LadyFree28

This is an interesting post, as I created a paper in one of my Master's Courses addressing this issue. The short version is: robots aren't going to replace us. Due to overhead, patients satisfaction, it's not going to happen. Humans-even though humans can be "peopley”-actually WANT humans to provide care for them. Also due to technology nativity-meaning most people may be online but lack the adequate knowledge of technology and financial teeth to be full-on technology savvy, or don't like the issues brought on like hacking-you're going to need humans to do nursing. If anything, we should get ahead on what technological advances can benefit our profession, become knowledgeable of what changes that may come (granted may be little to some), and advocate and have a seat at the table when it comes to what would benefit us and our patients as a whole.

Like a poster stated...there has been a nursing shortage for DECADES. I entered the profession in 2005...it's was a shortage and to take 1/2 a unit with the charge nurse, pass meds and turn them-the patients were SCI (Spinal Cord Injured) on night shifts, my other job was private duty pediatric home health. I was able to get two jobs and in hindsight, they wanted a body...but I made sure I had training, enough orientation because I was a new nurse, and needed to help my family out at the time...but I wasn't going to lose my license the minute I got IT-a licensed is a PRIVILEGE-ALWAYS. I was able to basically set my schedule and be in "charge" of my career. Now, 15 years later-in 2020-I matured as a nurse...I had (and currently) advocate for not only patients but nurses as a bargaining unit officer, I mentor, get involved with committees, etc, survived COVID...and the anguish and trauma that had a lot of nurses make decisions to change the way they nurse-travel, retire, take a break...I'm still here but seem to come full circle on what I want my career to be-In 2021 I pursued my Masters and (hopefully) graduate in a few months with my MSN in Nursing Education...I want to be a "normal" person-my son is 3 months and I want to have the work life balance...I want to have time to continue to advocate for safe staffing investment in our healthcare structure and still be at the beside in some way. It's doable because I learned to do it early in my career; now, it's different... I have my professional opinion of my career-so far-as a nurse who started new in "the shortage" and continues to work in "the shortage”…you've seen the research, you have the opinions...what are your thoughts entering into a profession that strives to advocate for patients and themselves while in an impossible structure, against a public as a whole that have been divested and a system at its PAST breaking point? What can you see of value to join the profession, and why a lot of us stayed so long, stay and keep going and try to have a shred of resiliency at such a critical time? I want nurses to come back to the bedside, I understand why people left, change specialties, etc...change is GOOD. I understand those like me who stay...we the NURSES are going to right this ship, by any means necessary, however it may take telling THE TRUTH and some coalition building from everyone for this to happen. But it's gonna be one HELLUVA dogfight.

Get ACLS...that certificate WILL enhance your practice ASAP when your patient goes south. As for the certification in your specialty? Definitely pursue it once you have 2-plus years of practice. I'm studying for the CPEN after 3 years of practice-I find the review course (along with ENPC and TNCC-both certificate courses) are helping my practice; I hope to be a CPEN in early 2019.

I have PTSD. I have many posts describing how I've handled PTSD for years on this site. My PTSD is a result of being a domestic violence survivor; I also am a gun violence survivor-my exempted abused me shot me seven times point blank. I found working in an emergency room actually helped my PTSD...maybe it's the compartmentalizations, short term tenure with patients with the options of discharge, admit, or other side and the variety of patients that's given me the energy to maintain my love of nursing-I honestly don't know. And yes, I see gun shot wound victims, stabbing victims, burns, abuse, rape, and I'm not triggered...I maintains my professionalism and it may be due to my own therapeutic coping mechanisms in place. I have been under EMDR therapy for six years now and it has done WONDERS for allowing me to stay in nursing when I wondered if I was going to. I also engaged in medication mangament for ten years-I've had PTSD for about ten years; my event happened ten years ago-and that has helped as well. I've gotten to the point where I don't need medication as much and have a psychiatrist monitoring the situation as well. Very few people that I work with know I have PTSD...and I chose those people for a reason because the subject was broached or they saw my scars, etc...but no one has approached me about it and I prefer it that way; having PTSD, in my experience and people knowing about it undermines that I can do a good job-and I have been judged harshly for it in the past. I have also involved myself in expanding my practice, mentoring other nurses and involved in union activity; pushing the envelope in order to find solutions with fellow nurses has extremely helped; sometimes the structure of the business of healthcare treats us like abused individuals, makes one feel voiceless and the cycle of how management can treat you can be a problem and can mess with someone who has trauma; being a healthcare activist has certainly helped me even more empowered than ever before.

This is the tip of the iceberg...feeling proud of the work I do as a nursing activist! We will NOT stop until it is done! As far as the ANA and the PSNA not supportive-I have stopped supporting them when the "alternative" came out about five years ago. It's such an exciting time as a union nurse in my area!

NOT true; obtained my position while working at a nursing home; my unit also hired a co-worker I worked with at the same nursing home and has also hired a "new nurse" that worked in a nursing home. And the hospital pays MORE-agoing not necessary true as far as a pay cut.

