rabbitgirrl

I went to neither the graduation nor the pinning. I had three good, compassionate nursing teachers. As for the rest, they were disrespectful, unprofessional, theiving and lacking in compassion for students as well as patients. I taught myself nursing and graduated in spite of them. I did not go because they did not earn the right to pin nor to pass me. The majority of my teachers have inspired me to be a better nurse only through negative example.

Need...air...Can't...breathe Laughing too hard!!! AAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Ratios have gone down? Care to back that up with some figures from a reliable source? Did you remember to factor in that pt acuity has risen steadily in the last few decades as well as the complexity of medical treatments and the scope of nursing practice? There is quite a difference between the "nurses having to work" and being too busy to take a pee in 12 hours. I am embarrassed on your behalf for making the inference that nurses are lazy. If you think that the situation you described your workplace to be is safe, then you are not a prudent nurse, and I wouldn't want you to care for me or my family. Seems you think that the big, bad nurses are overpaid, and that the poor widdle hospitals are the victims. Sorry chief, that one doesn't fly either. Clearly, you don't mind being a butcher--seems you are proud of it, but personally, I do mind neither of us have any business taking assignments like this.

whthfk ???!!!

First, I must say that I am so sorry to hear this is happening to both you and your patients. What they are asking (telling) you to do is ridiculous. When I have been in similar staffing ratio situations, I felt like I was colluding in patient abuse by accepting the assignment. These aren't nursing jobs, they are butcher jobs. You will not loose your license over abandonment if you refuse an assignment, but you may if you leave after you have taken report. Management knows what they are doing, they just don't care. If I were you, I would look for another job (in any field) ASAP

What they are asking (telling) you to do is ridiculous. When I have been in similar staffing ratio situations, I felt like I was colluding in patient abuse by accepting the assignment. These aren't nursing jobs, they are butcher jobs. Management knows what they are doing, they just don't care. If I were you, I would look for another job ASAP.

I think ooottafvgvah has a great point that low emotional intensity is the place to start in these kind of confrontations. The thing that was left out of consideration, though, is what I heard the loudest- It just didn't feel right. I think the intuition thing is greatly discounted, especially in this sort of situation. She noted the creepy gut-feeling, verified with another nurse and took action. Clearly, this guy was pulling out the stops to act offended, anyway and the situation would have gone where it went eventually anyway. I wouldn't have given a New York nanosecond's worth of thought to creepy guy's feelings. If he had been innocent, he would have acted embarrassed instead of huffy. Also, I think maybe some people don't know that in most nursing homes there is no security, and many, many visitors with ulterior motives who are all too willing to misrepresent themselves. Add this to having 20-40 pts and very little time to doodle around with the nuances of questioning the validity of instinct. OP, I think you did a really, really good thing. Keep up the good work!

Wow, what a great story! I hope some day that I will be able to think that fast. Also, well put about the issue. Of course, I pray inwardly for my pts all day, but I feel that the patient almost always should initiate or request any spiritual care given overtly. When that happens, I think it should be patient centered and never, never, never a case of the nurse imposing her beliefs on the patient. When a patient asks me what I believe, I try to turn it back to them by asking what it is that they believe about a situation, to facilitate them working it out with whatever beliefs they have. I don't think a nurse should be automatically fired for praying with patients, but close scrutiny about appropriate boundaries is O.K.

I am interested in getting involved in my state. How did you get involved? How did you find out where to go? How do you get access to a debate? how do you get listened to and shot down? Also, I am thinking that I need to be prepared--I think any really successful lobbyist can count on being turned away at the door for employment by the organizations that want him/her to shut up. OOPS! just saw your post nursekaren, thanks!

I, too had this problem (and occasionally still do). The only thing that helped me was to think of someone(s) who you look up to as completely capable, for me it was my aunt and another nurse, but it could be a movie role or anyone who exudes competence and confidence. Then, I would pretend I was them. Soon, I would be issuing quick, confident instructions to patients and their families. "Sit down. Not until 6:00. That will be a problem for you if you continue to do it. If you can scream, you can breathe. I don't know, but I will find out. Stop biting me. Now." Remember: it may take a while, but things WILL get better. One foot in front of the other, things will be O.K.

Haha! I used to work at a huge university hospital in a state with a HUGE football following. On game days the ER would take a poloriod of the drunks when they came in and tuck it into their belongings when they left. I thought it was a great policy!

Like what? I am serious, we must have some good writers among us! What sort of plot do you think people would watch? What would you watch?

Spot on, gentlegiver, You know that would be so. I think the undercover documentary would be way more effective. Only if it were a coordinated effort across several facilities, and then one would have to find a distributor who's parent company had no vested interest in health care. My apologies for off-topic, but I am sorry to see you leave, G., where are you headed? (I threaten to defect to starbucks about every other week).

I think we REALLY NEED a few shows that help the public understand what nursing is. Shows like House, ER and Scrubs TOTALLY misrepresent nurses and what they do. On Grey's Anatomy and other shows, its the Doctors, doctors, glamorous doctors that are holding patients hands and giving nose-to-nose care. Nurses are for handing you things and bringing pillows. Of course, a traditional reality show would be out of the questions (HIPPA!) but maybe ordinary people could try to change a poopy adult while doing dosing math, taking and order and listening to the aide say she will be back after her cigarette. Of course, the market would be wide open to have a great nursing soap/drama, kind of like "private practice". The nurses could start all in school together, then go into separate nursing fields but stay friends. It would be a nice public service for the network, and maybe more people would come to the field. Also we COULD make some headway with educating people about ratios, nursing homes, etc.

