What would you change about Nursing to make it better?

Nurses General Nursing

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After reading many posts here on AllNurses, I read about nurses eating their young, no respect, not enough teamwork, lazyness, not enough clinical time, Nursing shortage (yeah right),etc....So I'm asking what would you change about Nursing to make it better? You can vent, post nothing or write something maybe your idea can help another RN come up with a solution to a problem.

We'd all get fired!

1) Connect my brain to the computer so that I can TRULY chart as I go! I could also automatically "look up" pt info in the computer through my brain-computer link.

Interesting idea but but you better put a filter in. I mean, do you REALLY want some of the thoughts that go through your head when dealing with certain patients to be preserved for all time?

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What I would change about nursing is the attitude. Nurses eat there young. They most surely do. I have been eaten more than once. Nurses and CNA tattle on each other and use the protection of anomymity to vent petty greivance and get back at one another for some slight or another. (I believe that animoity is good when allegations are true, but when they are false. Look into why someone would file false report). I see it every day. Nursing is one of the great caring and helping professions in the world. Most of us go into nursing because we truly care about and want to help people. At least that is the reason I went into nursing.

I am ready to quit before I even made much of a start. I am tired of having to watch over my shoulder for those who don't like me or my opinion. When I graduated, all I wanted to do was find a job and be a nurse. I enjot being a nurse. I get psyched about being a going to work, being a nurse and helping people.

The reality of it that new grads aren't wanted, we are all considered stupid inferior forms of life and once you make it through the gamit of the first year, nurses still back bite and and undercut, undermine and all the rest.

I am seriously starting to reconsider being a nurse. I want to be a nurse but without all the crap.:mad:

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Specializes in Rodeo Nursing (Neuro).
We'd all get fired!

Maybe. On the other hand, if we can't have people's respect, maybe their fear would be the next best thing.

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What I would change about nursing is the attitude. Nurses eat there young. They most surely do. I have been eaten more than once. Nurses and CNA tattle on each other and use the protection of anomymity to vent petty greivance and get back at one another for some slight or another. (I believe that animoity is good when allegations are true, but when they are false. Look into why someone would file false report). I see it every day. Nursing is one of the great caring and helping professions in the world. Most of us go into nursing because we truly care about and want to help people. At least that is the reason I went into nursing.

I am ready to quit before I even made much of a start. I am tired of having to watch over my shoulder for those who don't like me or my opinion. When I graduated, all I wanted to do was find a job and be a nurse. I enjot being a nurse. I get psyched about being a going to work, being a nurse and helping people.

The reality of it that new grads aren't wanted, we are all considered stupid inferior forms of life and once you make it through the gamit of the first year, nurses still back bite and and undercut, undermine and all the rest.

I am seriously starting to reconsider being a nurse. I want to be a nurse but without all the crap.:mad:

I think you must be working in the wrong PLACE !!!! Can you change locations????

Sometimes it is hard to delegate to people, it takes a skill to work with others that develops over time. People also need to know their job descriptions------for example, the CNAs------, BUT, if you have only 1-2 CNAs per shift you all need to know how to NOT take advantage and treat them fairly. One nurse cannot usurp all of the CNAs time for their own patients.

Working together is just a skill, plus personality adjustments, plus gaining respect from your coworkers, BUT not allowing yourself to become taken advantage of in the process. A BIG balance.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
what i would change about nursing is the attitude. nurses eat there young. they most surely do. i have been eaten more than once. nurses and cna tattle on each other and use the protection of anomymity to vent petty greivance and get back at one another for some slight or another. (i believe that animoity is good when allegations are true, but when they are false. look into why someone would file false report). i see it every day. nursing is one of the great caring and helping professions in the world. most of us go into nursing because we truly care about and want to help people. at least that is the reason i went into nursing.

i am ready to quit before i even made much of a start. i am tired of having to watch over my shoulder for those who don't like me or my opinion. when i graduated, all i wanted to do was find a job and be a nurse. i enjot being a nurse. i get psyched about being a going to work, being a nurse and helping people.

the reality of it that new grads aren't wanted, we are all considered stupid inferior forms of life and once you make it through the gamit of the first year, nurses still back bite and and undercut, undermine and all the rest.

i am seriously starting to reconsider being a nurse. i want to be a nurse but without all the crap.:mad:

if you're having that many problems at work, perhaps it is your attitude; not the attitude of those around you. there is such a thing as a toxic workplace, to be sure, but in most cases when someone complains about being eaten by everyone everywhere they go, a little attitude adjustment on their own part would go a long way toward solving their problems. just think about it.

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Specializes in Operating Room.

I would really crack down on the lateral violence that goes on and the way it's often tolerated and sometimes encouraged by management. Our jobs are tough enough-why do we have to act horribly towards each other?:mad:

I don't know, I'm not ready to jump down the new grad's throat in the PP. Think about it..for someone new to the profession, the way we nurses interact sometimes can throw you for a loop. Do all nurses eat their young? Happily, no. But, there are those who do and when you're brand new, feeling stressed and insecure, sometimes all it takes is an unkind word or gesture to destroy whatever confidence you've managed to obtain.

Plus, there is still that mentality out there that hazing someone toughens them up..This kind of behavior may have been acceptable 20+ years ago, it's not now. I don't care that "it's always been like this" etc etc.

And I've developed a thick skin and a mouth to match. I learned long ago not to care if my co-workers love me. As a matter of fact, I'd be worried if some of my more psychotic co-workers liked me. It would mean that I'm becoming as nasty and as toxic a person as they are. I expect more from myself. I train new people, and I refuse to eat my young. Won't do it, because I can still remember how it felt to be new.

I'm also talking about some of the more nasty things that go on. If Nurse Crusty gives me a dirty look in the hallway, whatever. But, sabotage goes on..people removing equipment and instruments from peoples rooms..not sharing what you know so the new person looks like a fool in front of the surgeon. Out and out cursing at people and saying very inappropriate things. This stuff needs to stop because ultimately, it's the patients who suffer from the junior high school melodrama.

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I know I will get flamed for this but I think we should get rid of LPNs. I dont think they are the scourge of nursing and there are some good ones, but I do think it makes sense to require more than 1 year of a vocational diploma to be lumped in with their more educated and better prepared counterparts. I have been through an LPN program, an ADN program and an RN to BSN program so I can speak form experience. The LPN program was way too easy and their are alot of scary LPNs out their. The ADN program prepares a nurse well for bedside nursing but an associate degree does not get the same kind of respect as a bachelors. Even though I learned everything I needed to know in my assoc. degree program I still think there is some value in learning all the fluffy stuff I learned in the BSN program. I dont think anything you can learn is useless or stupid. As far as the LPN issue, we need to demand more dedication and commitment from people who want to be nurses, not just a 1 yr half-a$$ program. Nothing against LPNs, but you just dont realize how much you dont know until you learn more.

I think it depends on where you work. LPNs in this area actually have more clinical time and are very well prepared in school. I'm a LPN and recent GN so I can also talk from experience ;) . The problem is how to staff the LTC facilities without the LPN level. And in the old days of THE nursing shortage they did come in handy to fill in the gaps. I guess I'm kind of wishy washy on this issue. I can see your point, but I think they are still needed.

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Specializes in med/surg/tele/LTC/geriatrics.

"What would you change about Nursing to make it better?"

My manager came to me a few weeks back and asked for a list of "time waisters" and I wanted to ask her how much time she had. If I were able to use this time to care for my patients instead of tracking down supplies, fetching linens, waiting for a medication from pharmacy, etc., my patients would have their walks, be up in the chair for all meals, be rounded on hourly. Don't get me wrong I get my work done, but I feel rushed with the patients. Some days it is divide and conquer for the ADLs with the CNA. To cut down on these time wasters we have boxes usually stocked in the rooms with basic supplies, I said I wanted linens stocked in the rooms, but I don't think this will happen. What do your floors do to eliminate "time wasters."

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Specializes in acute rehab, med surg, LTC, peds, home c.
if you're having that many problems at work, perhaps it is your attitude; not the attitude of those around you. there is such a thing as a toxic workplace, to be sure, but in most cases when someone complains about being eaten by everyone everywhere they go, a little attitude adjustment on their own part would go a long way toward solving their problems. just think about it.

you are so right. where i work, everyone pretty much gets along but the people who do the most complaining are the ones that are causing the problem. one nurse has a crisis everyday that she works. when she gets stressed, she lashes out at her tech or another nurse that she deems weaker than herself and blames her problems on them. she has had more people in tears than i can count. nobody likes her because she is always complaining, usually about the "politics" on the unit, when in reality, we have very fair and diplomatic managers. she always thinks other people get special treatment and she is being treated unfairly. she is always paranoid about what people are saying about her. in reality we have a low drama setting except for her nonsense.

to the op: i am not saying this is the case with you, but you might want to do some self evaluating to rule out the possibility. really think about your actions and how they effect other people. what do you come up with? are you without a shred of blame every time? then again, people do sometimes just $uck, which might be the case with your co-workers.

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Get rid of the drama. I can sympathize that your daughter/husband/dog has a drinking or drug problem, or you are unhappy because you have to take call, or you feel that Nancy Nurse is getting something you're not getting, but good grief.....DO YOUR JOB. No one is asking these people to do anything that everyone else is not expected to do, so it really drives me nuts when the drama queens get going.....thank goodness I don't have to see my coworkers very much as I work in the patients' homes.

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I think it depends on where you work. LPNs in this area actually have more clinical time and are very well prepared in school. I'm a LPN and recent GN so I can also talk from experience ;) . The problem is how to staff the LTC facilities without the LPN level. And in the old days of THE nursing shortage they did come in handy to fill in the gaps. I guess I'm kind of wishy washy on this issue. I can see your point, but I think they are still needed.

The LPNs are often charge nurses where I work (LTC). I am lucky that they are not above helping me when I need it. I am a new CNA and I guess the other aides think they are "feeding me to their young". They say that I need to "jump in there" and "do it". I finally tired of this treatment and colorfully explained that I am not squeamish or weak, when I ask for help it is to make sure the resident I am caring for is safe (transfer/repositioning). DUH!!!!!!

I say, keep the LPNs and scrap the "know it all" aides.

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Be nice to newbies.

Find a way to truly get administrators and the board to understand the meaning of resident care. Proper staffing is a must. Operating at code isn't good enough. It's okay to sacrifice some profit for the good of the residents and staff, the facility will benefit in the long run/term. Maybe if they spent 24 hrs as a resident w/ 1 aide to 50 resident ratio that would hammer the message home.

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