Sorry state of Nursing ...

[Howardhughes]

I am a Male RN with about 8 years of work experience in the ER, Prison, Acute PTSD/TBI @ the VA. I came from another Industry (Aviation/Airline), after 9/11 retrained into Nursing with the thought of doing something that "Matters" instead of making a corporation another pile of $$$$. After 8 years this has been my Observation of the current state of affairs within Nursing.

1) I have never been so poorly treated within a professional career as I have been with nursing, Managers MD's and Patients all use you as a human punching bag (I can tolerate some of this from a sick PT but not my peers and above). Unprofessionalism often rules and vengeful remarks and treatment are the norms..ie... I have heard the following from RN's,MD,managers..."shes a stupid ***** (MD), you need to find another line of work (MBA manager to new grad), "you need to pass those meds faster , whats wrong with you, cant hack it" (Charge RN).

2) Call offs and low pay...Name any other profession where you have to take hard earned leave or rotate to a totally different unit and are expected to perform (Board of nursing should demand changes to this its unsafe). BSN starting at 17 to 19 a hr nationwide avg...really...MSN with 5 years unless specially trained 60K...for real...(Bank of America pays a avg of 70 k to 100k for mid level MBA's)

I retired from USAirways in 2003, there were troubles galore with the company..but I was paid well, had exc healthcare...WAS TREATED AS A PROFESSIONAL...WHICH I WAS AND STILL AM.

Nursing as a profession.......only if you join the service as my wife did (CDR USN ret) ....to a hospital your a expenditure that they work like a dog, then throw away.

Its a sad state only getting worse as the economy is slow and Obama care will reshape the industry in pay and quality of care.

Good By Nursing.....it was a experience of a life ...time to do other things.

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

OK, I'll bite. I took the advice of another nurse and quit working for other people to start my own company. Yes, I was broke for awhile; I have paid off those debts. I took a lot of education before that (earned 4-year BS in nursing, earned 2-year real MN, not a phone-it-in online one where you write the same paper over and over), took jobs in new and unfamiliar areas for the experience, took it upon myself to get the experience and education for several advanced certifications, and now I am beholden only to the clients I choose to work for. I mentor and nurture other newbies in my field, am very active in my professional organization, and write and publish.

When I was younger and prettier I did participate actively in a new nursing union in my medical center, when the state nurses assoc was lax in representing us at contract time, so we did it ourselves.

I got an award in the last few years for promoting nursing in the popular media. I go to the State House when they have hearings about nursing staffing levels, advanced practice licensure, and the like. I write letters to the editor (which are often published) educating people about the power and responsibility of nurses, and pointing out that I am tired of seeing them seek only MD quotes on health-related issues when there are more of us and often we know more about the topic. I see the beginnings of change in that from time to time.

And I do a wee bit o' work pumping up professionality and personal responsibility over on the AN Student side and for beginners in my Specialty fora. That's my contribution to the real young'uns around here. :)

I'm not the goddess's gift to nursing but I'm not asking anybody to do what I won't do. I put on my socks one at a time like everyone else, have the same fears and joys of daughtering, parenting, grandparenting, and spouse-ing; I clean up cat hairballs, mow the lawn, watch baseball, read the daily paper, donate to charity when I can, and vote in every election. I'm sorta like ... you.

I just got over sitting around and whining about things a long time ago. I got beat up and tear-gassed for peace in the 60s and 70s, and this stuff looks easy by comparison.

Since you ask.

Grn Tea, you rock.

Hope that answered mclennan's question.

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

@GrnTea- Some people actually do need to come on AN to vent because it's a release and it makes them feel better, so that to me IS taking action. Unionizing would take a long time, venting is immediate. It sounds as though you are one of the nursing instructors that give students a hard time in nursing school and cause good potential nurses to rethink their career choices. Empathize, that's what we are taught is nursing school, or have you forgotten!?

I remember when I first became a nurse a while ago and I needed to vent so I came on here to vent and for suggestions, you were one of the first to criticize me for thinking that "nurses eat their young". Are you part of the problem? You DO live up to your name "crusty old bat". It needed to be said!

I think Grn Tea is one of the most valuable contributers to this forum. I've learned things from reading her posts, particularly the ones which address issues regarding pathology, how the body works, and how nursing addresses or should address those issues. She knows her critical care stuff like nobody's business. I've seen her helpful comments on the student forum. I think she uses the "crusty old bat" term tongue in cheek. Or maybe not, lol.

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

I wish you could list your place of employment so that others could have a chance of happiness in nursing

That wouldn't really be very smart of her, now would it?