Whoa! I am sorry that is happening to you; that is just plain wrong. I don't think it is med-surge that you hate, I think it is REALLY crappy management. Not all med-surge is like this. You might want to try another place. You could try HH, it is less stress, unless you are asked to supervise (if you are an RN, this is definitely what you will be doing) If you supervise, that means signing off on nurses all over the city and betting your license that they did what they said they did. Also way less money. You could do agency. The problem there is, the minute you leave, all the mistakes of the shift get blamed on you. This is only true for some facilities, and you will know which ones pretty quick. You can always refuse to work in a specific place. Also, there is usually a non-compete agreement, saying that you will not take a job at a place that you worked for the agency for a year after you worked there. The money is as good or better than med-surge in a hospital. It might be a good bridge until you find another job you like. Best wishes for your happiness.

Stop and remember to breathe. Remember that you are only one person and that you can only physically be in one place at one time. Do not expect yourself to bi-locate. Do not be mean to yourself because you can't bi-locate. Ask for help. Ignore anyone who is mean to you when you ask for help (they are wrong or panicked. You are not wrong to ask). When you need to pee, go pee. Remember that your intentions are good and that you are a good person for trying to do the work of five people, not a bad person for only being able to do the work of three. And always remember Things Will Definitely Get Better. Confidence and organization will come with time. Just keep climbing that mountain every day. Thank you for coming back. We are grateful to have you.

Whew! thank goodness. Mikern2be, could you post the source where you read that Obama said this? I sure would like to pass it on to some of my friends! Thanks for bringing attention to this! you rock.

Why? What is up with them?

I have heard horror stories about this diet, I think along the lines of "I was dizzy, miserable, and lacked energy, lost a lot of weight and then put it right back on." I have no personal experience with this diet. I am wondering though... where will your protein come from? You do need to eat some everyday, or your body will eat your muscle instead of fat. Then you will weigh less but not look good, I think. Best of luck with your health and weight. I am fighting the battle myself : )

Pennsylvania Lawmakers Consider Nurse-Patient Ratio Legislation Rest of the story here... http://www.rwjf.org/humancapital/digest.jsp?id=9562 Source: http://www.afscme.org/workers/68.cfm

I am so sorry to hear that your facility is going through this. Seems there are people here that know a lot more about this than me, so I hope they chime in on this subject, but I think there are some facilities that have non-nursing unions, like teamsters or grape-pickers or whatever. Of course a union made of nurses who know nursing issues would be ideal. Too bad no-one has formed a union for long-term health care workers.

Thank you for starting this thread. You rule! So, I think you should organize quietly. If I know my history correctly, people who make the attempt to unionize DO get fired. And it is not beyond some to threaten that person outside of work - sometimes with blackballing, sometimes with actual physical threats. But think of this. A job is just a job. You can get another. This management style threatens your license your patients, and your health. The loss of any of these is not worth ANY one job. The thing about these unethical money-grubbers is that they will continue whipping nurses until someone makes them stop. They clearly don't have any regard for nurses' (or patients') health, sanity or for what is physically possible. This sort of employee abuse was very prevelant in another industry I worked in--so much so, in fact, that it had a name. It was called 'Burn 'em and Turn 'em. Another trick was to keep everyone at part time, so that no-one got benefits, and everyone was starving and willing to sell each other out or do anything to get more hours. When people are oppressed, they usually turn on each other, and this is especially true for female-dominated, caregiving industries, since women tend to be more introspective and caregivers expect (and are expected) to "go the extra mile" for free. There is actually research (from the early 00s) that shows that, generally, when a man fails at something, he thinks, "that was really hard, no-one could have done it" and when a woman fails at something, she thinks, "I wasn't good enough". Unethical employers know this. Unions are not always all good, but union organizers are heros. They are the ones who speak truth to power and stand up for those who are vulnerable. Who does that sound like? Right! Nurses! Thank you for starting this thread, I have learned a lot here.

Actually, I did not know that foreign nurses had to be paid a certain minimum wage. What is that minimum wage, please? Could you explain more? thank you.

Oh, snap! Check out thie Assignment-Despite-Objection form at the UAN nursing union site? Does anyone think it would save a license? I am sure it could loose a job! I, for one, though, think it is about time someone came up with this. woo hoo! http://www.uannurse.org/resources/objectionform.html

"I have always tried to meditate. I just couldn't do " Many, many people say they can't meditate, but I think they mean they feel that they can't meditate well. It is one of those instances where the value is in the trying, not in the succeeding. One of my lamas says, "there is no such thing as good meditation". For many of us, our minds do not settle down, but the benefit is in the sitting and continuing to redirect our thoughts. Also, it is like exercise. You don't start with the biggest weights on the first day, you just continue to lift the smaller ones for a long, long, time before anything like progress happens. After a while, you find that you can quiet your thoughts, abandon obsessing about things, and be focused when you need to.