Survey: Would there be a nursing shortage if...

Teshiee · Mar 12, 2003

Well said Nurseshell. I wonder how much money would be compensation for the work we do? We must demand the respect and good benefits. I think some of us who are working in bad situations should stop taking it and make some changes we are the back bone of the health care team lose the team no game!

LTCNursemidwest · Mar 27, 2003

Over all I don't think money is the issue

It's the work conditions disrespect form mamagment and fellow nurses.

MY 2 cents on the money- Facilities in this area are starting new grads at a rate less than one/ one half dollar less then a nurse with 10,15, 20 yrs exp. and the health insurance is so high most of us can't even afford it..

I have considered leaving nursing many times I can go to work in a factory were my brother works (who does not even have a GED) make just a little bit less an hour and have excellent health insurance. Health insurance is some thing I can't afford at my current position as with the other facilities in this area.

JUST A THOUGHT--

Why don't nurses across the US have a group insurance offered to all nurses

nurseJLoo · Mar 27, 2003

it's definetly not just the pay its the poor working conditions,the dis.respect ,.your generally treated like crap all the way around.i've been a LPN working in nursing homes for 10yrs,the doctors treat you like crap,nurse supervisors even cnas,patients,families its rare that a nurse ever gets a "thank you".and the paperwork there is so much paperwork you spend more time on it then caring for the patients which is sad

Zee_RN, BSN, RN · Mar 28, 2003

Do you think if the hospital PAID us more, it may respect us more?

You know...like you treat your china better than you treat your everday dishes. Or you handle your crystal wine glasses a bit more carefully than you do your jelly jar glasses. More pay *may* (optimistic, I know) increase our value not only monetarily but intrinsically? Hey, it's just a thought. Or maybe I live in Oz. [Right next to JCAHO...I'm convinced JCAHO is from Oz.]

I do think more money = more respect. But pay is just one factor in the big equation. It certainly comes down to how we are treated and how we are expected to do our jobs with less and less in the way of ancillary staff and quality equipment (the "faster faster cheaper cheaper" mentality).

I didn't enter nursing for the money. But it boogles my mind that society places more importance (e.g., higher salaries) on computer programmers than they do on nurses...all nurses...ED where they snatch you from the jaws of death, ICU where they sustain your life, Med-Surg where they support your life, and long-term care where they care for your life, Rehab where they put you back INTO your life....someone explain to me WHY what a computer programmer does is worth more than that?!

Zee_RN, BSN, RN · Mar 28, 2003

OH....and to the poster who asked "why do you say there is no nursing shortage?"

There is no REAL nursing shortage because there are more than enough individuals out there who already have nursing licenses. They are simply no longer practicing nursing. They are waitressing, running boutiques, selling houses or insurance, working at the cosmetic counter or at the daycare. (All of those jobs I listed are just from nurses I know that have left nursing.) If we could recruit the ALREADY licensed nurses back into the field of nursing, we would HAVE enough staff.

Hence, there is no shortage of nurses. There is a shortage of positions that these nurses are willing to work.

Token Male · Mar 28, 2003

Following on from Zee_RN I ask" Why don't these nurses want to return to Nursing?"

My answer is we stil get treated as is we are a maid service at every ones beck and call and consequently get treated as lowly GOFERS. Until nurses are treated with the respect they deserve they will continue to leave the job for better proffessions with higher social status and higher pay. How much can you earn selling houses?

altomga, ADN, BSN, MSN, DNP, RN, APRN · Mar 28, 2003

originally posted by zee_rn
do you think if the hospital paid us more, it may respect us more?

you know...like you treat your china better than you treat your everday dishes. or you handle your crystal wine glasses a bit more carefully than you do your jelly jar glasses. more pay *may* (optimistic, i know) increase our value not only monetarily but intrinsically? hey, it's just a thought. or maybe i live in oz. [right next to jcaho...i'm convinced jcaho is from oz.]

i do think more money = more respect. but pay is just one factor in the big equation. it certainly comes down to how we are treated and how we are expected to do our jobs with less and less in the way of ancillary staff and quality equipment (the "faster faster cheaper cheaper" mentality).

