The death of nursing

[massrn116]

I have been an ICU nurse the majority of my 30 years in nursing. I started out and am still a diploma RN. I learned "old school" but have kept up with technology and have always felt that at the bedside one did not know if I had a degree or not.

My employer has been actively at war with nursing for the past few years. Making cuts in the name of lack of medicare reimbursement. I have watched the nursing numbers dwindle, have seen ancillary staff done away with. We are now facing cuts in our hours to save the hospital on having to pay benefits. I am sad, very sad that nursing is dying.

I have always been the type of nurse that has frequently, on an almost daily basis been sincerely thanked by my patients or their families, have frequently had a patient say "you have taken such good care of me." Have frequently gotten a smile out of the sickest or most nervous patients with my "humor."

But now I am afraid. I am afraid that nursing is dying and I am afraid I will lose my job and won't get another because I lack a BSN and I am in my 50's. I am sad that I devoted so many years to a heartless hospital system that does not appreciate my years of service and the fact that I am not a bump on a log.

I am mainly sad because nursing is dying and all those "nurses" with advanced degrees are not acting as nurses and being proactive in trying to save nursing. Instead they are siding with management big wigs, ceo's with big salaries and allowing nursing to die. You are the ones that never stayed too long at the bedside and realizes there was a real, live person who was depending on you to give excellent patient care, to be an ear, to give hope to the hopeless, to crack a whip on those that were giving up, to hold the hand of the dying. I would have to think if you had stayed just a little while at the bedside you would realize the value of a nurse, the value of me and would not contribute to the death of nursing.

[tnstudent21]

I'm still in nursing school, but a few months ago I noticed something very peculiar. The only places spreading around the phrase "there's a shortage of nursing, job security, high pay...etc" are nursing schools. I'm from the southeast U.S., so I can't speak for the rest of country, but that's what I've noticed here. Out of curiosity I looked up job openings for various hospitals and clinics in my area. All but two had "no new grads" stamped at the bottom of the requirements. I've yet to see if the same is true for nursing homes in my area, but the outlook isn't looking so good for us new grads in TN.

[Sam J.]

It's disconcerting, at the least, to see that so many nurses don't know the differences between Medicare, and Medicaid. Small wonder the average American is so ambivalent about universal health care, or even 'Obamacare'.

[SHGR, MSN, RN, CNS]

I'm still in nursing school, but a few months ago I noticed something very peculiar. The only places spreading around the phrase "there's a shortage of nursing, job security, high pay...etc" are nursing schools. I'm from the southeast U.S., so I can't speak for the rest of country, but that's what I've noticed here. Out of curiosity I looked up job openings for various hospitals and clinics in my area. All but two had "no new grads" stamped at the bottom of the requirements. I've yet to see if the same is true for nursing homes in my area, but the outlook isn't looking so good for us new grads in TN.

Yup, and now they're whining about the shortage of nursing faculty, publishing white papers like "Blowing Open the Bottleneck" because there aren't enough instructors for the glut of nursing students. You are very astute to realize this truth.

[JeanettePNP, MSN, RN, NP]

It's not that we don't love nursing. It just seems that these days, nursing doesn't love us back.

Hear, hear. I graduated as a BSN eager to work in a hospital and help patients. I never rejected bedside nursing... bedside rejected me. Fortunately I was able to get my master's and found a job as an NP with a wonderful physician who respects and supports the work I do. For better pay and benefits than the nurses slaving at bedside. Oh, how I cried when I couldn't get the hospital RN job I longed for... brings to mind the adage, be careful with what you wish for, you may get it.

[Concerto_in_C, BSN, RN]

I disagree nursing is a dying profession because even the corporate jerk who is signing pink slips destroying careers and families, even that powerful executive, will wake up with cancer one morning and then he'll be in a fetal position in a hospital bed urinating all over himself and begging for a nurse. Nursing is not dying, it is changing, like the world around us.

