The CEO said WHAT!!!!

GRUNGE · May 23, 2011

boondoggle

Katie5 · May 23, 2011

Incomplete story. We need some specifics. Surely there was some sort of discussion going on at the time he said this.

When you say, "all the nurse managers.",I'm clarifying to see if you mean

ALL the nurse managers in the whole hospital.

resumecpr · May 23, 2011

It's no secret that nursing is complete and total overhead to any health care system. Lacking the ability to bill for nursing services every nurse in your hospital is a financial liability. The statement that the hospital would be better off without nurses is in fact true and on paper makes perfect sense.
I'm not wondering if it was just said tongue-in cheek. We are recognized as a "necessary evil". Of course a hospital could not function without us but it doesn't help the bottom line. "For profit" or "not for profit" all hospitals are a business. Bills must be paid, supplies ordered and paid for... the bean-counters do not like us. Agree or disagree it's the truth.
Now, that being said I would like to focus your attention on the growing trend of dumbing-down the nurses role in the hospital setting. Our competency is being challenged. Our autonomy is almost completely gone. Standards are being lowered... It's been going on for the past 10-15 years.
Masked under the guise of "patient safety" we almost NEVER mix medications or IV solutions anymore. A trained monkey can program guardrail values into an IV pump. No longer needed are dosage calculations and certainly not drip rates. You don't need a nurse to perform that task.
Medical shorthand and apothecary system of measure is gone. Gtts. drams, grains. QID, BID, QOD, PRN, QHS, (U), meQ... they told us that too many mistakes were being made and we can't use it anymore. Whatever happened to clarifying an order and being responsible for the order? No, it's easier to lower standards, not USE medical shorthand and then hire people that don't need to be technically competent to transcribe doctor orders (like non-nursing staff). It was good for over a hundred years and now... it's not. Hmmmmm... seems to me you could hire less nurses then. They're no longer needed.
They have all but pushed rehab measures as outpatient. How many of you actually get to use nursing or even teaching skills these days? Attendants. That's what you are anymore. You attend to patients needs while in the hospital and that's about it. I see a day where there will be one nurse to do "assessments", pharmacy to dispense medication and a staff of techs to do the rest. Helluva lot cheaper. If the CEO's CFO's and the other bean-counters have their way the days of the professional nurse are numbered...
Don't think that you can never be replaced... don't you dare!
It's ALREADY happening.

You nailed it right on the head! Thanks!

I am Canadian, but have worked in the US for over 5 years.

All the ICU and telemetry NM have resigned. I think that makes about 10.

CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN · May 23, 2011

Well..soon we won't need nurses in LTC. We now have a entire system set up that tells us when to call the doctor and what to do. Yes, it is a 10 page form that we have to fill out and a huge book of algorthims that tell us how to be a nurse. Neat, right? I can just check my brain at the door now!

tokmom, BSN, RN · May 23, 2011

It's no secret that nursing is complete and total overhead to any health care system. Lacking the ability to bill for nursing services every nurse in your hospital is a financial liability. The statement that the hospital would be better off without nurses is in fact true and on paper makes perfect sense.
I'm not wondering if it was just said tongue-in cheek. We are recognized as a "necessary evil". Of course a hospital could not function without us but it doesn't help the bottom line. "For profit" or "not for profit" all hospitals are a business. Bills must be paid, supplies ordered and paid for... the bean-counters do not like us. Agree or disagree it's the truth.
Now, that being said I would like to focus your attention on the growing trend of dumbing-down the nurses role in the hospital setting. Our competency is being challenged. Our autonomy is almost completely gone. Standards are being lowered... It's been going on for the past 10-15 years.
Masked under the guise of "patient safety" we almost NEVER mix medications or IV solutions anymore. A trained monkey can program guardrail values into an IV pump. No longer needed are dosage calculations and certainly not drip rates. You don't need a nurse to perform that task.
Medical shorthand and apothecary system of measure is gone. Gtts. drams, grains. QID, BID, QOD, PRN, QHS, (U), meQ... they told us that too many mistakes were being made and we can't use it anymore. Whatever happened to clarifying an order and being responsible for the order? No, it's easier to lower standards, not USE medical shorthand and then hire people that don't need to be technically competent to transcribe doctor orders (like non-nursing staff). It was good for over a hundred years and now... it's not. Hmmmmm... seems to me you could hire less nurses then. They're no longer needed.
They have all but pushed rehab measures as outpatient. How many of you actually get to use nursing or even teaching skills these days? Attendants. That's what you are anymore. You attend to patients needs while in the hospital and that's about it. I see a day where there will be one nurse to do "assessments", pharmacy to dispense medication and a staff of techs to do the rest. Helluva lot cheaper. If the CEO's CFO's and the other bean-counters have their way the days of the professional nurse are numbered...
Don't think that you can never be replaced... don't you dare!
It's ALREADY happening.

True, pumps can be programmed, but who is going to monitor these people on the pumps. Maybe the set dose is to high/low. That takes education.

I don't think we will be replaced. Will our roles change? Probably. Most likely a lot more delegation, IMO.

classicdame, MSN, EdD · May 23, 2011

what he really meant was the nurses want to keep perstering him about resources to provide quality patient care and that interferes with his own goals. The purpose of a hospital is to provide 24 hour nursing care. If he is not willing to do that, he needs to work in a bank

Sparrow23 · May 23, 2011

Yeah, the pres of the last hospital I was at told everyone the hospital was failing because of the nurses. Riiight. One of the many many reasons I left that h*ll-hole excuse of a hospital...

I say start applying elsewhere, the sooner you get out the better.

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · May 23, 2011

Wow - just Wow.

I can't help myself . . . have to chime in here.

In the US, The ONLY reason hospitals exist is to deliver continuous nursing care to acutely ill patients. Patients who do not need continuous nursing care are treated on an outpatient basis. If you need verification of this, check any insurance policy.

Unbelieveable.

AgentBeast, MSN, RN · May 23, 2011

Exactly. Without Nurses there is no reason to even have a hospital.

MECO28, BSN, RN · May 23, 2011

That's like saying "My chocolate chip cookie would be better off without chocolate chips!" :no:

KayRN910 · May 23, 2011

That's like saying "My chocolate chip cookie would be better off without chocolate chips!"

Uh, YEAH! Or taking the flour and sugar out of the cookie!

Wow - ooooohh, woooow! I only have hugs and to say I'm sorry. Kudos to the NMs that quit.

I wonder what he thinks about saying those words now...

And, I bet he doesn't survive this situation and steps down. And if he does survive, I wouldn't skip a beat finding a new job.

Samantha79 · May 23, 2011

No longer needed are dosage calculations and certainly not drip rates. You don't need a nurse to perform that task.

I bet they are using drip rates in Joplin today. Just because we don't use these skills on a daily basis doesn't mean we don't use them, or need them EVER.