What would you change about Nursing to make it better?

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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.

I would make it mandatory for all RN's to have at least one year of med-surg experience. Maybe this would decrease the RN to pt ratio. Just a thought:idea:

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Specializes in General med/surg for now ... stay tuned!.
i went to school for x number of years to become a nurse, i do my job competently and present myself professionally. so stop trying to mandate what color of scrubs i wear to work. (if the problem is that ancillary staff who don't do actual patient care are also wearing scrubs and the patient cannot tell them from the nurse, mandate what the ancillary staff wears -- or doesn't wear.)

throw the press-gainey business away with the trash, and return our focus from "customer service" to "patient care" where it ought to have been all along. this business of pillow fluffing and beverage fetching while someone else is coding is ridiculous, and the management types who pander to this sort of craziness at the expense of safe nursing don't have a clue. perhaps they should be finding jobs in the customer service sector and let us get on with the business of health care.

new nurses need to understand that it is not their "right" to "follow their dream" of being a crna, nurse midwife, er nurse or whatever if they cannot master the basics of nursing. people who give them negative feedback aren't merely trying to backstab them or eat them -- many of those people are genuinely trying to help them.

let's reinstate and enforce visiting hours. we had them for a reason, and it was a good reason. for everyone that complains that it is their right to be at granny's bedside to ensure that her nurses do a good job of pillow fluffing, hand holding and tear-soothing, i explain that it they're sitting there, that's their job, not the nurse's. when you're sitting at granny'd bedside, confine your complaints to the legitimate ones. (hint, it might be something like "granny couldn't breathe and the nurse didn't do anything because she was fetching a diet coke for the patient in the next bed." and not "granny had to wait twelve minutes for her tea because all the nurses were in the next room watching some old guy get shocked.")

as nurses, we all understand about cultural diversity and let us not be ethno-centric. but let our patients also realize that we, as americans, have our own culture and the nurse that inadvertently violates your customs may be a perfectly fine nurse out to save your father's life, not a whore out to soil his person with her touch. and there are some customs i absolutely cannot respect, however non-pc of me that might be. do not expect to backhand your wife across the mouth in my presence because in my culture, the culture of the country whose soil you've chosen to be standing on, that's a crime.

and finally let us all worry about our own motives for become nurses, and not put down someone else's motives. i don't care if joe's in it just for the money as long as he helps me lift and turn and clean up my patient when he's working beside me, and leaves my patient clean, comfortable and the work complete when i follow him. nor do i care that sue's motive was a calling as long as she's there to help when i need her, lets me know when she needs help in a timely fashion and doesn't bore me or waste my time blathering on and on about her calling and how god has put her in this place so she can convert the sinners.

i'm sure i'll come up with more, but it's late and i really should be attempting to sleep.

what a fantastically diverse bunch of opinions throughout this thread and all of them valid in their own ways .... but this one takes the cake ...... sensational; i could not have said it better myself; and i applaud you .... especially the para on cultural diversity - ditto in australia .... hear! hear! :up:

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Specializes in ER.

Education!!

Not for me or my fellow nurses. Not for the Docs, administration, or a pts primary caregiver. No, not for us.

Educate the people! Make it a requirement to graduate highschool and/or earn your driver's license. Throw in a wee bit of responsibility as well.

I'm not asking for much. Just the basics. How about a few classes such as....

-Soap and water. Proven safe and effective for over a millennium!

-Your thermometer, and how to use it.

-Diabetes... it ain't spelled s-u-g-a-r, sugar.

-How tylenol and motrin can make you a good parent.

-Cold medicine, it's not a new invention.

-How to call your doctor on any phone.

-Tylenol, motrin, and other amazing things to fix the pain.

-Benadryl- it's cheap, it works, and it's at the Walmart!

-Monistat- clinically proven to make women happy.

-10 reasons why Aspirin is Awesome.

-Enteric coated, two words that might save your life.

-Tonight on the 11 o'clock news- Dr. NoNe kills.

-Ladderbacks, the name only a drug dealer could love.

-10 great medicines sold at the dollar tree.

-You don't need a fancy Doctor to pee on a stick!

-Clear liquids and why you need them.

-What does bland really mean?

-Only cool people drink and stay home. We'll show you how it's done.

-Your medications and how to write them down.

-Fun and nifty ways to elevate your legs and save your feet.

-Following directions and why it's your fault.

-You are what you eat.

-Anyone can use a complicated medical device- a three part series. This week we'll explore the inner workings of the water machine with a step-by-step tutorial on water, ice, and the elusive ice water setting.

-Be sure to watch next week when we'll journey to a far off land in search of the elusive toilet. Check out the bonus feature on when to flush!

-Blanket warmers- just open the door.

-Poop! 10 great ways to get it done without leaving the comfort of your home.

-Diaper bags and why we expect them to carry diapers. An in-depth review of social expectations.

Basic self care and why it's your responsibility. The people need to know!!

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.
1) BSN minimum entry (FYI, I have an ADN)

2) Safe nurse-to-patient ratios based upon evidence

3) Wave magic wand to fix behavioral problems with the passive-aggressive/unprofessional nurses

To expand on #3 in a real way: how about NLN/CCNE requiring a class in all nursing programs to cover um...eh...professional interaction/communication in the workplace. I'm thinking major topics would be lateral violence, communication techniques, assertive confrontation, de-escalation of conflict, exploration of defense mechanisms, etc.

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i would mandate all of admin to be licensed as nurses.

would not have to be current, but needs experience, so they can r/t the impossible demands/expectations of the bedside nurse.

everything else would fall into place.

leslie

Amen to that:bow::clphnds:

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Make it easier for new grads to get jobs.:yeah:

centainly would help some of us get a job:up::rckn::dancgrp:

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I know one thing I wouldn't change the name of our profession NURSE!!!!!!! Because this is what I went to college for and passed NCLEX.:bow:

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Specializes in Trauma/Burn ICU, Neuro ICU.
management nurses should have to do one shift every two weeks.

wow - great idea! i had a few clinical instructors who did this, and they were, of course, my best instructors. i'm thinking that in order to agree on anything, all parties need to understand the reality of the conditions in the first place.

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Specializes in Trauma/Burn ICU, Neuro ICU.
Are these two quotes not contradictorary? Put down newer nurses who want to pursue higher education...whatever it may be and then the next quote you want to say "not put down someone else's motives" for being a nurse? What give you the right to input your opinions on someone else's future goals and aspirations?

Who's to say the new nurse may not be a great CRNA, midwife or ER nurse once they get experience under their belt? Everyone has to start somewhere in life...Remember you were once a newly graduated nurse w/no experience as well.

I think you completely missed Ruby's point.

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A national nursing union, like the teachers, cops, docs

National license

55 as the retirement age WITH retirement benefits !!!! Do I have to ask my patients to move over so I can lay down a few minutes and get some rest:yeah:

Nurses not hired by the hospital but work with independent status and can bill for what it is they do, just like the MDs. PAs, APNs with a National license, not by state--------standardized care plans nationally for patient care.

Nurses more involved with the politics of Medicine---------not to mean lobbyists

One type of schooling to become registered nurse, not fifty different ways. Government loans to be paid back with SERVICE in hospitals that have trouble getting enough nursing staff

Foreign nurses with visa jobs to either become American citizens or go back to their own countries to help with brain drain.

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lobbyists

One type of schooling to become registered nurse, not fifty different ways.

That would be great :idea:

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I would change the law to stop outsoursing nursing jobs to foreign nurses until all US educated/born/legal resident nurses fill those positions. Plus mandate hospitals to report number of RN applicants turned away. :yeahthat:

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