lee1

Come over to NJ and see what the ratios are in the NJ hospitals. Probably you are right that no newly arrived nurses have come for years but the problem still exists that they will just NOT speak up except for a few and that does not help even in the unionized hospitals. They basically give great care but do as they are told or just don't complain about the working conditions. When a hospital is 70% Filipino nurses this causes a BIG problem with the rest of the nurses that are struggling for better working conditions. Management just gets away with what ever they want in these conditions.

I agree with all of the above, also when it comes to nursing unions within hospitals they are very reluctant to participate verbally and just go along with the crowd. For the most part they do NOT help the unions get ahead.

Yes, we went on strike approx. 10 years ago, we were out approx. 5 days and for the most part the CEO of the hospital did NOT get truthful info or he never would have locked the nurses out. We had already gotten a pitiful pension from the union. (then the next year we found the union leaders who were not nurses had embelssed the money so we had to switch unions) in a negotiation prior. We did get money from the state for the days we were without work. Very important for nurses to be part of the negotiating committee and voice their concerns, plus be an active voice in your union membership, now we are an all nurse union led by nurses from our own hospital but still have many issues. I am retired now (the retirement pension is pitiful even though they counted 30 years service)and many nurses just sit back and let the few leaders do everything so sometimes you do not get a true voice. Plus the public really does not understand what nurses do, what their retirement benefits are (nothing in reality especially in the medical area except your Medicare).

I think there is another problem especially where I live and that is cultural. Many nurses in the NJ NY area come from a culture where women seem to be totally run by men so as nurses they r afraid to speak up, afraid they will be shipped back so to speak. Even in a Union setting they rarely speak out Even after many years here. They have created a great disservice to their fellow workers.

Many states including NJ have started and have been for many years proposing safe staffing legislation that would mandate nursing/pt ratios for RNs and Nursing aides especially in LTC facilities. Why are nurses afraid speak up and push for this??? In NJ currently the NJ A1470 and NJ S 989 establish minimum RN staffing standards for hospitals, ambulatory surgery and certain DHS facilities A 382 is for minimum nurse aide ratios in nursing homes. Lee

I worked Cardiac Rehab full time the last 10 years before I retired, but, I worked CCU/Cardiac Rehab split for many years before that so I got to see many of the patients coming and going, plus I also did inpt teaching before the pt were discharged from CCU or Cardiac Surgical telemetry. We also did heart transplants, LVADS, etc. etc. So the hospital was very intensive and something new was always coming around to learn. Cardiac rehab was great as it was not as physically demanding as CCU but the same brain stress was there. Plus, I was the only full time RN, we did finally get certification but that took a great deal of time.

Until nurses SPEAK UP and stop being whipping posts and just grumbling about their lot, NOTHING WILL CHANGE. Get some backbone and refuse unsafe staffing, protest to your politicians, make them aware of the situations. The nursing associations are full of managers who owe their souls to the establishment and will not do anything to help you despite years of research showing the need for safer staffing levels. What is wrong is the failure to speak up for yourself and letting things just go on as usual thinking someone else will do the work for you.

Hi all, just wondering what the RN staffing ratios look like now this year 2017 in subacute rehab here in NJ. I just retired from hospital nursing but have inlaw now in subacute who broke her femur. When I went to visit yesterday it looked like 1 wing held about 20 pts and that was 2 RN and 2 aides during the day until 11pm. Then after 11pm 1 RN and 1 aide. If that is subacute what is nursing home staffing??? Really appropriate???

Then we should try to get federal legislation passed rather than going state by state. Any other news about these bills??

Has anyone ever thought about a nationwide "class action suit" against hospitals for endangering nurse's licenses due to unsafe staffing??

and do you really think that the ANA will sponsor this. I think the ANA is made up of more management type RNs than staff RNs.

Why does it seem that nurses here in the USA cannot get safe staffing laws passed. Only California has been able to do this

http://nj1015.com/is-new-jersey-facing-a-new-nursing-shortage/

Really, do you think there is a shortage of RNs where you live. Have all of the RNs recently graduated found jobs? Is it a ploy to bring in more immigrant nurses???

Don't forget that most nurses in the US work for private hospitals which give them no medical/dental insurance, no medical perks of anykind when they leave. No life insurance unless you now will pay for it privately. All of those extras, including vacation time, sick time, etc. etc. can add another 40% to your base salary.