The Cannibalism of Nursing

[ShelbyLPN1992]

I've been an LPN in New Orleans now for about a year and a half. I started out just OK with my career choice. Since I'm an LPN, the choices of work that I have are basically nursing home, clinic, doctors office, or if I get lucky, a hospital once I get some experience.

I ended up in a nursing home. I'm not going to lie, I've NEVER wanted to work in a nursing home. I almost quit nursing school in the middle of clinical because I had to go to a nursing home. That setting is just not for me. Well, after I graduated nursing school, hardly any place decent was hiring a new LPN with no experience. So, what did I do? I sucked up my pride, and applied at the closest nursing home that I could find. It was that, or make $14 an hour at a clinic. Besides, working at this particular nursing home saved me a lot of gas money. The pay was actually a lot better than what my other classmates were being paid. Most of my classmates did go to clinics, not for the money, but for the great hours.

Anyways, to get to my rant, the nursing home wasn't so bad. I actually was OK with it. The problems came with the employees. I worked with nothing but ratchet nurses that talk behind your back and CNAs that did half *** work due to their c/o "we gettin paid minimum wage so this place gunna get minimum wage work". The attitudes were horrible.

The CNA turn around rate was also horrible. Always working under staffed and under paid. My relief even started making a habit of calling in at the last minute, leaving me there till a new relief could come. Nobody has any body's back in nursing. I became friends with a CNA and we became kind of close. We were close until she stole something from me and lied about it. I get stolen from a lot on my unit. I guess that's normal, right? On top of that aggravation, The family of the residents are always complaining because their loved ones ADLs are hardly ever completed due to the staff's attitude and under staffment. It's just so much stress being a nurse.

After a year and a half, I feel like it's not necessarily the work load that makes me hate my job, it's the stress of managing my unit and accepting the things that I can't control. I've changed as a person; I think I've even lost hope for the human race like it's gotten that bad. I've never met so many rude, catty, backstabbing, selfish people in my life. I don't know if it's because nurses are all stressed out or if it's me. I don't even know how some of the nurses that I work with even passed high school, much less have a nursing license. One nurse that I work with had to write an incident about a resident that fell on the floor. She literally documented "res found on flow."

I just can't deal. I don't know whether to forward my career and become an RN, or work in a cemetery where there's no complaining. Did I mention that one of my older nursing co workers tried getting me to over dose my hospice patient. Oh his respirators are 9? Give him morphine he's going to die anyway. The saying that "nurses eat their young" is so accurate. Do you know what that makes nurses? Cannibals. Oh you passed your NCLEX? Congrats. Next step? Try not to cry too loud while your co workers eat you alive for their own amusement.

[Extra Pickles]

What a complete, articulate and concise summary! And good advice to the OP as well. Sadly, I don't think it's going to get through to her but there is the possibility that other newbies reading this thread will get it.

why thank you! and I really do hope that it will help someone. Sometimes just seeing the facts laid out in front of you is enough to jog a reality check. At least that's how I've often found things when I'm working with a patient who hasn't yet figured out why, after doing A+B, C always happens. Maybe that will happen here too.

[sevensonnets]

It's also quite inappropriate to call other people cannibals.

[HAMSAMICH]

This article is rife with racist and classist undertones.

Self-evaluate and try again.

[Skippingtowork]

This article is rife with racist and classist undertones.

Self-evaluate and try again.

I'm curious as to how you concluded that there were racist undertones. What was the sentence(s). Could you use the quote button so I could re-read? I saw poor speech, but did not conclude that it came from a particular race. The OP appears to be writing from a region of the U.S.

[HAMSAMICH]

I'm curious as to how you concluded that there were racist undertones. What was the sentence(s). Could you use the quote button so I could re-read? I saw poor speech, but did not conclude that it came from a particular race. The OP appears to be writing from a region of the U.S.

OP begins by demonizing people on government assistance via the tired old trope that people on welfare are "living it up." See Regans racially charged "Welfare Queens" myth and today's bi-partisan demonization of welfare recipients. OP delivers a vicious stereotype that remains prevalent and continues to demonize poor people, particularly those black and latino communities. The OP blames her unhappiness and ultimately her failure at achieving success on racist stereotypes.

