Thirteen years of bedside care has taught me a lot. Yes, my clinical skills have been honed, my resume is stellar and I can approach clinical situations with confidence. I am a good nurse. My skills are a testament to my experience, as is my realization that modern day nursing is a farce. In this post I would like to pose that the nursing profession has become a perverse exploitation of manpower in the current age.
In the landscape of modern day healthcare the profession of nursing has been marginalized. Merriam-Webster defines marginalization as " to relegate to an unimportant or powerless position within a society or group". This definition should ring true to any nurse who is currently working at the bedside of a healthcare organization. Powerlessness should be in the descriptive of any bedside nurse job description. Powerless over unsafe staffing, administrative dictates, abusive patients and family members, dysfunctional hierarchies and the right to a work environment supportive of basic human needs and free from harassment.
The hospital business model has changed with many institutions operating as for-profit. Healthcare dollars are becoming increasingly tighter while those in the c-suite; CEO, CFO, etc. still want their great big piece of the pie. Consulting organizations are the best friend of the profit driven CEO with little or no insight as to what transpires at the bedside. Regulatory commissions justify their existence with endless mandates that become workplace priority (although some of these interventions do protect the patient I suspect this outcome is secondary to the money that is saved by the organization for compliance). Hospitals have become big business. Unfortunately for us, nursing's outdated model only serves to make us work harder to achieve benefits we never realize.
There is no place in the new business model of healthcare for compassionate care. An org cannot be reimbursed for compassion. Still we as nurses are manipulated by our desire to fulfill this outdated model of compassionate care giver. We are the scapegoats of organizations commitment to making someone accountable. Don't make waves, your job is dependent on it. We have all heard this message loud and clear.
I say no more!! The modern day role of a nurse is a joke. The landscape changes and we are required to carry on - business as usual. I cant stuff 14 hours of work into a 12 hour workday and I wont. I will take my breaks. I won't take abuse from patients and/or family members. Our rights as employees in the US mandate we are entitled to an abuse-free workplace. Amen. If administrators want to run their hospitals like a hotel let them employ consierge service around the clock. I didn't go into the hospitality business, I am a nurse. For every hair-brained scheme for manipulating the public the buck seems to stop with nursing. I refuse to pilot your business initiatives and be held accountable.
I am tired of being vulnerable to nursing administration that would rather align itself with hospital administration than represent nursing. You may be well compensated for your turncoat behavior but know you are a disgrace to your profession. It's time we reclaim these important roles and have a voice!!
According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics 2010-2011 there are 2.6 million nursing jobs - 60% of those in hospitals. We outnumber hospital admin and nursing exec's by a very large margin. Why don't we have voice? Let's get it together and stage a nursing revolt. Nothing will change until we learn we can stand up for ourselves, our profession and as a result our patients. Grab hold of a copy of the Code of Ethics for Nurses. You will see this is our right and more importantly our duty.
I'm ****** and I'm not going to take this anymore. The first step to change is a unified voice. I'm not advocating unions - I don't know enough about them. All I know is change has to happen if we are to survive. Are you with me?
I think if we kick around a few ideas here on this thread. We could come up with some good places to start.
We can all vow to write our representatives, congressmen/women, senator who ever in our state this week who is on the commitee for Healthcare reform. Include in the communication( written letter, e-mail) the peices of our current healthcare system that we feel are broken- replacing nurses with UAP, distribution of hospital/healthcare funding, big salaries for non essential medical personel, Nurse patient ratios. We all have areas that we are disgruntle about and want to see a change in. We all know where the the healthcare problems are- we are forced to deal with them. Thell these ladies and gentlemen our elected officials where this is all leading- patients dying. That's all I have as a suggestion. Take it to your newspapers- what about e-mailing some of these reporters from the healthcare articles. Give these reporters some real stand up shocking facts that will make them continue to read on. Employment practices and conditions for nurses back it up with statistics. I think nursing biggest proble is the failure to speak up. If we don't speak up for us no one is going to! Look where it has got us.
1) Someone finds all the reps and journalists contacts and posts them....
2) Someone comes up with templates or beginning formats for professional letters to be sent to the reps and journalists.
3) Decide on a real agenda and the path towards accomplishing the agenda (i.e., goals, activities, etc)
I think if we kick around a few ideas here on this thread. We could come up with some good places to start.
We can all vow to write our representatives, congressmen/women, senator who ever in our state this week who is on the commitee for Healthcare reform. Include in the communication( written letter, e-mail) the peices of our current healthcare system that we feel are broken- replacing nurses with UAP, distribution of hospital/healthcare funding, big salaries for non essential medical personel, Nurse patient ratios. We all have areas that we are disgruntle about and want to see a change in. We all know where the the healthcare problems are- we are forced to deal with them. Thell these ladies and gentlemen our elected officials where this is all leading- patients dying. That's all I have as a suggestion. Take it to your newspapers- what about e-mailing some of these reporters from the healthcare articles. Give these reporters some real stand up shocking facts that will make them continue to read on. Employment practices and conditions for nurses back it up with statistics. I think nursing biggest proble is the failure to speak up. If we don't speak up for us no one is going to! Look where it has got us.