For what it's worth, my experiences have been similar to hers, both in the hospital and in other environments. I don't think it's as rare as people like to believe it is. It's just that people are more likely to come to a site like this and complain than they are to take time from their happy day and say how great things are. Human nature.

[PMFB-RN, RN]

I work at a great hospital where nurses are treated fairly, paid well, and have good benefits, not Cadillac good benefits like some of the nurses who work for state government, but good and fair. . It shows too because our patients get great care and we have good outcomes across many measures.

I worked through many crappy places where I was taken advantage of, poorly treated, and certainly not respected (mostly Magnet hospitals).

I moved across the country and now have a super long commute to work there but I hope to never work anywhere else.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

FWIW, for whoever asked, when I taught students I was indeed an old meanie. I worked very hard to teach them well and I expected them to work very hard to learn a lot. And my students consistently told me later that they figured out why I was like that and they were so glad I was, because their classmates whose clinical instructors didn't have such high expectations of them were getting shortchanged and weren't learning nearly as much as my groups.

Not all who growl are dangerous. :) Corollary: No one will chew on you if you are tough.

I am very FORTUNATE to have in my studies and travel mentors with your spirit Grn...it's help me more willing to pass the torch.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

I think Grn Tea is one of the most valuable contributers to this forum. I've learned things from reading her posts, particularly the ones which address issues regarding pathology, how the body works, and how nursing addresses or should address those issues. She knows her critical care stuff like nobody's business. I've seen her helpful comments on the student forum. I think she uses the "crusty old bat" term tongue in cheek. Or maybe not, lol.

Agree...I am FORTUNATE to have people that helped shape my career with the "nursing spirit" that GrnTea and BlueDevil have...It's allowed me to keep passing the torch.

[tokebi]

I don't think it's as rare as people like to believe it is. It's just that people are more likely to come to a site like this and complain than they are to take time from their happy day and say how great things are. Human nature.

Totally agree. Like I've said before, I've experienced bad cultures too. But I worked hard, and got a spot in a very competitive hospital. I've been extremely happy since. And contrary to the other common complaint seen on AN, it is a magnet hospital.

I worked through many crappy places where I was taken advantage of, poorly treated, and certainly not respected (mostly Magnet hospitals).

When it is done right, the "nursing excellence" part of magnet truly makes a difference, for patients and us nurses.

[LaRN]

I too work in a place where everyone is treated fairly, we are paid well, have ample time off for sick and personal time...and ice cream every tuesday......wait.........that was a dream and not reality

what the OP says is not unheard of....just not everyone experiences it. we work in an industry that is for the most part ruled by greed. for instance, many places didnt worry that much about infections and pressure ulcers, that originated in their facility until insurance providers tagged them with penalties. home health agencies used to see patients as many times a week as they could when they were getting paid per visit....when a patient would have any minor change at all, the agency would say "oh we have to see her 5 days a week, we cant take a chance on not assessing her frequently since she started that new blood pressure medication, she could bottom out"......fast forward a few years to the day medicare stopped paying per visit, and only paid a flat rate for a sixty day period.....suddenly they no longer felt it was necessary to see a patient more than 1 time a week......matter fact.......they can have a major surgery and still most likely only get 1 visit a week if they can get by with it.

[PMFB-RN, RN]

When it is done right, the "nursing excellence" part of magnet truly makes a difference, for patients and us nurses.

*** Maybe. My observation and experience is that some hospitals are much better than others and that Magnet is useless at predicting whether are hospital is a good one or not.

Anyway it looks like the Magnet fad has passed. All the good hospitals that were early adopters have dropped, or plan to drop it. Those who are struggling to achieve certification aren't the kind of hospitals that will bring credit to the Magnet brand.

At least that how it looks to me.

[Caribbean Character]

Low pay??? How about a reality check via the U.S. Department of Labor;

Registered Nurses*

[PMFB-RN, RN]

Low pay??? How about a reality check via the U.S. Department of Labor;

Registered Nurses*

*** Reality check? Hardly. More like providing confirmation that nurses wages are not commensurate with their level of responsibility.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

*** Maybe. My observation and experience is that some hospitals are much better than others and that Magnet is useless at predicting whether are hospital is a good one or not.

Anyway it looks like the Magnet fad has passed. All the good hospitals that were early adopters have dropped, or plan to drop it. Those who are struggling to achieve certification aren't the kind of hospitals that will bring credit to the Magnet brand.

At least that how it looks to me.

Could not agree more. I've worked in several Magnet facilities.

The last being an inner city huge facility that was unsafe for all concerned, brutal working conditions.

( interesting that you have a magnet in your avatar)