In some areas, depending on the facility, there are nurses who have varied hours; it's not surprising if one unit works 80 and one unit works 72. At my employer, I have been a 1.0 and worked two 12s and 2 8s, but desired 0.9, however I had to apply for such a position; I sometimes pick up to 80 hours; however sometimes the description is up to my manager if I can work the hours; I usually never turned down. If you have a hiring letter based on your hours, and that's what you are hired for, your manager may have descetion over what hours you can be extended to, even if you policy states that full time can extend to 80 hrs a pay. Are you also saying that management has removed your PTO from your pay stub? That sounds like a legal issue-which we can't give legal advice for but...if you are not getting headway with HR, it would best to look into your states laws regarding PTO accrual and may need to go further with your complaint. Best Wishes

I work at a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center as well as a Stroke/Heart Center Adult ED (non-trauma) They both have a "Main ED" which patients that need complex medical interventions are placed as well as a "fast-track"/urgent care, which are simple medical interventions or "doctor's office" type complaints. Medications: we don't prescribe medications as Registered Nurses; that would be an Advance Practice Nurse or Nurse Practicitioner (NP) role; as far as having knowledge of medications, Nurse have some idea of potential medications to use;; sometimes there are plans of care that nurses can follow and be allowed to give medications in Triage or during the course of care for a patient. Diagnostic Testing: same as the explanation for medications; we are able to order plans of care to have us order diagnostic testing when appropriate First Aid: There are times where we have to dress wounds, splint application and care; these procedure are standards of practice and are standards of care that are taught in nursing school and expounded on with on the job training At my Pedi ED position we work with NPs; they take patients independently if they are a "fast-track"/urgent care patient; more critical pts can require a physician collaboration, howeve they are the primary caretakers of the patient. At the adult ED I work in, Physician Assistants (PA) take on the same roles.

I currently have a full-time position at my hospital and an on-call position in another unit; the on call is minimum 24 hrs per month and doesn't interfere with my full time hours. I also have a minimum 24-hrs per diem position at another hospital. it's doable-as long as there is not over lapping with schedules and the flexibility is there.

Nurse's USA has discounts for nurses if you join their membership: NursesUSA:.Member Benefits I've received discounts for my local Zoo membership, to sports events, etc. They're out there.

In all my years of healthcare, I have ALWAYS been an advocate of the patient-always. I remember my first patient refusing further treatment and a physician attempt to persuade a patient to go through with the surgery; I stood by and stated "she has refused the procedure, after your explanation. Thank you." I'm sure the physician didn't appreciate it; however my patient had every right was lucid and desired her wishes to be carried out. Working in Emergnecy Nursing, every shift I'm advocating; especially when cultural cues as well as holistic care are not identified by the medical team; I prevented a R/O appy pathway because the pt had a known case of constipation and the young female child was uncomfortable with the male physical touching her-I got the cue and the x-ray and constipation protocol worked out just fine. Do physicians always listen? Not always; however with time and demonstration of your skills, most physicians learn to listen to nurses-especially when they find out that their text-book narrowmindness doesn't compare to a nurse who has a vast amount of experiences and wholistic care at a diagnosis. They learn-eventually.

I concur. I am in my first contract with my facility; I came to negotiations, and engaged passionately for myself, people who were fearful, yet saw the newbie (that's me) join because there was a serious and sadistic power struggle where the management of my unit were pitting day shift and night shift, as well as other nurses against each other; people were favorites and were protected, while others were made out of examples; watching the staff almost engaged in an abusive relationship was enough for me, including the vague policies and procedures basically tip in management's favor. I was a target for management-they wrote me up and basically issued me on a final warning for their scheduling error, which, the new management (which was implemented because my previous director was fired) overturned. My efforts at the bargaining table had me nominate and win Grievance Chair. I have represented people who were written up that violated just cause; one was solely based on a laboratory error, not the nurses fault; another was the lack of discipline and that manager not notifying the member that she violating policy and procedure-thought it was more of a personality issues and manager did not do either due diligence in being a leader and having meetings about her behavior in a strutted manner or progressive plan of action. The most recent are people being flexed because they signed up for overtime but do not meet their overtime mark-which is a GROSS violation of Federal Labor Laws, which we-the nurses who are unionized-WON. Any issues that arise and are not resolved have been recorded by myself and will present at the bargaining table; we have a short term contract that has salary grids, floating stipulations, just cause clause, the the agreement to staffing grids. A union is a strong as their members; we still have some ironing out to do, be even the small changes-we we're WAY under the market and had so many loopholes-I precepted individuals and couldn't be compensated because I wasn't the main preceptor-they were given the full bonus if they stayed past six months and got another one when that employee hit a year; now anyone who precepts an individual gets preceptor pay-plus a cost of living increase and percentage for having a clinical ladder, along with representation, and forcing management that have NO idea or simply forgot how challenging and evolved healthcare is to be accountable and not violate the law is a good reason to have a union. The is this thinking that because we are professionals that we should'nt have a union. My adage is this: it is NOT professional to take an assignment that I am not qualified to take or work with faulty equipment or take an unsafe load of patients. Unions are needed because of the importance of safe competent care that we want to deliver to our patients so we have better outcomes; even in our work-life balance as well-it also shows one of our aspects in nursing that I immensely enjoy-advocacy in action.

I hope you find a neurologist, and corneas and eyes are cool, especially if one ever has to use a Morgan lens! Positive vibes in getting into nursing school!

Sorry for your loss! Sometimes being the family healthcare proxy is stressful, but an obligation I uphold; she doesn't advocate we'll because of many stereotypes about healthcare. For example, she thought she wouldn't get a refill of her pain medication, making her hours of her pain untolerable; she even was saving meds until the pain was so great she wasn't getting any pain relief. Helping her adhere to her doctors that know her and care correctly coordinated is helping her stay comfortable and able to function. I'm also excited about your treatments! CRPS is a beast to have; my last relapse was at least 18 months ago. My neurologist is also a pain management specialist, which helps with my migraines as well. I haven't needed to bring down that hammer of infusion therapy, but if I ever need to, I'm glad to know it is effective. My positive vibes are with you and hope you are safe!

That is very great news! Living paycheck to paycheck is stressing-sending positive vibes for your family, and that wild weather in your state!