I have a 2 pg list of names and info I made several months ago for this very reason. I got very little response. I will happily post it here to help and research for more. I hope someone can help w letter template.
Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.
I'm kind of looking forward to this; Like I said , I'm not very political because I am a bit cynical about politicians, but I won't mind putting in my 50 cents worth. And if there was ever a good/important cause, this is IT!
I started to write my Rep., I want to get ratios in LTC down to a number that will allow us to care for our patients, complete charting, have time to look up labs, contact Dr's, write out & initiate Dr's orders WITHOUT falling further behind! Today I finished my 8AM med pass at 11:30AM. I have 30 patients, 3 with IV antibiotics, 6 Fasting Blood sugars with sliding scale & scheduled insulin, and some patients have meds spaced out every 2 to 3 hours. I started at 7AM, patients are in the dining room for breakfast by 7:45AM and you can not give them meds while they eat, so you have to wait for breakfast to be over. So now its 8:30AM and I have 1/2 hour to complete my 2 hour med pass. Add to that answering the phone, and today was Dr. day so lots of new orders, and I got a new admit, and I had a patient on Neuro's, and I still had to answer call bells and toilet people. And the ever present charting, I did not take lunch, and punched out 1 1/2 hours after my shift ended. And I have great time management skills!!
But, as I wrote my letter, I thought to myself, what good does it do for 1 person to complain, to ask for proper staffing, to ask for the ability to provide Quality HealthCare for my patients. Maybe if we could all get together, not just Hospital Nurses but, LTC/SNF, the ones who work in clinics, Dr's offices, then maybe we can get things to change for the better. But, I don't know too many Nurses who would be willing to put thier jobs on the line to make things change happen.
Specializes in Spinal Cord injuries, Emergency+EMS.
the irony of course is that many of you complaining about this issue would fight tooth nand nails against , national registration, single payer systems and active, strong unions / professional associations with an unified voice ...
Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.
gentlegiver- MY" job" (read "whole career") already IS on the line. The shift you described was VERY similar to what I went through at an LTC, and I lost some medicine(1/2 cc of a topical tranquilizer) while trying to break up a traffic-jam of pt's with walkers and wheelchairs who were arguing and starting to get physical with each other.The aides were elsewhere at the time and I was trying to finish up the shift so I, too, could stay 1 1/2 hrs after, as usual, to finish charting; which by the way I did not do, that ONE night, + have kicked myself a thousand times for not staying THAT night! Well, LONG-long-story-short, I was turned in to the nursing board, got suspended for 3 months, took the board-mandated class ($500.00!) and now that I am on probation, I can't find anyone who will even interview me after I turn in an application, never mind HIRE me. I've been working as an aide; I have a certain time period within which I am supposed to work off my probation, but how can I do that if no-one is willing to give me a chance? I think after all these years with a spotless record, the possibility of having to give up my license............it's just so disgusting. I wish I had never taken that job. But, hanging here in limbo, I think,you know, if I'm going under this way, then I don't care to make as much noise as required to bring to light the very fundamental wrongs being done to nurses nation-wide, and there-by CHEATING patients of the care they deserve and need. Not dismissing my part (fault) in the whole fiasco, I still think it shouldn't have had to play out the way it did. "They" told me it wasn't safe for the pt's for me to continue working there; well, H-E-TWO-STICKS, it sure wasn't safe for ME to work there under those situations/circumstances! While I am not volunteering to be the poster-child, I sure hope to be given some guidelines that will help me contribute to the efforts to straighten out the laws that have been piling on the cement-blocks under which so many of us struggle, not just trying to earn a living, but pursue our passion.
Writing our politicians is not going to cost anyone their jobs, unless there are threats of physical violence in the letter, Calling a CEO a crook and other well deserved names and backed up by facts or personal stories is not going to cause anyone to be terminated. We all pay taxes and are entitled to personal opinnions. Writing letters to our policy makers and elected politicians have bee around since the revolutionary war. Real stories ansd situations may prompt an enlightenment in some of those in the elected world to investigate and take action. I don't think I am the only one who has written a letter of healthcare complaint. I have sent 2 to the whitehouse.gov website. If that site was flooded with real nurse stories , don't you think someone in the PR dept would take notice, especially if it is from nurses from numerous states. If the nurses in each state would start writing about their experiences to their own state governemnt, don't you all think that state would start to wonder what the H*** is going on? I do. As one poster suggested a template letter. You write one letter about the conditions, issues that have plagued you the most in our profession and sent a copy of that letter to each and every represntative, congressmen/woman, senator in you state. If they want your vote(s) they will start to look into it.