Sometimes I think, "maybe if I would have gotten pregnant at 17, I'd have 4 kids living on welfare in my section 8 house eating steaks with my food stamp card living it up right now". But no. I haaad to go to college to be a nurse. I could have been a stripper, a drug dealer, or anything else for that matter. I hope my 26k in debt is worth it.

OP differentiates her class and race by quoting her co-workers in an English dialect that is undoubtedly black/Southern. While her grammar is conventional, her co-workers are quoted in slang and misspellings. By doing this, she's equating those that speak in that dialect (black people) with her perceived notion of substandard work. This distinction serves as a signal (dog whistle) the reader that she is not of the same class and race as her failing co-workers. They're "ratchet" uneducated CNAs while she is an educated and industrious LPN.

I worked with nothing but ratchet nurses that talk behind your back and CNAs that did half ass work due to their c/o "we gettin paid minimum wage so this place gunna get minimum wage work".

One nurse that I work with had to write an incident about a resident that fell on the floor. She literally documented "res found on flow."

I don't doubt OP's frustration with her bad lot in life: large student debt, low pay, and being overworked. Her rant is peppered with unnecessary classist and racist stereotypes that are ironically unprofessional.

[caliotter3]

They've always been around, but had not previously been "elevated" to Article status. Every forum gets the same hit and run posters, but most sites don't spot light them.

We get rid of the garbage posts on the sites where I work as staff. Those posts don't get elevated to "article" status.

[TriciaJ, RN]

...I have to say that I find most of these responses more inappropriate than the original post, as most claim...and if I was OP I wouldnt come back either. As a psych nurse, I have found that most of the time when life becomes "over the top" stressful and emotions are high, a good rant is good for the soul! It usually needs to be done in a safe place, however...sometimes ppl need an ear and then some sound professional(did I say professional?) redirection to get back on track... This is clearly a toxic thread!!

Many people rant on this site and are up-front about it. They acknowledge the perspective of others and don't try to pass a rant off as an article. Even while ranting, they are careful to maintain a certain amount of professionalism.

Then there are the "articles" that read like a middle school creative writing assignment and exude a victim mentality. It's embarrassing that fellow nurses actually think and write like that. Many people gamely try to take the writer seriously enough to try to present some insight, only to be taken to task for being "unkind" and "inappropriate".

Some "articles" are so ludicrous they are impossible to take seriously and garner a lot of flippant responses until the moderators shut them down. Bottom line: if you need to rant, do it honestly.

[Skippingtowork]

OP begins by demonizing people on government assistance via the tired old trope that people on welfare are "living it up." See Regans racially charged "Welfare Queens" myth and today's bi-partisan demonization of welfare recipients. OP delivers a vicious stereotype that remains prevalent and continues to demonize poor people, particularly those black and latino communities. The OP blames her unhappiness and ultimately her failure at achieving success on racist stereotypes.

OP differentiates her class and race by quoting her co-workers in an English dialect that is undoubtedly black/Southern. While her grammar is conventional, her co-workers are quoted in slang and misspellings. By doing this, she's equating those that speak in that dialect (black people) with her perceived notion of substandard work. This distinction serves as a signal (dog whistle) the reader that she is not of the same class and race as her failing co-workers. They're "ratchet" uneducated CNAs while she is an educated and industrious LPN.

I don't doubt OP's frustration with her bad lot in life: large student debt, low pay, and being overworked. Her rant is peppered with unnecessary classist and racist stereotypes that are ironically unprofessional.

Thank you for responding to me. I see what you're saying, but I've heard many white Americans speak like this also. Depends on where they're from. So I still don't see how you can determine race. I see others also see race, but I wonder if that's also stereotyping. I could be wrong or really missing something. I do think that on a site like this we should be careful about our rants. But I do appreciate that at the time of posting the OP was MAD!!!! Some positive advise to what appears to be a hopeless situation may be what OP needs. Redirection?

