Here is where you can be heard. ANA has all the emails set up and you just fill out the form and it gets sent to your representatives. It's a start.
You can edit your message. I added that nurses need to be protected from administration for expressing concerns about patient safety. I think that is very important. Nurses also need to be protected if they feel it is unsafe.
We need to get away from ego issues (if that's the problem) and start figuring out how to work as a unified profession:nurse:
Too many nurses are getting beat up.
Just a thought:rolleyes:
Amen!
Such a movement will have to come from direct care nurses in a grass roots framework. IMO- many of these organizations are too bureaucratic to let go of their competing agendas and egos. A group which I am a part of is talking about organizing a national nursing network to bring nurses together to work on staffing and other issues. This is not a new idea, but a revival of an old one (as is often the case!).
There have been many battles among and within nurses unions and associations over the past six months which have further divided nurses and set us back in our ability to deal with issues of critical importance to our work, our profession, improving patient safety and achieving health care reform.
Maybe if the members lead, our leaders will follow.
Such a movement will have to come from direct care nurses in a grass roots framework. IMO- many of these organizations are too bureaucratic to let go of their competing agendas and egos. A group which I am a part of is talking about organizing a national nursing network to bring nurses together to work on staffing and other issues. This is not a new idea, but a revival of an old one (as is often the case!).
There have been many battles among and within nurses unions and associations over the past six months which have further divided nurses and set us back in our ability to deal with issues of critical importance to our work, our profession, improving patient safety and achieving health care reform.
Maybe if the members lead, our leaders will follow.
Sad thing is that you are right.
I went back to work. Out of 2 facilities, refuse to return to one.
After seeing how aweful it is in med/surg and how bad the one place was I have to say that I blame the nurses for allowing it. There are plenty of people out there that say it is bad and it needs to change. The nurses that are putting up with it are to blame for it and they are the reason it won't change. I refuse to go back to the one facility because it was impossible to get work done. I refuse to be a part of that.
There are too many nurses out there that are NOT doing anything about it. I refuse to work under unsafe conditions and put patients at risk.
If enough nurses were to leave unsafe hospital settings, then admin might get a clue and improve the situation. There are hospitals with better staffing levels, and there are non-hospital jobs that pay as well as the hospital ones (or are worth the decrease in pay to have improved work conditions if nurses can afford it or can work a bit extra to make up the decrease in pay). I know this is true due to my recent job search. I actually found a med/surg unit that has a 4:1 ratio on both days and nights, with better staffing ratios for CNAs than I usually see as well. For those who have only hospital experience and who fear you can't get other nursing jobs, check it out as I was very pleasantly surprised.
Specializes in Psychiatry, Case Management, also OR/OB.
I believe so strongly in this issue, that even though I am no longer a Staff Nurse on the floor, that I too just sent in my emailed survey. Now, I've been around this game for 40 years. Here is the staffing ration/skill mix from my first job in 1968... Medical floor 3-11 ... new grad. There was me (green as could be), one LPN, and 4 nurse aides for a floor full, and I do mean full of sick people. I had no telemetry to call to tell me what Mrs. Got Bucks rhythm was; no readily available house officer; no evening soup to call; no decent equipment (somebody out there has worked a Wagensteen set-up, I just know it). And like now. the patients were sick. Do I think that sfaffing mix affects care.. You bet it does; the sad thing is that Administrators and Boards of Directors, and Bean Counters in Finance are more impressed with how their Bottom Line looks on paper. As a Case Manager, I get to hear the complaints from families and patients. WAKE UP hospital Admin. you have staffing levels at crisis mode. ANA.... if you can get accomplished what no one else has.... go for it. I wish you luck.
If enough nurses were to leave unsafe hospital settings, then admin might get a clue and improve the situation. quote]
They know, they know.
We have been doing employee "satisfaction" surveys for ever. The same complaints come up year after year after year.
Time to act and quit the
How to act, that is the question/ Nurses could act with their feet en masse and the hospital would strike busting nurses at a nice premium. Now the good news for nonunionized nurses is that if they walk they can freely hunt for employment elsewhere because they are most assuredly unemployed the moment they walk. If on the other hand they are unionized they can strike, keep their job, but consequently cannot really get a 2nd full time job. For action to work, there would have to be a vast majority of all nurses solidly behind the cause regardless of the consequences. I don't think I'd be going too far out on a limb to say hell will freeze over first.
How to act, that is the question/ Nurses could act with their feet en masse and the hospital would strike busting nurses at a nice premium. Now the good news for nonunionized nurses is that if they walk they can freely hunt for employment elsewhere because they are most assuredly unemployed the moment they walk. If on the other hand they are unionized they can strike, keep their job, but consequently cannot really get a 2nd full time job. For action to work, there would have to be a vast majority of all nurses solidly behind the cause regardless of the consequences. I don't think I'd be going too far out on a limb to say hell will freeze over first.
I stopped thinking a nurse-is-a-nurse a long time ago.
Administrative nurses defected a long time ago. They have their own agenda, their own power organizations, and their own access routes to power, representation, and networking. They also have a disproportionate representation at the decision making tables.
Academic nurses have their priorities and their issues. While less represented at the "table", they do have remarkable control in their domain of practice. Much more than administrative or bedside nurses do. Unfortunately, they fail (by and large) to critically look at both bedside nursing or administrative nursing. They are also quite dependent on administrative nurses in regards to clinical sites and frequently have deep attachments via their association memberships.