If we are serious it must be in an election year with the presidency bcz more people vote and 5they want to get elected we have at least 7mo to come to the forefront and threaten to strike we must have a clear cut plan with national officers gather proof and show them what you are talking about we need to have at least 7 representatives from each field of nursing and divide up like the different time zones can be different territories like central standard time 7 rep from each field and mountain stardard time zone 7 rep from each field of nursing etc any volunteers I volunteer for central stardard time any takers
If we are serious it must be in an election year with the presidency bcz more people vote and 5they want to get elected we have at least 7mo to come to the forefront and threaten to strike we must have a clear cut plan with national officers gather proof and show them what you are talking about we need to have at least 7 representatives from each field of nursing and divide up like the different time zones can be different territories like central standard time 7 rep from each field and mountain stardard time zone 7 rep from each field of nursing etc any volunteers I volunteer for central stardard time any takers
I am willing to do what ever is needed to improve our situation. I currently work per-deim so have the time to help out in what ever way I can. My specialty is geriatrics, I work LTC, but, I only have (it will be in Aug.) 6 yrs experience. However, I have worked for Agency, For Profit & Non-Profit Faculities. I have found the same problems in all of them. I am in EST, New England. I'll join you with no problems!
I am curious tho, would just the threat to strike be enough? And if it's not how do we strike and still have our patients taken care of? I'd do it if it was needed, but, I'd spend the day worrying about my elderly patients.
gentlegiver- MY" job" (read "whole career") already IS on the line. The shift you described was VERY similar to what I went through at an LTC, and I lost some medicine(1/2 cc of a topical tranquilizer) while trying to break up a traffic-jam of pt's with walkers and wheelchairs who were arguing and starting to get physical with each other.The aides were elsewhere at the time and I was trying to finish up the shift so I, too, could stay 1 1/2 hrs after, as usual, to finish charting; which by the way I did not do, that ONE night, + have kicked myself a thousand times for not staying THAT night! Well, LONG-long-story-short, I was turned in to the nursing board, got suspended for 3 months, took the board-mandated class ($500.00!) and now that I am on probation, I can't find anyone who will even interview me after I turn in an application, never mind HIRE me. I've been working as an aide; I have a certain time period within which I am supposed to work off my probation, but how can I do that if no-one is willing to give me a chance? I think after all these years with a spotless record, the possibility of having to give up my license............it's just so disgusting. I wish I had never taken that job. But, hanging here in limbo, I think,you know, if I'm going under this way, then I don't care to make as much noise as required to bring to light the very fundamental wrongs being done to nurses nation-wide, and there-by CHEATING patients of the care they deserve and need. Not dismissing my part (fault) in the whole fiasco, I still think it shouldn't have had to play out the way it did. "They" told me it wasn't safe for the pt's for me to continue working there; well, H-E-TWO-STICKS, it sure wasn't safe for ME to work there under those situations/circumstances! While I am not volunteering to be the poster-child, I sure hope to be given some guidelines that will help me contribute to the efforts to straighten out the laws that have been piling on the cement-blocks under which so many of us struggle, not just trying to earn a living, but pursue our passion.
This is what I hope to stop in LTC settings, 60 patients, 2 Nurses and 5 CNA's is definately not enough to control a mob of elderly Dementia patients. I'm sick of hearing people say they've been told to improve thier Time-Management Skills. No amount of skills are going to save you when they gather together and decide they want to go over someone. Things get lost, dropped, forgotten and patients and staff get hurt, time gets wasted and frustration builds. I am sorry your in the position you are in. I would suggest you find a DON (or ADON) who you worked with and who liked the way you work, explain to them what happened and see if they would be willing to hire you (even part-time if necessary). If we can get enough of the Nurses on this site to walk with us, we just might stand a chance to improve not only our positions but the care of our patients.
kcmylorn
991 Posts
I think if we kick around a few ideas here on this thread. We could come up with some good places to start.
We can all vow to write our representatives, congressmen/women, senator who ever in our state this week who is on the commitee for Healthcare reform. Include in the communication( written letter, e-mail) the peices of our current healthcare system that we feel are broken- replacing nurses with UAP, distribution of hospital/healthcare funding, big salaries for non essential medical personel, Nurse patient ratios. We all have areas that we are disgruntle about and want to see a change in. We all know where the the healthcare problems are- we are forced to deal with them. Thell these ladies and gentlemen our elected officials where this is all leading- patients dying. That's all I have as a suggestion. Take it to your newspapers- what about e-mailing some of these reporters from the healthcare articles. Give these reporters some real stand up shocking facts that will make them continue to read on. Employment practices and conditions for nurses back it up with statistics. I think nursing biggest proble is the failure to speak up. If we don't speak up for us no one is going to! Look where it has got us.