[Sam J.]

I disagree nursing is a dying profession because even the corporate jerk who is signing pink slips destroying careers and families, even that powerful executive, will wake up with cancer one morning and then he'll be in a fetal position in a hospital bed urinating all over himself and begging for a nurse. Nursing is not dying, it is changing, like the world around us.

Maybe not dying, per se, but declining...like the world around us?

I've watched a lot of 'impossibly' wealthy people take their last breaths- I've yet to hear a single one of them utter a word of apology, no matter how egregiously they may have lived their lives. They truly do believe that they will take it ($) with them. . .

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

As an LPN, I was in the time frame of being able to be mindful of my scope of practice, but work multiple areas of a facility. I was pleased to be able to hone my skills at the bedside. Fast forward multiple years, and I am no longer a value to the facility. Because of the union in the facility I was at least able to keep a job, but no longer bedside nursing. This happened in a few months. I went from teaching skills to making beds and stocking supplies. With the occasional bedside nurse asking "now, Jade, how did you say a vein is supposed to feel like? I am having the WORST time with IVs!!"

A very humbling experience. I love being an LPN and didn't want to do anything else. Then I was told I had to get a BSN to continue to work as a nurse. I get that a number of people believe that "where there is a will, there is a way"--but there is not a way at this point in my life. Even the local community colleges are on a multi-year waiting list for clinicals--I am wayyyy to old to wait multi year--and the resulting ADN will get me absolutely no where. I have kids already in college. I have more to go. Oh, and even getting a BSN will NOT result in a job offer off the bat--in one of the few games in town--so to chance putting out multiple dollars I do not have to hope to be employed is just not something I am into at present.

On the other side of this, I am happy to be employed when so many of my peers are not. There are some ADN's and LPN's who are multi year, making great salaries, and deciding to go back to school--only to find out that they can not get a job (the LPN) or they can not retain their job (ADN) without a major blow to their salary--as a new grad BSN makes a LOT less than a multi year nurse. The field is saturated with the NP's who can't find an NP job--but are thousands in debt with students loans--that the $21 ish dollar an hour new grad BSN makes just about covers the payment.

It is discouraging on a number of levels. Mostly humbling. Nursing is changing, the way care is delivered is changing, the quest for the almighty dollar is changing. It has become either get on the bus, or get run over by it. Nurses are given cups of kool-aid by the quart, question is--do you drink it or not?

[duskyjewel]

With the utter refusal of some to recognize what's going on, and their penchant for tearing down those who do, it seems to me the nurses are drinking it. Seriously, one can hardly say anything less than gleefully positive about Obamacare on this site without getting excoriated as a Fox News operative.

As for the snide comment I saw about nurses not knowing the difference between Obamacare, Medicare and Medicaid....I don't think you're reading things right. I don't think your fellow nurses are as stupid as you wish they were, because you don't like their politics.

Medicare reimbursements are WAY down because Obamacare raided Medicare's piggy bank to the tune of billions. Seeing that relationship and blaming it for a lot of current troubles doesn't mean the person doesn't know the difference between the two programs.

It's not the only factor, but it's a big one.

Keep on sippin....

[NurseGirl525, ASN, RN]

Thank you duskyjewel. I do happen to know the difference between obamacare and medicare. The fact of the matter is medicare reimbursements are going way down because of obamacare. That is one thing they are cutting big time to pay for this mess. I pay strict attention to it because I am on medicare. Probably not for too much longer as my disability is getting ready to end and I am very scared as to how much it is going to cost me to pay for insurance.

To the comment about Fox News, I have no idea what you are talking about because I don't watch Fox News ever so I couldn't tell you what it is about. I did not mean to turn this into a political thread but the fact of the matter is, the world of nursing is going to change drastically due to this. This is why hours are cut and why patient ratios are higher. And once this happens, even if obamacare gets repealed in a couple of years, nurses won't be getting hired again. Hospitals will say well you have been doing it this way with no problems for a few years now, we are just going to keep it this way. That is how business works. The whole face of the nurse is changing.

