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 Unfortunately for us, nursing's outdated model only serves to make us work harder to achieve benefits we never realize.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 Still we as nurses are manipulated by our desire to fulfill this outdated model of compassionate care giver.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?
Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.
Wish we had found this before the 1st. Then we may have been able to get this to be a nation-wide vigil. That said, it is a good idea, perhaps if we can get enough people interested we could schedule another for sometime in August or September?
I'm just thrilled to find an organization that addresses our concerns!:yeah:I've signed up; I've never felt the desire to be an activist, but this is a REALLY worthy cause.
Basically,import foreign nurses who will be willing for low wages for the right to work in the USA. With the economy the way it is hospitals have many nurses willing to take your place who are not going to complain.
Hahahahha. Love that plan! Wonder how long it will take before they realize nobody can understand a word they say?
That link talks about nursing shortage issues... every other thread on this forum are packed with nurses screaming to get jobs- which is it? If it's about ratios, well- that's all well and good, but then the salaries are going to be SLOW moving up, since salaries will be going to that nurse to meet the ratios.
Nursing needs to decide what they want- ratios, or better salaries; highly doubtful both will happen in the same decade. Funding for everything stinks.... right now, I'd hope to see more people working, even if at a 'frozen' salary, just to help the employment situation. JMO
Lady Jane, Thanks for bringing this serious threat to our livelihoods back from the dead. Every SINGLE US RN currently employed as a nurse or hoping to work as an RNshould be aware of this issue.
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!
Me too!! I'd like that. Now how to pay for it??
Here's an idea: We have a huge disparity of wealth in this country. A very small percentage of the population controls a huge chunk of the wealth. So, let's raise the taxes on those folks to pay for the improvements mentioned above - not too much - but say, back to the Clinton -era levels. Wealthy people did pretty dang well during those years it's not going to bankrupt anyone.
Who's with me?
No one. Not the poor, not the middle class, not the rich. Hell you couldn't even get the people who will DIRECTLY benefit from the funding to vote for this. You even mention something like this and Americans scream "SOCIALISM" and run away.
No Stars In My Eyes
5,639 Posts
I'm just thrilled to find an organization that addresses our concerns!:yeah:I've signed up; I've never felt the desire to be an activist, but this is a REALLY worthy cause.