for 2 weeks because she didn't even feel that ANY of her years were considered valuable by any of the management. Now, she's just ANGRY.

So I called "Kerry", the 25 year APN nurse, and asked her. She basically said the same thing. No one said "thank you for all your years of service". She feels like she came from a hospital devoid of caring managers. She was a great staff nurse, nurse educator, clinical specialist, assistant head nurse, clinic nurse in her time there, and never had any discipline problems. In addition she was "Nurse of the Quarter" on our unit so its not like she was just a warm body or anything. She (as well as Peggy) were respected by their peers, physicians, and patients in our community.

Maybe I am too emotional over this, but... I feel like I have a few feathers in my cap, but just CANNOT understand why these 2 valuable, talented women were allowed to leave without some sort of tribute to their many years of service from management! We hear all about the Press Gainey Scores and now our raises are tied to our Patient Satisfaction scores. The questions that are asked on our Satisfaction surveys don't address issues like this.

I want to address this with our CEN. I am sure she isn't aware of it.

Do you think I am crazy or overly emotional about this? I am just thinking about how I would feel if I left in a month with my 17 years of service there and all they said was "dont forget to give us your badge at the end of the day". Gee even a little ice cream and cake would be nice...

Any hints on what I can say when I meet with our CEN?

And if any of you are in upper management positions, you might want to ask your managers on Monday who has left with quite a bit of time spent there, and were they recognized by the management for all their valuable contributions to your organization?

Geez... and they are a Magnet Hospital on top of it all!!!:angryfire :angryfire

[Elisheva]

I know this is going to sound so Pollyanna, but my blood is boiling after spending a few weeks on this site. The only people who can change the way nurses are treated is nurses. The problem with that is that there are always plenty of new grads coming up behind you...fresh faced, looking for nice pay, and thinking they can make a difference in the world. I know because that was me.

I left nursing to work in the corporate world as an exec secretary. I made almost as much money. I got treated to lunches and a couple of working trips. I had a lot of autonomy. I demanded respect and I got it.

My daughter, God love her, doesn't have any college. She went into the military and became an MP. She makes $20.00 in security, about $4.00 more on the hour than I can make here as an RN. Something is wrong with this picture.

I don't know how to do it, and I don't know where to start, but nurses need to make some big changes in our profession. Demanding more staff on the floor, being willing to quit if changes aren't made, documenting with the facility the dangers they see everyday.

Sorry for the rant. It just irks me to see valuable, talented, caring RNs treated like this. I wish someone had an answer. I'm going back in for one last time, but I might just come right back out the revolving front door.

[karenne40]

No duh. I've always treated nursing as a business and never got caught up with "I'm here for the patients crap" It's a job and when you work for these corps.....they don't give a s ! I go in (for the day ..I only work agency) do my work and leave. If they are desperate for me to do a shift because someonedoesn't show up, it's time and a half or I walk. I will make myself available to help out these facilities and nurses but if they don't pay...I walk. Here's a question for you? After 20-25+ what do you have to show for it? I ask that question to many nurses and EVERY ONE hads said "nothing" That is pathetic. Maybe because I was in business before I got into nursing I get the picture better. By the way, treating it like a business does not mean lack of patient care..

[Otessa, BSN, RN]

I've always treated nursing as a business and never got caught up with "I'm here for the patients crap" It's a job and when you work for these corps.....

I am there for good patient outcomes but it IS a job. I wouldn't do it if I wasn't paid. I can volunteer my time elsewhere( at my church,kid's daycare,homeless shelter-you get what I'm saying....) and get much more appreciation and personal satisfaction.