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.

[hecallsmeDuchess]

My post was entirely "on topic". I offered some background info on myself to help make my point. This is not directed at you ktwlpn, but IMO all of the political obamacare posts are what's off topic. Whats happening with healthcare would be happening anyway regardless. Our government isn't helping but making things worse. I forsee a time when this whole system eventually breaks down. Like I said earlier, be adaptable and don't get too settled into what you are doing.

I don't think Ktwlpn meant you were off topic, I think he/she praised you and didn't want the praise to derail the topic at hand. At least that's how I read that post.

[vianne]

Massrn116 I first read your post last week an couldn't find it again as I was new to forum, I don't think nursing is dying but I do think we are changing. I agree with you about bedside nursing having been a nurse since qualifying in 81, yes last century. I'm sorry you've got such a rotten employer but you don't have to stop caring, just because your employer doesn't know how. You have to be the teacher, I don't know about you but I find where I am that the next wet behind the ears managers are released an all of a sudden the wheel goes back another notch, if it was to stand still for a while we could at least catch our breath. If you care, then anywhere that needs a carer will be a good place for you, put qualification and managers aside and look at what you've got to offer an do what you do best, tell them about it '!! Speak out start shouting!! Tell them they are wrong if they are! You you you are the experienced nurse, teach otherwise everything you hav learned will die.

[ktwlpn, LPN]

LPN GUY-I was actually giving you a high five for your accomplishments (nursing school at 55) I am getting older by the minute and am very conscious of ageism, not just in nursing but in society in general. I realized a few years ago that I have actually become invisible to younger people in some settings and I just hate it. It's not that I want to star in the "all me, all the time" show but if I'm rocking out beside you are at a metal concert don't make fun of me because I'm "geriatric". To be honest I can still rock until the sun comes up-when I take motrin first...about once every 3 to 4 months...provided I can rest for a few days afterwards. But when I'm on point a kid half my age can't keep up.

[jrt4]

Nursing is not DYING! I am sorry that you are in this situation and I do feel for those of you who are losing your jobs due to not having a BSN. However, Nursing is EVOLVING! WE are finally becoming a PROFESSION. Maybe those who have diplomas and ADNs should be grandfathered in but we have to up the entry level for nursing if we want a seat at the table with physicians, pharmacists, OT, PT, etc.

We are in a new age of nursing and its exciting for those who want to be engaged. Our care is finally measured on quality and actually impacts reimbursement. Good nursing care is now indispensable if you want to run a successful healthcare system! This means that nurses should be more respected by organizations. You use negative terminology to degrade those who have went back to school and say they have forgotten about the profession but its the opposite. This new age of nurses realizes that we have to not only take quality care of our patients but we have to be COST EFFICIENT. Now I am one of those nurses who went back to school and went into management but I love the front line nurses and support them every single day. It sounds to me like you work for a bad organization and need to rethink your position on the current state of nursing in the US. Nursing has afforded me more opportunity then I could have ever dreamed of in another profession.

[Julia77]

I certainly respect the OP's situation and story and I wish that the healthcare industry could be a kinder one, too. We can CT individuals left, right and center, but there is more to healthcare than BSN's and more and more technology.

I just wanted to mention (and I have no financial ties to this) that I completed my RN to BSN at Western Governors University, online. It was extremely efficient and economical. I read a Time magazine review about it and found it to be excellent. No, I don't think it would make you a better nurse, but if this does interest you, you may wish to look into it. Initially I found my studies overwhelming, but then was assigned a better mentor and recommend the process.

J

[MatrixRn]

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.

^^^^Yes that.

The world of nursing is changing whether we like it or not. As reimbursements for procedures, LOS etc are cut so will hours or nursing staff. In most hospitals nursing staff account for ~80% of the cost of running the business.

Yes many will say "you cannot run a hospital without nurses" to them I would say take a look around. Nursing tasks are being deskilled and given to Techs.

[Havin' A Party!, ASN, RN]

Agree. This mode is happening everywhere.

Squeezing more and more out of nurses -- for less and less -- is the new business model.

