David13

But the healthcare system can sustain CEOs making 10x that amount? In my humble opinion, it seems there should be a ratio that is somewhat better balanced.

At least most teachers can retire at age 55 with a pension and full medical benefits, not to mention having summers off.

Of course they can't say anything to your face, but that bias is not always "unconscious". . .

I completely disagree with this. I think the CEO could probably disappear tomorrow and no one would even notice that he/she was gone. They trot out that old "indispensable" line every time someone questions their outrageous salaries. At the very least, they are just as replaceable as anyone else in the organization.

Policies are only as good as their enforcement. Where is management when this is happening?

How about "women"? Or, in my opinion, their gender was completely irrelevant to the discussion. They could have been referred to simply by their titles: LPN, Medical Assistant, etc. I know this is a side issue in this particular posting, but both the use of the word "girls" and the possessive "my" when referring to staff members of any gender (as in "my LPNs") has always appeared unprofessional to my ear. Just my .

I see absolutely nothing wrong with showing family members the way to the cafeteria. Extenuating circumstances are one thing, but for the vast majority of family members, they should neither be provided with food/beverages nor have the expectation that nursing staff will provide it.

The thing that always annoys me is that it is always the nurses who are made to pick up these extra tasks. It seems that EVERYTHING is nursing's responsibility. Cutting housekeeping to save money? Well, just make the nurses empty the garbage cans. Why isn't some other department (Administration, perhaps?) ever made to pick up some of these tasks?

You are absolutely doing your job when you question an order that you believe may harm the patient. Being a patient advocate is one of the primary roles of a nurse. For your administration to say that a physician's order should never be questioned is wrong is so many ways. Nurses are not there simply to carry out orders. Not to mention, if we carry out an order that harms the patient, we are liable as well as the physician. Is that administrator going to be able to give you back your license if you lose it? Always do what is in your patient's best interest.

Both nurses and physicians are independently licensed professionals. Unless a physician is the nurse's supervisor, a physician has no business reprimanding a fellow licensed professional. The word "scolding" implies that one professional has dominion over the other. If the physician had a concern, a conversation in which the physician expresses their professional opinion on a particular circumstance would be appropriate, with the nurse also having an opportunity to express their professional opinion in return.

Many states stagger the dates for professional license renewals. If your particular renewal is initially less than the normal extension period, they should be adjusting the licensing fee accordingly.

In my opinion, this type of comment that implies that the nurse is at fault for their inability to manage an inherently unmanageable situation, is harmful to the nursing profession. Yes, time management is extremely important; however, so is proper staffing. Putting profit ahead of safety by not staffing appropriately is not acceptable, and blaming the nurse for the situation that evolves from this inadequate staffing is not, in my opinion, helpful.

THIS. Communication between health care providers, by its very nature, cannot and should not be one-sided. I agree that there must be patience taken on the side of the listener; however, the speaker must also put forth the effort to speak clearly so that they can be understood. Because this is particularly true in a health care setting in which lives are at stake, not having the time or resources to do so is not a valid excuse.

You're an inspiration! Congratulations!

And when did it become acceptable for managers to not have a plan in place and to then hold the staff nurse responsible for this mismanagement? As for not answering the calls, that is not this nurse's responsibility unless the nurse has been told they are on-call and are receiving on-call pay. What, for example, would be management's back-up plan if this remaining nurse were far away on vacation? This is the type of situation for which agency nurses are utilized. Agency wound care nurses are available. They might be expensive, so perhaps their salary should be subtracted from that of the managers who created this situation?