GingerRN79

Is it the hospital, management and missed opportunities that are making you feel this way? Or other nurses? I had my ADN for a while before going into a BSN program (I couldn't advance in the hospital without a BSN), and now at 14 years of nursing, I am going for my PMHNP. The difference between the BSN and ADN was just research and leadership. I didn't feel it enhanced my nursing skills except for nursing theory and understanding research better. Not worth the 10 years of student loans! Hospitals want magnet status, and BSN is the minimum to obtain that. Which is not fair to all of the amazing diploma and ADN nurses. It is unfair, but just know your patients value your experience and that's what is important.

Does your hospital have an anonymous compliance hotline? Ours does. To bypass your management and officially report it to a compliance officer anonymously?

I've been on the other end begging nurses to work extra. Ultimately, 6 months to a year from now, they won't remember you picking up extra shifts. Don't spread yourself thin because companies don't want to spend the money on staff and benefits. If people continue to say yes and pick up shifts, the company will continue to not hire more nurses. I agree, you don't need an excuse. Just say "no thank you, I'm not interested in extra shifts." And that is that. If somebody said that to me, I'd stop bothering them. I used to work extra all of the time, now... I choose me!

I worked with an amazing Anesthesiologist who had great bedside care and was wonderful with patients...she had something other Anesthesiologists didn't have (I have worked with many intelligent and talented anesthesiologists), she was an ICU RN first. I feel it made her more approachable and she could understand our practice. I don't see how nurses could have a problem with a fellow nurse advancing their education.