True patient care is only given lip service.

Every administrator and nursing director / manager that buys into this is aiding / abetting in the profession's decline.

Sad, but true.

[justdawn]

I have to agree with the OP , I have been a nurse for 25 years and the changes that have taken place ( more in the last 5 years) have made me feel like a Nurse who is not needed and to old to make a difference. It used to when a new grad was hired they were precepted by the more experienced nurses and that is how I learned . I learned from Nurses that had come from a ADN, Diploma and BSN programs and found that I had the best mentors. Now, I see new grads being precepted by the new grads from last year. I have been written up more times in my Nursing carrier in the last 5 years than the first 20 years. Most of the seasoned Nurses on my Unit have been pushed into retirement or fired. I live in a right to work state , I say no more. Nurses in the U.S.A are diverse and come from all sides of politics , and this is good. I remember when my knowledge was respected. I have my BSN but I got it right after I finished my ADN. After I finished , I had no urge to go back to school. And I do not feel like I know more than any Nurses who came from a ADN program or a Diploma Program.

We as nurse in our different specialties and different letters behind our name need take a look at experienced Nurses whatever their degree and respecttheir knowledge I also respect the knowledge from new Grads . I just want to let the OP know that your not alone .

Also look at all these responses, You all are awesome. And remember we don't need to eat our young but we also don't want to let go of our old ( and we aren't that old )Nursing has changed and it will always will.

Justdawn

[Sam J.]

Agree. This mode is happening everywhere.

Squeezing more and more out of nurses -- for less and less -- is the new business model.

Sad, but true.

I've been amazed at what some people in here get paid for their first jobs, as a RN. While back, I saw $28. Then, I saw $25. Then on posted $22. Then, yesterday? $18.50 in MO, as a BSN (yes, also $3 for nights- big deal). Think about that $18.50 this way- it's less than twice the upcoming federal minimum wage.

What's worse are the responses from some indignant new grads (that have no idea how far the race to the bottom has gone, so far), that have said 'why do nurses feel entitled?', or the hot and lively debate that went on about nurses being paid less than the starting wage to be on orientation, because 'we aren't really working, anyway'??

True, the powers that be have the upperhand, and have no reason to alter course- but this type of complacency doesn't bode well for nurses making anything but less, and less, until they are firmly locked into the realm of the minimum wage, even as more education will be required.

[Delicate Flower]

I think young nurses have an advantage of sorts in that they can scale back both their expectations and more importantly, their lifestyle based on the current climate. Older nurses or those with a decade or more in the field are more locked into whatever their current situation is. You have a mortgage, kids who are dependent on you, student loans, whatever. You have bills to pay, and that is that. I don't think nurses are complacent. I think the PTB just have us by the you know whats.

The CEO of one of my previous employers published a letter to employees in which he reported that there would be no performance based wage increases for a year because of the "economic downturn." He went on to urge employees to "clip coupons" and try carpooling or biking to work, in order to save money. Oh, why didn't I think of that? This, while he raked in his $6 million salary, plus bonuses.

When the Orlando nurses lost a huge chunk of differential pay last year, the CEO eventually responded to the backlash by extending the cut off, thereby giving them a month or so to adjust their houshold expenses accordingly. Meanwhile, some of the night and weekend warriors were losing in the neighborhood of $800 a month. Sure, just eat out less, or cut back on partying. Right.

[Havin' A Party!, ASN, RN]

... The CEO... went on to urge employees to "clip coupons" and try carpooling or biking to work, in order to save money...

What an insensitive loser!

Where do these people come from??? And what about the folks that decide to hire them???

Will never be convinced that these are the best brains to run a multi-million dollar biz!

[nekozuki, LPN]

When the Orlando nurses lost a huge chunk of differential pay last year, the CEO eventually responded to the backlash by extending the cut off, thereby giving them a month or so to adjust their houshold expenses accordingly. Meanwhile, some of the night and weekend warriors were losing in the neighborhood of $800 a month. Sure, just eat out less, or cut back on partying. Right.

Not only that, but the hospital is posting millions upon millions of profits.