War on Nurses

There is a new war raging and it is not Covid. Although the pandemic precipitated our current crisis, the battlefront has now reached our nursing staff.

Updated:   Published

  • Specializes in Health Writer, School Nurse, Nurse Practitioner. Has 20 years experience.

You are reading page 7 of War on Nurses

Orca, ADN, ASN, RN

2,066 Posts

Specializes in Hospice, corrections, psychiatry, rehab, LTC. Has 28 years experience.
On 1/7/2022 at 10:13 AM, toomuchbaloney said:

Flooding a labor market with lots of less expensive bedside workers won't fix the toxic environment that for-profit health care creates in the USA for nurses.

I also fear that such an approach might be utilized by the profit mongers to justify even lower salaries. Instead of a way to augment more experienced and better trained nurses, they might instead be viewed as replacements to lower costs.

Hoosier_RN, MSN

3,798 Posts

Specializes in dialysis. Has 30 years experience.

 

15 hours ago, Orca said:

I also fear that such an approach might be utilized by the profit mongers to justify even lower salaries. Instead of a way to augment more experienced and better trained nurses, they might instead be viewed as replacements to lower costs.

This was going on before. I've seen experienced nurses walked out over nothing (cutbacks was the most hilarious reason) and replaced by someone at half the cost. When Press Ganeys would come out, admin couldn't understand lower scores. Not because the newer nurse was bad, per se, but because the experienced nurse knew how to handle the horror so much better

Chuckles

3 Posts

There are so many nurses forced out of nursing for minor infractions in their personal life. Even after months and months of action to fix my particular issue, I am forced to work in a restaurant until the board allows me to practice again. I’m a trauma nurse slinging burgers. How about the boards of nursing re-evaluate harsh punishments and let the qualified work?

glasgow3

195 Posts

On 1/7/2022 at 8:47 PM, SmilingBluEyes said:

Here's what  may help: RETENTION efforts. 

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but hospital leadership doesn't really want to retain experienced, frontline nurses. They have a kind of "wish list" much like you'd see in an online dating profile and they are absolutely convinced that anything over 5 or so years experience represents overkill for a position at the bedside. (That ideal experience number can go up somewhat for critical care nurses since their initial training cost is so ridiculously high.)

Now this pandemic situation obviously is unique, but in more normal times hospital leadership would be happy as proverbial clams to have 5 years experience or less at the bedside, just so long as they have an adequate supply of replacement fodder in the pipeline.

They certainly don't want people with responsibilities at home which might interfere with the ability to work at least 12+hours shifts, or in some manner interfere with your availability to pick up additional shifts on your scheduled days off as needed. Keep them too long and they might start having more illnesses or injuries, can't have that. They might even start realizing that they may want to retire someday.
 

Hoosier_RN, MSN

3,798 Posts

Specializes in dialysis. Has 30 years experience.
5 minutes ago, glasgow3 said:

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but hospital leadership doesn't really want to retain experienced, frontline nurses. They have a kind of "wish list" much like you'd see in an online dating profile and they are absolutely convinced that anything over 5 or so years experience represents overkill for a position at the bedside


but in more normal times hospital leadership would be happy as proverbial clams to have 5 years experience or less at the bedside
 

Actually, they want 5+ years experience at new nurse pay, that will blissfully put up with the nonsense rules

SmilingBluEyes

20,964 Posts

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis. Has 26 years experience.
On 1/12/2022 at 2:41 PM, cgw5364 said:

I have 30 years nursing experience. I worked with some wonderful LPN's in my career including one that showed me how to be a nurse as a new grad. I have also experienced being the only RN on a floor with LPN's. I was not only responsible for my patient's I was responsible for the LPN's patient's IV meds and assessments and being in charge. This was on a mother baby unit and we had a lot of fresh C/S that required PCA's and IV pushes. The LPN's I worked with were in ADN school and they were wonderful to work with. It was just a lot for me to be responsible for. I am sure there are some older nurses that can relate with this situation. 

*****************************************************************

Quote

I relate. I learned so much from those LPNs I worked with,  but I was responsible for all IVP meds and PCAs as well had to cosign all assessments. It was a lot. This was also mother-baby. The other 4 hospitals I worked at did not employ LPNs in L/D or Nursery. I missed those helpful  and experienced LPNs but did not miss the paperwork and running around doing all the IVP meds. Still I think hospitals that refuse to employ LPNs are making a mistake. They are some of the most knowledgeable and helpful nurses I ever had the pleasure to work with.

 

Above below asterisks is my text. I don't know how I wound up "quoting" this above poster with my words.

DannyBoy8, RN

219 Posts

Has 4 years experience.

More resiliency training please.

allnurses Guide

hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I

4 Articles; 4,778 Posts

Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life). Has 21 years experience.
4 hours ago, DannyBoy8 said:

More resiliency training please.

Emotional resiliency is not something you easily train for in adulthood when patterns of how we react to our environment, people and situations becomes ingrained in child hood . Emotionally resilient children become emotionally resilient adults. While it is nice to assume that everyone should be nice and fair, and politicians should be honest and you'll never be bullied one has to realize that this is a completely unrealistic expectation. 

Hppy