Sinking ships/cycles of crappy work environments

Libby1987 · May 23, 2015

It's not a matter of smart and dumb. Courage or feasibility maybe.

This has been a transitional period, first the recession and now the ACA (with some excuses layered on), I don't think a lot of ships are turning around right now.

Farawyn · May 23, 2015

I just jumped ship. I was making a huge salary and am not now, so I don't know if it was courage or stupidity. Time will tell.

I made a fuss when I left, and things did improve for a bit because of my noise, but I hear from my old co-workers that everything is returning to baseline.

Said ship is holding on, but still sinking.

dudette10, MSN, RN · May 23, 2015

My workplace is becoming water-logged but not yet sinking. I told one manager that I work with frequently that she has to stop hiring new grads, which was the reason for being short-staffed in predictable 6 month cycles, with new grads coming on in July and February of each year. There are soooo many new grads that quite naturally leave after a year's experience. (I am NOT blaming new grads; everyone leaves after 1-ish year experience....I did it, quite a few 20-year veterans I've talked to did it...no one stays in their first nursing job!) We even had one leave 1 week after orientation finished because he never wanted to work the floor anyway. Bad interviewing, I think, was the cause of this one.

She finally took my advice. Hoping that unit's staffing stabilizes. Get the nurses with 1-2 years experience, make it their second career job, and they are more likely to stay. The facility just has to cough up the money commensurate with 2 years merit increases!

Jules A, MSN · May 23, 2015

It depends on the size and strength of the facility. I have seen small ones fold and large ones continue to cycle on although in the past 10 years I can't say that I have ever really seen one that went to crap actually fully recover.

Advice I'd give is to see the writing on the wall, accept it, and don't stick around after it becomes clear that the present culture is a way of life. Keep your finances and personal situation in such a state that you have flexibility and options because in my experience the ones who stay because they "have to" are the bitter ones and life is too short to be stuck in a bad situation both personally or professionally.

noyesno, MSN, APRN, NP · May 23, 2015

Great insight. Thanks everyone!

I'm starting grad school for FNP in August. Will stick around this sinking ship as long as I can to get my tuition reimbursement.

Then, I will run out of that place so fast one might think the building was on fire.

ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP · May 23, 2015

My workplace is becoming water-logged but not yet sinking. I told one manager that I work with frequently that she has to stop hiring new grads, which was the reason for being short-staffed in predictable 6 month cycles, with new grads coming on in July and February of each year. There are soooo many new grads that quite naturally leave after a year's experience. (I am NOT blaming new grads; everyone leaves after 1-ish year experience....I did it, quite a few 20-year veterans I've talked to did it...no one stays in their first nursing job!) We even had one leave 1 week after orientation finished because he never wanted to work the floor anyway. Bad interviewing, I think, was the cause of this one.
She finally took my advice. Hoping that unit's staffing stabilizes. Get the nurses with 1-2 years experience, make it their second career job, and they are more likely to stay. The facility just has to cough up the money commensurate with 2 years merit increases!

And how are people going to get experienced nurses if the employers refuse to give anyone experience?

As a new grad, I am glad that not everyone thinks like you as we would have a lot of new grads up the creek without a paddle. Not every new grad leaves their first gig after one year especially if the working conditions are supportive.

icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN · May 23, 2015

Signs that your ship is sinking:

no continuing education or unit competencies

low satisfaction scores

increased ratios with reduction in full time staff

management sets the expectation for staff to sign up for overtime

favoritism shown to employees who gossip with the management

cliques that ostracize coworkers who report serious incidents

high incidence of HAC - high infection rates

manipulation of data for CLABSI and CAUTI

evidenced based practice and continuing education is devalued

constantly precepting unsuitable candidates

filthy and cluttered environment

meal breaks are non existent

high cost of benefits

vacations denied due to lack of staff

racial tension

A strong leader who hires competent and experienced staff nurses and charge nurses from the outside â€‹can turn this around in a year or two.

Jules A, MSN · May 23, 2015

And how are people going to get experienced nurses if the employers refuse to give anyone experience?
As a new grad, I am glad that not everyone thinks like you as we would have a lot of new grads up the creek without a paddle. Not every new grad leaves their first gig after one year especially if the working conditions are supportive.

So speaking only for myself where I have found it to be problematic is when facilities pay so lousy and staff so short that only new grads will accept the jobs. In the Baltimore area there are a couple of well known, well respected hospitals who subscribe to this strategy and imo their care has declined. While I have nothing against new grads, I was one myself, when there is an overwhelming number of new grads on a unit it upsets the equilibrium. Seasoned nurses get burnt out assisting the new grads when there are insufficient numbers of experienced nurses. Very quickly the experienced nurses start leaving and next thing you know the shifts are manned mostly by new grads who are then pushed to take charge and frankly it becomes the blind leading the blind. Not that they aren't going to be excellent nurses someday just that they are being thrust into a position they aren't ready for and they either don't have the insight or self-assurance to refuse their nurse manager's insistence that they are ready to run the unit.