i didn't enter nursing for the money. but it boogles my mind that society places more importance (e.g., higher salaries) on computer programmers than they do on nurses...all nurses...ed where they snatch you from the jaws of death, icu where they sustain your life, med-surg where they support your life, and long-term care where they care for your life, rehab where they put you back into your life....someone explain to me why what a computer programmer does is worth more than that?!

i could not have said it better zee_rn!!!! they do pay other people better and show them more respect that have absolutely nothing to do with saving someones life or putting back into their life. we are in the end to society med passers, waitresses, batting posts, and a person to wipe up all the shyt (literally and figuratevly). money is nice, but show us, those who keep you alive the respect and dignity that we deserve!!! doctors, they write orders, bark orders, and think they are god...go into a pt's room for what? 5 min if that and the pt's worship the ground they walk on. if only the pt's knew how many times it was a nurse that kept that doctor from royally screwing up maybe then they would know how valuable we are!!

blue280 · Mar 28, 2003

I have to agree with all the above posts, its noyt the money, its the conditions. Most people who go into nursing and are doing it for the money are very disappointed. There are way too many demands and responsibilities for the amount of pay. Pt ratios are scary. And I have to agree, as a new recruit, they threw a ton of money at me. My question was, why not improve conditions to keep nurses in the field instead of drawing new people in? There were a lot of nurses I know that were't in the field for a long time (under 10 years) that were leaving due to burnout. Shouldn't that be an indication right there that there are problems with the working conditions?

jude11142 · Mar 29, 2003

though we all work to earn money, i don't think that paying nurses more money and giving better benefits would change the nursing shortage. it's not all about the money/bene, but rather the working conditions, patient ratios, little respect and support from management. i feel that i get paid pretty good at my place of employment, but let me tell you there are some times when no amt of money is worth the bull we are putting up with. i have seen our facility offer large sign-on bonuses, higher rate of pay and yes, we have gotten more nurses. the thing is do they stay on?? at several other facilities in the area, they are so short-staffed and many times there are more pool nurses than employees working. anyways, that's my opinion on this topic.

jude

liberalrn · Mar 29, 2003

Lots of replies! I don't think more moola is the only answer. I have read the word respect alot in almost every post. I agree, we need more respect as a profession and as individuals. MY wish is that my admin. would actually see me as a person--an individual with outside repsonsibilities and conflicts. Land-o-Goshen! this profession is what--90% female, and admin. STILL hasn't figured out that women usually have children and children get sick and/or have needs?! Work with me! And I will work that much harder for you and the pts. I had to come back after 7 years as a SAHM and nothing has changed and I make $5/hr. more than I did then--whoopee. Staffing and pt ratio are my biggest stumbling blocks--stepdown ICU is not safe w/ 4 pts to one RN. To KNOW that every shift you work will be a cna't sit down, no lunch etc. shift is too disheartening and at my age....I agree with llg--I had planned to be doing something else beside the the bedside by now! When my youngest gets to kindergarten, I'm off the floors and out of the trenches--who needs it!

Token Male · Mar 29, 2003

Some of us do not have the luxury of leaving when our youngest go to Kinder (OH MY GOD; that was twenty years ago) We are the primary bread winner and keeping our job is necessary. I had thought that I would have left the trenches by now but the ivory tower did not suit either of us. We keep on fighting the good fight for recognition as professionals and occassionally stick it to admin when we do not get treated accordingly. :devil:

Zee_RN, BSN, RN · Mar 29, 2003

Here's a prime example of we get no respect. To me, at least...I was offended.

At our yearly mandatory skills check (thank you JCAHO), all monitored unit RNs take a rhythm check. As we sit down to take our exams, our educators hand us rhythm tests...that are specially distributed to be sure we don't cheat! You have Test A, the person beside you has Test B, etc. And to top that, we were told as we started chatting as we filled our name, employee @#, etc., "NO TALKING!" I smiled at the Hospital Educator and said, "you're joking, right?" She said, "Absolutely not...No Talking!" (I got 100% on the test; the ability to pass the test is NOT the issue; it's being treated like school children that I object to!) And then to our separate skill checks (can you tie a restraint safely? can you operate the accu-check machine?), we had to enter the room separately...you know, no cheating!!! Can't have two people at the skill check...someone might actually LEARN something from a co-worker before they had a chance to FAIL a check. This really really really ticked me off.

Treated like professionals?! I think not.