trying to shift the blame for California's healthcare crisis onto backs of nurses

cannoli · Nov 12, 2003

http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,200%257E20954%257E1760073,00.html

bellehill, RN · Nov 12, 2003

Perhaps I am looking through rose-colored glasses but I did not feel that the article blamed nurses. Mention was made of the new nurse-patient ratios and the amount of money needed to implement them; however, mention was also made of the cost of earthquake building provisions and terrorism readiness.

It is always a tragedy when hospitals close or are too full so that patient care is compromised; it happens many places other than CA. The new ratio laws will be a good way to make sure patient care is not compromised I just don't know how they are going to make the ratios stick and not leave people out in the cold.

The entire country is in a healthcare crisis, that is evidenced by some of the threads on this board, but what is the ultimate solution?

nurseygrrl, LPN · Nov 12, 2003

The entire country is in a healthcare crisis, that is evidenced by some of the threads on this board, but what is the ultimate solution?

I apologize now if I might sound p****d, but I AM!

The solution is simple. First of all, give nurses a RESPECTABLE salary. When you are worked like a dog and not paid for it, it makes for bad morale. We also need more recognition in this field. It seems that the frustration of the higher ups trickles down and causes them to treat us like s**t which makes us feel even MORE like s**t! Nurses do not have a job description and that is unfair! Our job is to take care of our patients...in translation whatever isn't anyone else's job is OUR job when it comes to pt. care. We work weekends, we work holidays, we work through snowstorms, we work double shifts because if we're mandated we have to. What other job is like this?!?!?! Almost no other job. Don't get me wrong, I love caring for people, but after a while things get out of hand and ridiculous. It seems we take the blame for everything. Now they are saying that we are somehow contributing to the health care crisis because we want nurse-patient ratios?!?!?! For God's sake! My husband works for Home Depot and there are ratios on how many associates need to be in each department, but when caring for human beings they find this a nuisance? I can only hope that one day things change in this profession because I'd hate to be one of the ones who leave it!!

And that's my 2 cents!

oramar · Nov 12, 2003

They are trying to use the looming crisis to undo the nurse/patient ratio laws. This is how they always operate.

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Nov 12, 2003

So maybe slavery shouldn't have been abolished.

After all, it cost the public more money.

(Does it matter that it was the right thing to do??)

mattsmom81 · Nov 14, 2003

Originally posted by caroladybelle
So maybe slavery shouldn't have been abolished.

After all, it cost the public more money.

(Does it matter that it was the right thing to do??)

I read a great article in Revolution magazine years back comparing modern nursing to slavery. When non nurses hear nurses speak of our poor conditions, some say "Why do nurses allow it".

I remember my schoolday studies of the plight of unimpowered American slaves in times past. Why did they allow it? They outnumbered their oppressors....yet felt they did not have the power to change the status quo..... they submitted and became victims of a 'system'.

Do nurses do the same?? Will it end someday too?? :stone

Gragorin · Nov 14, 2003

Ya know, this is a very funny thing to me. Here I am trying to get into the medical field and I'm unable to because there are not enough classes at any of the local colleges and yet the need for nurses has never been greater as far as I can tell. It's a very interesting paradox. We need nurses but we don't provide the resources to generate them locally so we have to import them from outside of the U.S.

Nurse Nevada, RN · Nov 14, 2003

If hospital administration would start treating nurses with respect there wouldn't be a shortage.

I would personally like to see nurses calling on their local news teams and give them the true story. Also, local news papers, write letters to the editors. We don't have much of a voice. The news would jump all over it. Let's give them our opinion.

oramar · Nov 18, 2003

There is editorial in Passadena news critisizing LA county hospital for failure to plan to implement the ratios. The article hits the nail on the head when it says the hospital gives the appearance that it had planned to deal with the law by having it overturned or getting a variance. That is exactly how these administrator crooks opperate. The people in LA voted for a tax increase to cover these expenses. Now the the hospital has to ante up. The article also mentions that all the private institutions have some sort of plan in place to meet ratios. I hear from post here that sometimes those plans are not completely Kosher but at least they are acknowledging the fact that the law is in place.

Agnus · Nov 18, 2003

We don't have much of a voice because we don't use our voice.

We preach to the choir. We ASK reporter and others to speak for us.

Why don't we WRITE the articles that we want othre's to write for us?

Why don't we get out and publically speak to the people?

Why don't we lobby our polititions?

Did you know it does not take a profesional lobbiest to talk to polititions? Did you know you are the best lobbiest for your cause?

So who here is or will do something?

There are nurses doing this. Most never will.

It is a shame because with our numbers we can really make a huge difference in educating the public and the leaders of our countries and states. But there will always be only a handful who will actually act.

Putting yourself on the line like this is risky. It is easier to play it safe and let conditions deteriorate than to actually stick one's neck out.

opps there I go again on my soap box. But really we should get on our soapboxes TO THE PUBLIC.

If you would like to learn how to develop platform skills go to Toastmasters. Your writing skills will improve whith toastmaster training as well.