medtwo

Good question. Most nurses leave their job because they are: 1.understaffed 2. under appreciated 3. underpaid and 4.under-you-name-it. The average nurse working in a hospital today has more patients then she can manage, approximately 3 hours of her 12 hour shift at the computer terminal entering useless nursing drivel into the computer. It all looks good to someone, but who reads whatever you just put in the computer? I used to glance at the previous nurses notes when they where hand written. Not any more. If you use eMAR, it is safer for sure but did the hospital make it "friendly"? Probably not. Do you always have a secretary? Have the physicians stopped yelling at you? Did anyone consider who was going to care for the bariatric patient when the hospital decided to "cater" to that group of patients? Have you turned that 500 pounder q2 yet? Started the Amirodione drip on the 89 year year old stroke patient yet? Admitted the 85 year old DNR to your ICU because the PCP wants everything done except for CPR? He just became your third patient? So many reasons to leave. So few to stay. I have been a nurse for more years then I care to mention. Before most of you were born. I make about $5.00 more then the new grad. Too late for me but consider. I was a director of ED for many years. Had 70 employees. $4 million budget and made half of what my friends made supervising 10 people in the computer lab or even the principle of our local elementary school with 20 employees. I am finally in a job that is a non hospital job, where I actually feel I make a difference in the health of the people in my state. I still don't make enough money and still work in a hospital on the weekends, but I am a much happier person.

Having been in nursing for more than 40 years I have seen a great many changes. In the early 60's men did not get assigned to female patients. Ever. In the 70's, with ever increasing nursing shortages and, I might add, a change from male and female wards to comingled units, gradually began having female patients assigned to them. In the 80's, it was common to see no gender discrimination in assignments. However, because of the possibility of being accused of fondling, or worse, men usually did not do caths, help with gyn exams, etc. In today's litigious society I would never do a cath, or be present for an exam without female witness. If the Doc is a female, no problem. If there is another women present, caths are fine. I have done many, many of both caths and gyn exams but never alone. Too dangerous. If You are too nieve to think that all things are equal, you have a lot to learn.

I have done many many foley insertions but only a few pelvics. Always with a female doc. Don't ever put yourself and a male physician in a compromising position because of time constraints. Find a female to assist a male.