cacwell

I guess you should have gone to business, communications, HR, marketing, or PR school.

Sorry to parrot everyone else, but I've been saying the same thing for years: there is no shortage of RNs just a shortage of people willing to do the job... and the hospitals are happy to keep it that because: 1. there is no true labor market for RNs (ie. the hospitals don't get hammered by the supply v. demand mismatch for RNs) and they are able to force nurses to do more with less... and we will, it is both in our natures and part of our legal/ professional duty. When things implode the hospital can just blame the fact that things weren't done, only partially done, or done incorrectly on the staff RN despite the fact that the hospital put the RN in an impossible situation. 2. MORE IMPORTANTLY: hospitals have a vested interest in getting rid of nurses with >10 yrs experience because: A) They cost more in both real wages (hourly) and in benefits... they will often times have dependents by 10 years of RN experience and have a greater propensity to actually USE their medical benefits and vacation/ personal/ and sick time B) Older RNs (generally) have settled down and now have commitments outside of work and will not be willing to work at the drop of a hat or stay late with no notice C) They know how much things have changed over time and will actually stick up for their patients, themselves, and often, their co-workers Truth. [drops the mic]

I agree... there should be laws mandating staffing levels, which is why we need lobbyists and not Unions. As far as corporations making money hand over fist, I'm not so sure anymore with all the changes in reimbursement.... for instance: hospitals not getting paid for: readmission based on factors that are out of their (the hospitals') control; central line infections, UTIs secondary to catheterrs, etc. Money is getting tighter. As far as the 12 bucks an hour thing: yes I have taken care of a family on less than $12/hour, which is why I went to nursing school :)

Unionization does nothing to solve these issues... I've been down that road and all that a union does is add another level of bureaucracy that looks out for itself and not the individual nurse. Like it or lump it, true change in today's world (at least in the US) requires a strong group of lobbyists to convince the government that what we do is valuable (for a good example see the AMA and everything they have done for the doctors over the years). Else-wise, the hospitals will continue to do the math and realize that with the new HCAPS reimbursement system, it makes more financial sense to improve the quality of food than it does to actually staff enough RNs. Oh, and PS: just wait till this $15 minimum wage comes through... the hospitals will either have to lay off support staff ("environmental", food services, clerical, etc.) or staff fewer nurses... in the end you know that it will be the nurses that are expected to pick up the slack.

Thank JCAHO. If you think your hospital wants to spend money on all that badge rattle, you are mistaken. Time to get lawyers & bureaucrats (on a funny aside my phone autocorrected to "burro rats") out of the way of those of us on the front-lines of healthcare!

You can thank JACHO or TJC or whatever they call themselves this week... Now that "range doses" are illegal, our gtt orders are a joke, clearly written by individuals (read PA and MDs) whom have never actually titrated: "Norepinepherine IV infusion start at 2mcg/min may increase by 2mcg/min every 15 minutes for Systolic Blood Pressure

I work in a non-union hospital and seniority plays out the same way: new nurses must wait on a queue for an opening on day shift; the senior nurses get first pick of vacation, educational opportunities, and (in most cases) promotions; and seniority deffinately comes in to play when it comes to taking care of the socially (or contenance) challenged patients.... IOW seniority is not just a union issue.

understaffing overcrowding grumpy patients that just need a pcp and not the ed no management backup no facility backup nurses in the medical icu refusing pts because "the patient's condition doesn't warrent the last bed" holding inpatients in the er for 24 or more hours charge nurses that could care less if an RN already has 3 seriously crit pts these are just a few of the reasons why I'm moving upstairs.... I love the controlled chaos of the ED, I've been there for 3.5yrs, it's just that I don't feel safe.... I can't afford to lose my license because the hospital can't staff my unit. At least in the icu I can only get 2 critical pts!

As an ER nurse two things bug me about our seekers: 1. The $ we spend doing test after test every time one of our seekers comes in looking for a fix 2. The truely ill people left sitting in the waiting room for hours while all these tests are done