Bedside nurse are essentially screwed.
They have little if any organizational power, virtually no administrative support (at least for the issues that matter lke safe staffing), and no association advocating for their priorities politically.
Yes, those that can CAN walk. But a great many nurses are geographically trapped with limited facilities from which to choose.
There are things we can do, however, even if we oppose unionization for whatever reason.
1. Recognize that a union MAY be what is needed in certain areas. Sometimes, it's the only way to deal with management.
2. Promote groups that truly represent the interests of bedside nursing. This would include the ANA at the Federal level ( your state may allow independent membership in the ANA if you feel you cannot support the state association), and the CNA/NNOC (which is attempting to deal legislatively at the State level with the most pressing issues for bedside nurses). C'mon, who among us can't afford $30???
3. Realize that it is only by promoting these organizations that political power can be gained. Our strength is in our numbers, plain and simple, but we might be surprised how much can be gained with minimum effort.
All of this can be done anonymously.
Empowering the organizations that matter, and then directing them to act in your interests is the key.
We could create an all new organization. of course, but why re-create the wheel. When enough nurses support the organization who believe in action, the organization can and will act.
Specializes in TraumaER ,NICUx2days, HEMEONC CathLab IV.
The magnet system, IN THEORY, is a wonderful idea. Hospitals want it as a marketing tool, for both patients and nurses.
IN PRACTICE, the magnet system has been a failure for most bedside nurses.
Perhaps a good idea would be to ask nurses from magnet facilities to respond to this.
Is it working?
Does self-governance work, and is this what we thought it would be?
Are your ratios "safe"?
How does working in a magnet facility differ from non-magnet facillities you have worked in?
I have only anecdotal information on this. The majority of nurses I have spoken with regarding the "magnet" status tell me there is little difference.
Key issues, such as ratios, floating, mandatory overtime, and salaries are outside the power of self-governance, according to what I have heard.
All that aside, if we can convince the ANA to get rid of the vague terminology and push for specific ratios, it could become a valuable tool for us.
Any "magnet" nurses out there????
the Magnet status is a joke JOKE J O K E did I say JOKE???? We went through the hoops to get Magnet status. the first hospital in Louisiana, look it up if you want to, and the ratios pt to nurse did not change, the paper work did and the way we answered the phone on the 3rd ring did and the On stage and Off stage performance changed, " please step aside of the vomit on the floor, look to your left the wall paper has been changed for your viewing pleasure" the foyer had a huge display of flowers and the polished marble was shiny. the nurses were not happy, the ratio of patient to nurse with regard to acuity was the pits, but somehow was made to look wonderful on paper, due to the fact admin can skew numbers by time of discharge, time of admit, number of nurses number of assistants, number of techs. It was all a numbers game. We had the Disney approach and it was a mickey mouse operation if I must say.
the Magnet status is a joke JOKE J O K E did I say JOKE???? We went through the hoops to get Magnet status. the first hospital in Louisiana, look it up if you want to, and the ratios pt to nurse did not change, the paper work did and the way we answered the phone on the 3rd ring did and the On stage and Off stage performance changed, " please step aside of the vomit on the floor, look to your left the wall paper has been changed for your viewing pleasure" the foyer had a huge display of flowers and the polished marble was shiny. the nurses were not happy, the ratio of patient to nurse with regard to acuity was the pits, but somehow was made to look wonderful on paper, due to the fact admin can skew numbers by time of discharge, time of admit, number of nurses number of assistants, number of techs. It was all a numbers game. We had the Disney approach and it was a mickey mouse operation if I must say.
The good news is that the quest for magnet status IS driving up the CNO salaries and bonuses.
I sent my email too. I already got one response back saying that I will get a personal reply from my rep soon.
I sent that email on March 16th and finally got a response back from my rep. Here's what she thinks about safe staffing...
While I appreciate the goal of H.R. 4138, I think we should first focus on assuring that we have enough nurses to fill all of the open and available positions before we start mandating staffing levels and fining hospitals that cannot find nurses to fill available positions
Hmmm. So let's keep the unsafe staffing for now. Pt safety can wait...
Ok, I sent her a big long nasty-gram back about how inappropriate it is to focus on training new nurses insead of focusing on the problems that exist now. (her complete letter focused only on working with one nursing school to help increase new nurses in ONE area)
We'll see. But I bet it will be another 3 months before I hear from her again.
I sent that email on March 16th and finally got a response back from my rep. Here's what she thinks about safe staffing...
While I appreciate the goal of H.R. 4138, I think we should first focus on assuring that we have enough nurses to fill all of the open and available positions before we start mandating staffing levels and fining hospitals that cannot find nurses to fill available positions
Arrgh!! They just don't get it. We have GOT to get the word out that there really is no shortage of registered nurses, just a shortage of registered nurses that are willing to work under the current conditions. The conditions have to change or there will ALWAYS be a shortage.
Julia RN
111 Posts
Amen!
Such a movement will have to come from direct care nurses in a grass roots framework. IMO- many of these organizations are too bureaucratic to let go of their competing agendas and egos. A group which I am a part of is talking about organizing a national nursing network to bring nurses together to work on staffing and other issues. This is not a new idea, but a revival of an old one (as is often the case!).
There have been many battles among and within nurses unions and associations over the past six months which have further divided nurses and set us back in our ability to deal with issues of critical importance to our work, our profession, improving patient safety and achieving health care reform.
Maybe if the members lead, our leaders will follow.