hbscott

I got tired of the "failed physician - homosexual" stereotype and the implications of that societal label. I have left nursing (but I still come to this board to check on a few friends now and then) and I must admit life is very good for me now. Nursing was an important "stepping stone" in my life and career but that is all it ever will be for me. My advice is to you is find the thing you love and do well (and then stick with it). You won't be disappointed in the long run. -HBS

Thank you for your kind and encouraging remarks. They are most appreciated. -HBS

It's been a while since I "checked in" so I thought I would let everybody know I am still alive. As many of you know I left nursing for other opportunities and am now doing work in advanced 3D Medical Imaging (research, development and application). Today I was contacted by a firm in California that had a client who needed consultation services in my particular research focus area. After checking out the validity of the firm I agreed to provide consultation services to their client. At that point I was told the client was willing to pay $200.00 an hour for my services as that was the going rate for emerging technology consultations and would I agree to that rate? It didn't take long for me to reply. Yeah Baby! This brings me to my point. I have noticed on these boards an occasional debate about the value of higher education. I have labored long and hard in health care for many years, both in the trenches and in the so called ivory tower. Looking back now I realize that neither experience was more important than the other and that this "well rounded" background has probably contributed much to my current success. So for those of you who have put up with my occasional rants I thought it important to bring you up to date and perhaps you too can benefit from this insight. Success can be measured in many ways (financial, personal, achievement, etc.) but I can honestly say it is up to us to decide what makes us happy. As William Shakespeare once said "To Thine Own Self Be True." Other people, events and things can contribute to the adversity we may experience from time to time but at the same time when we overcome that adversity the joy we experience is quite wonderful, a wonderful thing indeed. Keep the faith and find time enough for love. It's worked for me. -HBS

Nursing shortage critical part of rising health costs Cherie Skinner A recent article by the Physicians for a National Health Program said, "Medical bills will become the number one cause of bankruptcy in America if administrative costs are not curbed and insurance coverage is not made more available." Health care costs are now 15 percent of the GDP and are growing 10 percent annually. With costs this high, businesses across the nation are being forced to shift costs to employees or drop coverage altogether. The cost of health care is increasing the cost of doing business in both the public and private sectors. As baby boomers near 65, there's a real possibility Medicare may go bankrupt in 15 years. The health care cost crisis has the attention of everyone from presidential candidates to union heads. There are several reasons for the continually escalating health care costs: The increased development and use of clinical and operational technology. Higher employment costs due to the shortage of personnel, including nurses. Our aging population, which requires a higher level of care. The cost of prescription drugs. The heavy burden of federal regulations. The nursing shortage is the most critical problem on this list, as it increases the cost and may compromise quality of care and availability of care. Providers, faced with a growing shortage of nurses and the possibility of closing beds and cutting services, increase salaries and turn to nursing agencies that charge two to three times the going nursing rate. The shortage is of concern in the Denver area as four new hospitals are scheduled to open in the next two years. Where they'll find their nursing staff is unknown, as other facilities in both urban and rural areas of Colorado struggle to recruit and retain enough nurses. In 2000, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services identified Colorado as one of 30 states with a nursing shortage. The 2000 supply-versus-demand shortage was 11 percent and is projected to be 31 percent in 2020, higher than the rest of the nation. In today's mobile society, shortages affect health care organizations nationally. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the number of employed nurses will rise from 2.3 million to 2.9 million by 2012, but there'll be 1.1 million open positions. Most reports list the causes of the nursing shortage as: Increased demand due to population growth. A larger proportion of elderly with more complex medical needs. The aging of the nursing work force (the average age is 47). Medical advances that demand more nursing time. The shortage of nursing faculty and nursing schools. More appealing career options for women. Job dissatisfaction. The Colorado Department of Labor Job Vacancy Survey in spring 2003 reported 951 open registered nursing positions in Denver. Just the year before, 500 to 1,000 qualified applicants were denied access to nursing school because there wasn't enough capacity. Being employed even full time no longer guarantees access to health insurance. The average cost of health insurance for companies across the nation escalated from 0.6 percent in 1996 to 13.9 percent in 2003. Many employers are cutting their contributions, resulting in employees having to pay larger portions of the premium or dropping coverage entirely. As health care costs rise, so does the number of uninsured. Today, 45 million Americans are uninsured, and that number is growing at 1 percent a year. The Employee Benefit Research Institute said, "Over one-half (56 percent) of all uninsured working adults are employed full time throughout the year." CFO.com reported a survey of 292 large corporations, conducted by Watson Wyatt and the Washington Business Group on Health, that found 70 percent of employers had made major changes to their health care strategy in the past year. Only 34 percent stated they were willing and able to absorb the whole cost. According to Paula Stearns, executive director of the Colorado Nursing Association, the Denver community is taking many creative steps to increase the number of graduate nurses. These include partnerships between universities and health care systems, expansion of nursing programs and development of new ones. Unfortunately, it will be awhile before nurses are graduated from these new and expanded programs. Meanwhile, 55 percent of working nurses in Colorado will be retired in five years. The number of nursing faculty retiring during that same time is even higher as their average age is beyond the average nurse age. A strong health care system is critical to a community's success. What can businesses do? Partner with health care organizations and educational institutions that offer nursing programs and work together to increase the number of nurses in the work force. Lobby for legislation at the state and federal levels that reduces health care costs and improves health. Investigate alternative insurance options, such as the Medical Savings Account. To reduce costs, negotiate and make certain your health care plan covers health prevention and promotion as well as alternative health care. Cherie Skinner is a faculty member in the M.B.A. in health care and master's in nursing programs at the University of Phoenix. Reach her at 303-600-1123 or [email protected]. http://www.bizjournals.com/industries/health_care/industry_regulation/2004/05/31/denver_focus4.html -HBS

