DON Education

Specialties Geriatric

Published

I'm working at a nursing home that's struggling with staffing issues, low morale, and what have you. I think in part to our administrator who makes all the decisions from my understanding. One of those decisions is to leave an entire unit unstaffed at night besides 1-2 cna's. Our old don was fed up and left and now the new don is a 2 year rn with like 2 years of experience in the nursing home... one of them as a nurse manager which was filled by a new grad Rn! How does this happen? These are positions that should require a minimum set of years of experience! It's like having a baby drive a car! Anyways, apparently the question was asked what can be done to boost morale and fix staffing without costing money and I can't think of anything! Literally every reasonable idea would cost some sort of money. Nursing seems to have taken a very odd turn in the past two years. Looking to kind of fall back into my old career as a public affairs specialist. Becoming frustrated with nurse staffing, budget constraints, low morale, low or decreasing compensation. Unrealistic expectations. Now I know why My clinical instructor for my bsn worked fulltime as a bartender and taught clinicals on the side lol.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I completely understand what you are going through. My job is going through many different changes with interim administration and interim DON, with short staffing with nurses and aides . The morale is very low and with the current staff we are all feeling overworked and frustrating. I really wish that nursing can go back to the old days when people cared and actually wanted to work.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Moved to Geriatric/LTC forum

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I completely understand what you are going through. My job is going through many different changes with interim administration and interim DON, with short staffing with nurses and aides . The morale is very low and with the current staff we are all feeling overworked and frustrating. I really wish that nursing can go back to the old days when people cared and actually wanted to work.

I could just cry.... I feel so defeated. I work a lot 36-72 hours a week and my low...well, decreased due to slashes in differential I'm struggling financially. Pretty bad. Mostly due to my student loans. I wonder what the heck I got myself into. Why did I spend so much money to go into a career where I can hardly afford to pay my bills and at the same time get treated like cattle. Ugh. I hope it gets better

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment