What if every nurse walked out for one day?

Nurses General Nursing

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What do you think would happen to the health care system if all nurses stayed home for one day?

:yeah:

Specializes in Cardiology, Oncology, Medsurge.

How about not showing up for mandatory staff meetings or inservices instead ;-(

Patients would remain alive and managers would become quite bummed.

And nurses would lose their jobs.

And I could get mine back.

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Disrespecting the patients or using them as pawns when they are most vulnerable for your own needs probably won't get you a favorable light in the public's eye.

To be a nurse you don't just walk in off the street without any preparation to apply for the job. You had at least two years to know a little about the profession and that it was about the needs of the patients. You also could have researched what the hours and pay was like. If patient care, the money and the hours were not to your liking, why did you choose to be a nurse?

I can think of many, many other professions that I would find less appealing but are also very, very necessary. If you want to try working in the sewers of the city or as a waste management worker, go for it. When was the last time you told them how much you respected them? How about all the other health care workers in a hospital? How respected do you think Police Officers feel when they are used for target practice by gangs for their initiation? What about the low pay for the dangerous job of being a Prison Guard? Maybe you should try working as a fast food clerk in a busy downtown business district store. What exactly were your expectations when the entry level to be a nurse is only two years? Of the recognized licensed hospital workers, that will soon be the lowest education of all the professions.

This may sound harsh but when you start disrespecting patients or comparing them to a paper letter and not a human life, I think it is time for a reality check to see if you really belong in health care. Not every RN in this country feels like the patients and their co-workers don't respect them and not every RN is making minimum wage. Nursing is a broad field with lots of opportunities. If you are stuck in a job YOU do not like, instead of taking it out on the patients, move on to something else. But, chances are you may be one who lacks initiative and would rather blame others for your own professional and personal problems.

Imagine what the public thinks of nurses when they read some of the threads and posts on this forum they found accidentially when trying to learn more about RNs.

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.
Disrespecting the patients or using them as pawns when they are most vulnerable for your own needs probably won't get you a favorable light in the public's eye.

To be a nurse you don't just walk in off the street without any preparation to apply for the job. You had at least two years to know a little about the profession and that it was about the needs of the patients. You also could have researched what the hours and pay was like. If patient care, the money and the hours were not to your liking, why did you choose to be a nurse?

I can think of many, many other professions that I would find less appealing but are also very, very necessary. If you want to try working in the sewers of the city or as a waste management worker, go for it. When was the last time you told them how much you respected them? How about all the other health care workers in a hospital? How respected do you think Police Officers feel when they are used for target practice by gangs for their initiation? What about the low pay for the dangerous job of being a Prison Guard? Maybe you should try working as a fast food clerk in a busy downtown business district store. What exactly were your expectations when the entry level to be a nurse is only two years? Of the recognized licensed hospital workers, that will soon be the lowest education of all the professions.

This may sound harsh but when you start disrespecting patients or comparing them to a paper letter and not a human life, I think it is time for a reality check to see if you really belong in health care. Not every RN in this country feels like the patients and their co-workers don't respect them and not every RN is making minimum wage. Nursing is a broad field with lots of opportunities. If you are stuck in a job YOU do not like, instead of taking it out on the patients, move on to something else. But, chances are you may be one who lacks initiative and would rather blame others for your own professional and personal problems.

Imagine what the public thinks of nurses when they read some of the threads and posts on this forum they found accidentially when trying to learn more about RNs.

You sound very idealistic.

A new nurse, perhaps? Or maybe..not even a nurse...

Whatever the public thinks of "this" forum is not on the top of my worry list. This is a forum FOR and BY nurses.

The ones who've been there and done that....if you haven't been there and done that...then this isn't the place for you...

IMHO.:cool:

Edit to add: You're not new...but still idealistic...btw, let the gen public see what is noted here. They should learn how to behave and realize what they do to impede and or enhance their care.

I'm not going to start policing my fellow nurses because of political correctness--nor am I going to hold back on my own opinion.

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Specializes in ER/ICU/STICU.

It would collapse, unless you are Princeton Plainsboro and Dr. House has his team of doctors doing everything from giving meds to placing IV's :)

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.
For those of you who are old enough to remember, in March of 1970, the US Post Office, went on strike throughout the country- all 50 states. The Postal workers, at the time, were very pooly paid, and were shown zero respect.

I don't remember, exactly what was the straw that broke the camels back, but the workers had had enough, and walked out, en masse.

The Federal Government did not take them seriously, and did not really believe that they would walk out.

They proved them wrong. It took the Feds three days to fold. The strike was over, and the workers had won!

I am sure that there were people who were inconvenienced, and maybe worse. But the point was made, that the party was over.