Can't speak for other people but I have never tolerated sexual harassment and discrimination in any environment. I expected better from nursing and that was my mistake. I have learned to keep my expectations realistic. People behave badly in all professions and walks of life. Not all people mind you, but there those who will take narcissism to the extreme and exploit others when given the opportunity. Even in nursing. -HBS

No problem, glad to be of service. Since I live in Maryland I use the following site for some of my supply needs: http://homeharvest.com/ and in regards to the product you asked about http://homeharvest.com/milkspore.html and http://homeharvest.com/naturalpestmain.htm I have not used Milky Spore powder as my soil bed is in pretty good shape. However when in doubt I go to my local nursery and check with the "old timer" there who teaches me a lot. I try not to over do the pesticides and other such products but sometimes you just have too. :) Hope that helps. Hugh

Wise Words from Wise Nurses. Thank you all very much! -HBS :)

When I get my digital camera back from my daughter I will do just that! :)

You can tell from the size and quality of my flower garden just how much frustration I am dealing with. Nursing has been real good to my flower bed and my local nursery. And it is time to move on and make some history in advanced 3D diagnostic imaging! Look out world, here I come. :) -HBS

Thank you all for the constructive responses. I also believe that my emotional reaction to my nursing experience reflects the level of intimacy brought to the profession. In other words if we are injured (emotionally or physically) by a stranger or casual acquaintance we tend to "get over it" sooner. If we are hurt by someone or something we hold dear then the pain is more intense. That is what makes sense to me about this whole disappointment with nursing. Keeping expectations realistic is key. -HBS

Exactly! But as well all know "effective coping" is essential to dealing with those disappointments and other such issues. Obviously having a realistic expectation of what nursing was (and is) helps a great deal. -HBS

Good point. I am such an "intellectual" that sometimes my brain gets stuck in problem solving mode. As you say, forgive and move on is the right thing to do unless one is committed to solving a particular problem. As you can see this was a problem I could not solve. Human nature is what it is and even nurses are susceptible to the human condition. -HBS

I am stuck as I try to reconcile my experience with my expectations from the nursing profession. As I said before I expected better from nursing and the "reality shock" was pretty severe as you can tell. I am doing the internal work but as another poster noted, it is time to move on. It seems that the answer is to realize that nursing is not different from any other profession. There are good nurses and there are bad nurses. And when you are in the minority the bad nurses can really take advantage of you if you let them. I fought back and that course of action took me out of nursing. As noted earlier this is an exercise for closure. -HBS

