What Are Your Predictions For Nursing In 2012?

[DoGoodThenGo]

The new year will bring many changes to healthcare. Some mandated as part of the new healthcare laws, others in reaction to it. Still more changes will come as state and local governments struggle with calls for lower taxes while at the same time the need for healthcare is expanding and costs continue to grow.

In their primary role as patient advocates professional nurses have always been at the front lines of changes in the system, but never before in the history of the profession have so many stresses come together at once to pull at nurses in all directions.

New grads cannot find work. Experienced senior nurses are also having trouble finding and or keeping steady gigs. Mandates from "upstairs" are to do more with less and are turning bedside nurses into quasi front desk clerks from Howard Johonson's. Hospitals want technically brillant and adept nurses right out of the box, but many by and large aren't willing to invest in training and orientation to reach that goal. Flying safe and CYA practice is never more important as many facilities will discharge and or throw a nurse under a bus for even minor infractions.

Something has to give....