lisagh

I know it is news, but isn't it depressing that the biggest headlines are the ones like the nurse most recently being accused of killing a patient. How tragic. It is terrible that the major focus is errors and bad news about health care. I see everyday folks who work and give %1000 to make sure patients are taken care of. Wish we could see more of that- I mean how in the world are we going to help this nursing shortage with such negative PR by the media. Lisa www.georgianurse.com

I became a nurse because as rough as it gets it is the only job I have ever wanted to do. I want to make things better for my staff (I am in management.) I enjoy working in not for profit facilities that serve their community. I too feel we need more positive in nursing. My world is not perfect but I feel we need to pull together in order to make a difference rather than apart. Best wishes in school to you. I have been a nurse for 16 years. The shortage makes it tough for all of us no matter what the role. Nursing is the best and hardest job I have ever heard of. Best of luck to you! Lisa www.georgianurse.com

Good luck & glad you love nursing. Great to hear it! After being in 16 years, new folks help keep our enthusiasm up too. I think Med/Surg is good. Tele is like med/surg only more fast paced. Think you should start out in a general area. After a year or two of that, you can do anything with a good base & comfort level w/ your basic skills. If you can, it's good to work as an assistant during breaks or part time weekends while going to school. That can help you see areas that you like & help with those basic skills. Best of luck to you in whatever you do! Lisa www.georgianurse.com

I certainly think a 10 week training program and on floor preceptor program which is what we are now offering is anything but the above!! I would shudder at that too. Hope you are not in such an environment, I certainly am not. And the charge nurse is experienced on all shifts and a resource with no patient assignment.

Thanks to you all for your ideas! I am in Georgia- South Metro Atlanta (I don't do interstate driving- my hospital is just south of the airport off the interstate- about an hour from Macon). I have a personal website that links to my facility. www.georgianurse.com I don't make folks rotate shifts--Some nurses have volunteered to help & make the extra pay. Administration is very supportive to me& staff. I am a nursing director at this point (started here as a clinical nurse specialist- told you all I go back and forth in roles- don't want to get too far from clinical if the truth be known!.) I am recruiting to get a good clinical manager in place to work with me (I am over med/surg; tele; and critical care.)Prior administration (2 yrs ago) was not supportive- we have a pretty new admin team & they are supportive now- I think we are in the rebuilding phase. Appreciate everyone's ideas! I offer flexible shifts for anyone except those only open to 7a-3p. I have too many folks already- other than that I'll do 6 hr; day/night combo (some nurses want to work 1 or 2 days then work a night to get their 36 hours in.); or 3-11;11-7 or p-a. I am not giving up on this! I am determined. We are starting a professional nursing model nursing wide to implement staff based practice councils in January.

I am new to this discussion area. Like many of you I have strong feelings too about nursing. Yes I'd be a nurse over again. Have worked clinical and management back and forth for over 16 years now. Anyway, I would like some ideas for retention to pass on to others at my organization. We have increased pay recently. I feel we have reasonable nurse patient ratios (Med/Surg/tele unit 3-5 pts on days; 4-6 on nights- with nursing assistant support 1-4 per shift usually 2 or 3; 1-2 unit secretaries per shift; 1 charge nurse resource with no patient assignment; 1 monitor tech.Other med/surg floors have this support w/ 1-2 more patients per shift w/ at least this amt of support.) Anyway, we are having difficulty recruiting permanent staff on the tele unit. We have lots of agency use- contract staff. We offer contracts independently as well too. I really want to decrease agency staff when I can- we have had some good ones help us through & some renew for a long while, but I want more permanency when we can. Night staff seem in particularly in short supply all over the state. Have to add there is **N0 mandatory overtime** and I have been supported by top administration to pay double time for night shift to cover during this period on one area w/ a high vacancy rate. Nurses do have to work every other weekend- that one is tough- but only 72 hours pay period w/ full benefits. Anyway- we are still having troubles but slowly getting response. I really want to implement some retention ideas to support the staff who have helped out so much during this time. Any ideas would be appreciated. Lisa