Maybe in time but not anytime soon as far as I can see. I have other roles and responsibilities to take care of now. God only knows what the future will bring. -HBS

Perhaps I held nursing (the profession) to a higher standard. I guess I just didn't expect nursing to be guilty of the "people behaving badly" syndrome that I just naturally expect to find in other occupations and in the human race in general. I guess nursing is what it is. A profession made up of human beings (not saints) and there is nothing wrong with that. -HBS

True, maybe I am holding the nursing profession to blame for what in the long run is just human nature. -HBS

I can't speak to the experience of others but after 4 years of nursing school, 2 years of graduate school and 13 years of nursing practice I can assure you that I experienced gender bias across multiple settings. In addition to that there was one case of persistent sexual harassment (I was offered a job in exchange for sexual favors by another male supervisor) and when I reported that to my organization they made me feel like a total idiot. All this is in the past of course but has left me angry towards nursing in general. I could provide more definitive detail of many different grievances from over the years but that is not the point I am trying to make. You say "any case, maybe what are you are about to do is what you were meant to do...." but I say I was a damn good nurse (published, multiple certifications, advanced degreed, very dedicated) but it was the nursing culture and/or the nursing practice environment that drove me away. Now I find myself in my flower garden (in my free time) cursing nursing under my breath. Not good for my blood pressure at all. And I want to be free of this bitterness. -HBS

I am sitting here today trying to make sense of the world. I left home when I was 18 and ended up in the military as a way to pay for college. I also knew I wanted to work in health care (M*A*S*H was a favorite show of mine at the time) and I endeavored to do my best no matter how humble the task. I had an opportunity to go to medical school but decided to get married instead and delayed going to college so I could have more money to set up a home. When the time came to pursue my "higher education" I decided to go to nursing school as I had grown to respect the CRNA's I had worked with as a surgical technician. I gave nursing my best shot but soon found that the gender bias I encountered was so pervasive that there was little hope for me to fulfill my potential as so much energy was spent dealing with the negative stereotypes of a male nurse. It was exhausting to say the least. So I left nursing and jumped into the IT field before the market IT "bubble" burst and quickly established myself as a "guru" of the highest order in health care information systems. When the IT sector became weak I remained gainfully employed as the IT sector in health care remained strong. I am now working on my PhD and have just signed an employment contract for 3 years as a researcher in the development of a new diagnostic modality for cancer screening. I will be making $165,000.00 annually until this contract expires. I also have a good benefits package. After that, who knows? Anybody know a good tax attorney? :) Any way as I assume this new role and responsibility I am trying to bring to closure my bitterness towards nursing (the culture) and I find myself spending a lot of time working in the flower bed (gardening) in hopes that this therapeutic activity will bring the healing I need. But the bitterness lingers. There is an emotional wound that quite hasn't healed yet. I am trying to understand that. So how does one heal the soul from such negativity? We all have had experiences that have embittered us in some way. How does one find forgiveness in a world that seems to embrace hatred? As they say confession is good for the soul and I hope this one will help me to move on. -HBS

It's no secret that radiologic technologists in the U.S. are under tremendous stress. Ask many RTs about their job situation, and they'll say they're overworked, underpaid, and underappreciated. But no one expected what happened at San Francisco General Hospital this week, after RTs staged a sickout to protest work conditions. City officials responded to the sickout with threats of disciplinary action rather than addressing the RTs' concerns as they had hoped. Hours later, one of the RTs, a 20-year veteran of the hospital, had committed suicide. The case is still under investigation, and it's still not known whether the suicide was related to the labor unrest. But the incident highlights in microcosm how serious the RT labor crisis has become. While some details of the situation are peculiar to San Francisco, this is, at its core, a story that could be repeated at hundreds of hospitals across the U.S. Nursing is not the only health care profession who is "stressed" by the system. We are all in this together. -HBS

