This is for school! Please respond!

Gldngrl · Feb 9, 2004

If you use the search feature on this site and type in "nursing shortage", you'll find a variety of threads, links to articles, etc. that have discussed the issue and will assist you in your project. Best wishes.

nursecrazy · Feb 10, 2004

Actually, I am seeking people who are willing to give me personal input regarding this subject. I would like to hear what other people have to say about the nursing shortage and how they've seen or felt it in practice :) Also, I wouldn't mind hearing how other people feel about my views on this issue (am I wrong or right)

nursecompassion · Feb 10, 2004

As an STNA in a nursing home in ohio I feel nurse to patient ratio laws are in adequate.

Residents get up at ungodly hours starting at 4:30 in the morning. Some go to bed as early as 6 or 7pm. As far as resident care it is fleeting. Only when needing pottied, fed, or a call light is on. On a hall of 24 patients with only 2 aides and one nurse is not enough. Not all residents require the same amount of care. Some require more, some requre less. These laws don't consider residents with patient protectors or the different levels of care. They don't cosider the patients with alzheimers and the amount of consideration these residents need.

These laws are made to satisfy the administrators and owners of health care facilities not the people who live and work in them.

In order to really understand how much care is needed only a person who deals with it on a daily basis can come up with laws that truely protect everyone.

RNPedsICU · Feb 10, 2004

The shortage is everywhere apparently. I would check into local or regional nurses associations. In the states there is the ANA(American Nurses Association), the state version here is VNA (Virginia Nurses Association). I belong to the Society of Pediatric Nurses, and the American Association of Critical Care Nurses.

As a student I'm sure you have similar groups. The point I'm trying to make is a loud voice gets heard-squecky wheel theory.

Make your concerns known.

On the floors in the hospitals the ratios are getting bigger and bigger. In my unit we should have 2 pts to 1 RN, but that seldon happens now. Not only are the nurses in demand, the patient days are growing.

The insurance companies are dictating-unfortunately how long and what treatments are covered.

We do not have unions in Virginia-but I've heard from others in states that do that do, the nurses are better represented.

We have tried in my unit to focus on retention and creative scheduleing to help with burn-out issues.

Good luck to you!

The shortage is the worst in a long time, but it is cyclical also. It's happened before, and got better,etc.

Just remember why you got into nursing-and spreaad the word.

Be an advovate for the profession-that's how the shortage will get better!

"Do what you love, love what you do!"

nursecrazy · Feb 10, 2004

As an STNA in a nursing home in ohio I feel nurse to patient ratio laws are in adequate.
Residents get up at ungodly hours starting at 4:30 in the morning. Some go to bed as early as 6 or 7pm. As far as resident care it is fleeting. Only when needing pottied, fed, or a call light is on. On a hall of 24 patients with only 2 aides and one nurse is not enough. Not all residents require the same amount of care. Some require more, some requre less. These laws don't consider residents with patient protectors or the different levels of care. They don't cosider the patients with alzheimers and the amount of consideration these residents need.
These laws are made to satisfy the administrators and owners of health care facilities not the people who live and work in them.
In order to really understand how much care is needed only a person who deals with it on a daily basis can come up with laws that truely protect
everyone.

I completely agree with what you are saying. Nurses are becoming this ridiculous image of "super nurses". Patients in the hospital and in long term care deserve to have adequate treatment, however that's not possible right now because of the lack of nurses. I researched this topic on the website http://www.nurses.ab.ca which is an Albertan website and I found an article that states "it is important to consider how the modern health care industry fails to foster or recognize fundamental values at the core of nursing" i.e: caring. I thought this was a great way to depict the lack of caring that our government has for nurses, yet we as health care professionals are expected to continuously pour our hearts and souls into our work. The major issue I want to point out is burnout. We've been trained as nurses to care and provide the best treatment we can. However, it's just not possible anymore and I believe nurses are feeling the pressure to always compassionate while at the same time trying to survive. Patient's then continue to feel the shortage. They receive poor quality of care. Nurses become snappy and rushed leaving a dangerous margin for errors. Did you know that there are 74.3 nurses for every 10, 000 people in B.C?? (http://www.rnabc.bc.ca) What I find most ironic is that cutbacks are the main reason for inadequate nursing staff. However, if we keep pressuring our nurses to work in stressful environments then we actually increase the cost of health care: our nurses then become ill. It's a vicious cycle that needs to be recognized. It is inhumane to expect nurses to give so much, yet receive so little. I have researched this topic on http://www.bcnu.org as well and found great articles seeking solutions to these problems. I also went to http://www.rnabc.bc.ca and found more information on causes of the shortage and the impact it will have on health care staff and the public. I appreciate any input on this subject! Thanks!

nursecrazy · Feb 10, 2004

Sorry, that was actually 66.7 nurses to 10,000 people in BC!! That's even worse!