[Wuzzie]

Some positive advise to what appears to be a hopeless situation may be what OP needs. Redirection?

The problem is, Stepney, we've seen these kind of posts over and over. Redirection rarely works. There are a couple of scenarios that happen when we try to defuse or redirect. First the OP posts once and never returns which is what we have here. Second option is they respond by accusing us all of being bullies and NETY (which BTW she already threw out there even though it doesn't apply) because we didn't pat them on the head and tell them that they are absolutely right and poor them. Third they absolutely fly off the handle applying option two plus personal attacks, threats and foul language followed by what I like to call an "internet flounce". On an extremely rare occasion they come back after some self-reflection and apologize for their behavior/words and apply the sage advice they have received. Given the tone of the OP, the derision, the use of NETY, the classist mockery of dialect and her persistent absence I highly doubt she will do the latter.

[Skippingtowork]

The problem is, Stepney, we've seen these kind of posts over and over. Redirection rarely works. There are a couple of scenarios that happen when we try to defuse or redirect. First the OP posts once and never returns which is what we have here. Second option is they respond by accusing us all of being bullies and NETY (which BTW she already threw out there even though it doesn't apply) because we didn't pat them on the head and tell them that they are absolutely right and poor them. Third they absolutely fly off the handle applying option two plus personal attacks, threats and foul language followed by what I like to call an "internet flounce". On an extremely rare occasion they come back after some self-reflection and apologize for their behavior/words and apply the sage advice they have received. Given the tone of the OP, the derision, the use of NETY, the classist mockery of dialect and her persistent absence I highly doubt she will do the latter.

Sigh. This is a sad state of affairs. Another possibility is: everyone refrain from pointing out potential faults with OPs view and only give suggestions to the problem. No finger pointing and no judgement. Assume OP is right. Then we can see the response. I think (OP has not returned so you might be right about attitude) sometimes people may become defensive if they feel they are not being understood or there is no empathy. The OP may think her points were missed. I'm not a therapist and I have a long way to go with patience, but I'm just wondering if a gentler approach would point OP in the right direction and perhaps we may get some feedback. Jus a thought. Sigh again.

[Wuzzie]

Sigh. This is a sad state of affairs. Another possibility is: everyone refrain from pointing out potential faults with OPs view and only give suggestions to the problem. No finger pointing and no judgement. Assume OP is right. Then we can see the response. I think (OP has not returned so you might be right about attitude) sometimes people may become defensive if they feel they are not being understood or there is no empathy. The OP may think her points were missed. I'm not a therapist and I have a long way to go with patience, but I'm just wondering if a gentler approach would point OP in the right direction and perhaps we may get some feedback. Jus a thought. Sigh again.

I hear what you're saying but the people who post these kind of rants don't want suggestions and none of us want to support her vitriol. We can't assume she is right because she is so very obviously wrong. If she had come here and expressed her frustration in a less hateful manner, in a more appropriate format and appeared open to suggestions then perhaps the thread would not have taken the turn that it has. Instead she sea-gulled us. By that I mean she flew in, made a lot of noise, crapped on our heads and then flew off never to be seen again. She hasn't even had the decency to return and give any feedback. We have experienced this over and over and over. It gets old and frankly most of us have no patience for it anymore. Not to mention the fact that the decision to put her rant on the opening page of this site for all the world to see is embarrassing to us as a profession.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

Sigh. This is a sad state of affairs. Another possibility is: everyone refrain from pointing out potential faults with OPs view and only give suggestions to the problem. No finger pointing and no judgement. Assume OP is right. Then we can see the response. I think (OP has not returned so you might be right about attitude) sometimes people may become defensive if they feel they are not being understood or there is no empathy. The OP may think her points were missed. I'm not a therapist and I have a long way to go with patience, but I'm just wondering if a gentler approach would point OP in the right direction and perhaps we may get some feedback. Jus a thought. Sigh again.

Why would everyone refrain from pointing out fault with the OP's view? If no one tells them they're wrong, how are they going to learn? Despite what some seem to believe, this is not a support group.