When I rotated through my L&D Clinical many years ago I was told to stay in the nursing break room and study my notes and OB/GYN text books. I was then counseled by a staff nurse who encouraged me to use nursing as a "stepping stone" to another career as males should not be in nursing. She was sincere and was only trying to be helpful I can assure you. I went home totally amazed at the gender bias I encountered that day (and days to follow). My experience of "gender bias" in nursing has been negative enough that I did pursue other opportunities in health care and have done very well. Nursing was an important part of my career development but I found success (financial and professional) out of nursing and I am truly convinced that gender bias was a major reason for that. True Story! -HBS

I say if you have something better pursue it. If not be content with your situation and make the most of it. I retired from military and have a pension and other benefits I can take advantage for myself and my family. That pension helps hold me over between jobs if need be. I am now in the "civilian sector" in my 2nd career and find that there is no such thing as a "perfect" job but rather "acceptable" and "unacceptable" ones. In my current occupation I endeavor to do the best I can on a daily basis and cherish those times when I can make a positive difference in the lives of my patients. I am firmly convinced that in military or civilian life it is what we make it. Our successes and failures are influenced by many things. There are those who do well in the military and those who don't. There are those who do well in civilian life and those who don't. And then there are those who do well in both. -HBS

And the ANA Position Paper of 1965 proposed that all nurses would have a BSN entry level by now. So it goes... -HBS

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--04/01/2004--Adhesive anchors for needlestick safety, such as StatLock®, are the subject of a new fact sheet issued by the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), Venetec International announced today. The OSHA document, "Fact Sheet: Securing Medical Catheters," advises healthcare employers and clinicians to consider adhesive anchors for securing catheters. The fact sheet states that adhesive anchors are potentially safer alternatives to the use of tape and suture for catheter securement. Venetec International makes StatLock adhesive anchors and is the world's leading developer and manufacturer of adhesive anchors, which are also known as catheter securement devices. The fact sheet discusses ways to reduce worker safety hazards related to IV therapy, and states, "Inserting a catheter exposes the healthcare worker to the risk of a needlestick." This needlestick risk is present whether tape or suture is used for catheter securement. Adhesive anchors may reduce that risk and may be considered by hospitals and other healthcare employers for adoption as part of OSHA-mandated needlestick safety programs, the document says. The new fact sheet is available on OSHA's website (http://www.OSHA.gov), at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/bloodbornepathogens/factsheet_catheters.html. The OSHA Fact Sheet defines an adhesive anchor as "an adhesive-backed pad with a flap or molded clamp to hold the catheter in place."

Very nice input but keep in mind my location ID does not "bust" me in any way. It is always amazing to me how many amateur lawyers we have in our midst but nonetheless this case study was: *Sanitized of all patient demographics *The patient signed an informed consent form consenting to publication *My current location does not correlate with where the care was given *All data was presented to invoke critical thinking on how gender bias can effect care You really should be more careful about false assumptions. They can lead to bad outcomes. That being said the issue of appointing a conservator was never raised. I don't know of any specific case law that would allow that in this specific circumstance but it would be interesting to look up. Thanks again for your response. It is important. -HBS

The Rest of the Story Now that I got everybody thinking it is time to reveal the rest of the story. I consulted on this case a little farther back than what most people thought. In fact this patient has been treated and released. He has a new face and a 2nd chance at life. While the patient was unconscious the wife was allowed monitored visits and when the patient was fully alert and oriented he chose to meet with his wife in an area off the hospital floor he was staying. His wife would bring him things from time to time but one day she just stopped coming by. The patient soon discovered that his joint checking and savings account had been emptied and his soon to be ex-wife had run off with her girlfriend. I wanted to present this "case study" as an example to some of our students on the practice dilemmas they will sometimes face in their various working environments. This case study is currently being published in several journals. I thought I would share it with our audience since nursing care was an essential component of his recovery. The wife was consulted but remained distant to the care team. In my opinion mutual trust was never established with the wife and that prevented any progress for providing care and treatment to her if so indicated. -HBS