This op in this thread said nursing is dying. I don't necessarily agree with that, but it is changing. We have to recognize that and work hard to ensure that it doesn't.

[liberated847]

Healthcare has been changing for years, "Obama Care" is just the new easy target to blame. Nursing is changing and so will I as needed. I have zero interest in keeping the profession stagnant in the name of "patient care", guess what? Doctors, administrators, ancillary staff ALL care for the well being of patients, nursing is not exclusive to this. I am not a martir, I am a nurse eager and willing to evolve as the profession evolves. I like bedside nursing but I am looking at going beyond that (no offense to those who want to retire there). My interests are elsewhere.

[ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP]

I can understand what you are saying and experience should count for something but I have to respectfully disagree that nursing is dying. I see the kind of thing that you are talking about happening in absolutely every profession out there. This is not exclusive to nursing. The fact of the matter is the older and more experienced you are, the more you cost to employ. In this day and age, hospitals area business. They are about making money. A new grad will not cost as much to employ. My mom will be 60 later on this year. She has been at her job for over 20 years. They have been trying to force her out of her job for several years now. The people at her job make her miserable because she costs too much to employ. They want someone fresh out of college with no experience. No experience or very little means, cheap. No one can trade your vast knowledge for money. But this happens in every profession.

Also medicare reimburses very little. My sister is a physical therapist. She sees mostly medicare patients. They don't even reimburse enough right now to meet her hourly rate, much less the physical therapist assistant. So the hospital is losing money on every medicare patient she sees. And guess what? They are going to be getting even less this year because of obamacare. Once the government dictates how much everyone will be reimbursed it's going to dwindle to nothing. Then guess what? Probably when I graduate, I will get a job making close to min. wage. No joke. They will be getting rid of nurses the way it is now and hiring new ones willing to work for measly pay because that is the only way they will stay in business.

Is nursing going to die? No. Nurses will always be here, just the whole way of nursing is going to go away. Guess who we have to thank? Obama. All of the people that proclaimed he was the next Kennedy had no idea what they were talking about and have sunk the health care system in America as we know it.

Lay off the faux news, shawty. People complained about medicare when it first came out (similar to the reaction to the ACA, but not as violent), but now it is an integral part of our system and guess what? Nursing didn't die back then either.

[LPN Guy]

unfortunately your right. im sorry too, and I feel the same. I have applied to a school for RN to MSN. I am 46, almost 47. its going to take 3 years. I don't care. when I get accepted, I believe it will open the door (as I will be actively seeking my BSN) to newer opportunities. GRaduated in 1987 as a diploma RN from a prestigious nursing school. if you want to do it too, YOU CAN. its NOT too late!! someone i know, her mom went to nursing school at 53. i don't even know her and i think she is amazing! i hope to GOD i can finish all the way to my masters. because then i will find something else to do like teaching virtually. you still have awhile to work, unless you win the lottery or run into some other luck. think about it. its going to get worse with obummercare.

I myself went back to nursing school when I was 55 y.o. I am now a working, practicing LPN at age 60. I am currently enrolled in an LPN to BSN program which I will begin at the end of this month. I am getting credit for classes from a BS degree that I already have, plus credit for my pre-nursing courses I've taken (A&P, microbiology, etc.). It should take me about a year and a half to two years while I am working as an LPN in a SNF. I already have 4 years solid experience as a nurse's aide in a hospital but cannot get a hospital job as an LPN. That is why I am working as a nurse in a SNF. I am telling all of you all of this mainly to let you know that yes it can be done, if you have the will and determination to do it. Nursing is not dying. It is changing. And we have to be adaptable and change with it. I will eventually find my niche in all of this, but I won't be retiring or sitting in a rocking chair on the porch (using that metaphorically folks) any time soon.