RN/MSN/JD

Some call it 'eating their own young.' Others call it 'proving yourself as a nurse.' And then, there is 'reality shock.' Sometimes nurses DO eat their own young. But sometimes, they get tired of carrying the load of the young. And then, the reality is that nursing is not an easy profession and not everyone can be a nurse.

I saw this happen once. The perception was that it was the 'good nurses with the proven track record' who were getting taken out. Granted, those nurses had BEEN THERE longer than anyone else. But truth be known, it wasn't about money, or trumped up charges either. Changes were coming. The administration went around and told what those changes were going to be. They said things like, "good people are going to lose their jobs if this, this, and this, doesn't happen." Those with the 'proven track record' thought they were exempt from this. They were making statements like, "when this job gets so I don't get any personal satisfaction out of it, I don't want to be here anyway." I guess they found out that the bottom line as far as the agency was concerned was not their personal satisfaction, or their proven track record. There was a problem. They were not part of the solution, so they were out of the equation.

What year was this? Anyone who tried that today would be sued for battery~

I know a nurse who had h is car shipped over when he went to Hawaii.

Gee, I think there probably are issues specifically related to female nurses also. BTW: you seem to have jumped to some conclusion about me.

Rest assured that what the CNA's know is only the very basic level of skills. Once you get more into areas that require critical thinking, they will be no better than you. Some may even be a lot worse because they will have entered the program thinking they know everything. Also, you need to be wary of what they have to 'teach' you. Nursing school is teaching you the IDEAL way of doing things. People in the REAL world are often using techniques which are not theoretically sound.

.........is the FEMALE Nursing Student Forum?

You are wrong about this. Student nurses can join their state nursing organizations and by default are members of ANA.

Excellent Post~

Excellent Post~

I have taken both Advanced General Pharmacology AND Advanced Psychopharmacology. Testing in the 'general' course consisted of two questions about lithium. Since you asked, MY best recommendation is to get into an advanced psychopharm course ASAP. Sometimes, this is offered in the Psychology Department of major universities. It may not be accepted as credential for NP, but since you already ARE one, that doesn't really matter. What matters is that you don't really know what you are doing. Also, if you have not had any education about psychiatric diagnostics you are in double trouble. One company that offeres some good workshops in psych is Contemporary Forums. They have a web page and offere seminars on CD. This is NOT an advertisement. I have nothing to do with this company and have no financial interest in it.

This phenomenon is not unusual. But it troubles me. It troubles me for a variety of reasons. First, I think nurses becoming NPs who do not want to be RNs first are dividing the profession (as if it isn't already divided enough). In order for nurses to have power we need to be united. I was a nurse for years before I became and NP. But when I did go for that credential, I was in school with nonRNs who were going through a 'bridge program.' They resented the RNs because we knew more and we resented them because we felt they were getting something they had not earned. The class was divided and so is the profession. I have heard a lot of nasty remarks from those with whom I went to school about nursing and that hurts. They separate themselves out as being better than the rest of us. Second, one reason nurse practitioners have been so effective is that we are nurses FIRST. We use the nursing model with the medical model incorporated. Having some years of practice in the nursing model only makes one a more effective clinician. Third, nursing still eats its own young. The nurses who are still working in the ranks respect one who has come up through the ranks, but they do not respect and many times try to resist those who did not come up through the ranks. Fourth, and I must ask forgiveness for this each time I pray. I live in the south and am familiar with an expression suggesting that one should put his/her heart in dixie or getout. As a nurse first, and whose life work has been NURSING, I must confess I feel the same way about nursing. Put your heart in NURSING or get out. Just my NSHO.

Addendum: Your facility SHOULD have a patient advocate who can work with families and diffuse their complaints. If there is a patient advocate, that would also be a proper referral for this family.

First, in order for someone to sue you he must have a cause of action. So if you have not been guilty of a tort (civil wrong) then any action to sue you would be dismissed if it in fact got filed. Personal injury suits are VERY risky and VERY expensive for lawyers, so generally they do not take the case unless there is a clear cause of action and recovery is likely. The fact that they are threatening is an indication that there is a perceived problem with the care. This should concern you. There is clearly some problem that needs to be addressed by the administration of your facility and/or you. The best thing you could do is refer them to your supervisor and see if you can all work together to find a solution. Giving some smart alec answer like, 'here's the phone book' does not foster the therapeutic relationship or good communication. Patient/family empowerment is a positive and not a negative and should be encouraged. When patients and families can work as a team with the staff of a facility there is a high degree of satisfaction and threats of this nature do not occur. Studies have shown that when there IS a cause of action, most people do not wish to engage in a lawsuit. They just want an apology. My suggestion is that you look at your practice and how you interact with your patients and families before you take such a defensive posture.