In spite of the reality, maybe it would/should/ take a coast to coast strike, one that nurses would just walk out. To wake up the PTB and unfortunately, the general public. I can hear it now- but the public voted nurses the most trusted career. But that does not mean, that they truly respect us. It should be evident from posts here on allnurses, how the public loves us until we put our foot down, and make them pick up their gypsy camp, and return to the waiting room.

At that point we are evil witches, and they go marcing into the NMs office demanded that we be fired.

It will never change, until nurses make the hard choice to be heard, and not worry about anyone/thing, except what OUR needs are, and until they are met.

If nurses had done this from the get go, nursing would not be in the shambles it is now.

Doormats are NEVER respected, they are just taken advantage of, over and over again. Fool me once, shame on you- fool me twice, shame on me.

JMHO and my NY $0.02.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Somewhere in the PACNW

I wholeheartedly agree with you, but walking out is just not in my mindset. I couldn't even force myself. It's the Catholic upbringing and the guilt, I am sure :o

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Specializes in acute care med/surg, LTC, orthopedics.
... In spite of the reality, maybe it would/should/ take a coast to coast strike, one that nurses would just walk out. To wake up the PTB and unfortunately, the general public. I can hear it now- but the public voted nurses the most trusted career. But that does not mean, that they truly respect us. It should be evident from posts here on allnurses, how the public loves us until we put our foot down, and make them pick up their gypsy camp, and return to the waiting room.

At that point we are evil witches, and they go marcing into the NMs office demanded that we be fired.

It will never change, until nurses make the hard choice to be heard, and not worry about anyone/thing, except what OUR needs are, and until they are met.

If nurses had done this from the get go, nursing would not be in the shambles it is now.

Doormats are NEVER respected, they are just taken advantage of, over and over again. Fool me once, shame on you- fool me twice, shame on me.

Sort of like Darwinism or survival of the fittest...

What change in the history of evolution (revolution?) did not require some sacrifice or suffering, all in the name of survival?

Yep, I'm up for that.

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The ones who've been there and done that....if you haven't been there and done that...then this isn't the place for you...

IMHO.:cool:

After 41 years, I've seen and done alot.

You seem quick to criticize patients and the public but yet want respect from them?

How many Dietary, Pharmacy, Environmental Service workers or CNAs did you scream at or refer to as "stupid" to anyone listening this week? I bet not a shift goes by where you don't criticize others who you believe are less than your equal and deserve no respect from you. Did you happen to notice how many threads there are about "no respect" and how "mean" nurses are to each other? Yet, you believe it is the patients and the public who are at fault? Yeah, walk off the job...that'll teach them.

What change in the history of evolution (revolution?) did not require some sacrifice or suffering, all in the name of survival?

Yep, I'm up for that.

Sacrifice is great but only if it is not you or one of your family members who is the patient that does the suffering.

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Everyone should be respected. It really doesn't matter what job they do. If they do it well and respect others as well.

Nursing is just hard work. I wouldn't do anything else, but when I come home after 14hr's when it's supposed to be 12hrs I do question myself.

The original post was very thought provoking. I couldn't do it because of the patients that would suffer. I think the post was intended to be thought provoking and perhaps in jest. I don't believe most nurses would strike for fear or compasion about what would happen to patients.

Nursing may always be one of the top respected professions. First you have to respect yourself and what you do.

Our unit works together as a team. We try not to let anyone down. We respect our CNA's, housekeepers, unit secretary's, maintainance and anyone else involved.

Everyone gets frustrated with upper management. I guess in reality they are trying to do their jobs too. I just don't think they have a true feeling for what goes on in taking care of the patients on a daily basis.

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How many Dietary, Pharmacy, Environmental Service workers or CNAs did you scream at or refer to as "stupid" to anyone listening this week? I bet not a shift goes by where you don't criticize others who you believe are less than your equal and deserve no respect from you.

I have never seen that type of behavior.

Is that something you have done?

A little projection going on maybe?

Pretty judgmental post, as well as being quite insulting, in my opinion.

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The system would shut down and I would love to see it but it will never happen.

Nurses could have so much power if they would only use it.

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Specializes in PACU, OR.

I think the concept of nurses walking off the job and leaving managers to do the work is hilarious. The reality, however, is horrifying.

South African public service workers went on a three week strike earlier this year. All sectors were involved, including nurses. Adults died, children died, newborn babies died. Volunteers couldn't even help-their lives were threatened.

The military were called in to fill some of the gaps, but there just weren't enough of them....

It's ok to joke about walking off, and imagining the ensuing chaos; it's another thing to see what really happens...

Grey Gull, I have read several of your extremely informative posts on other threads; may I say that I have the greatest respect for your immense experience and wealth of knowledge. After reading your comments on this thread, I would like to add to that my respect for your obvious dedication to your patients. Thank you for these frequent learning experiences.

Christine.

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Specializes in acute care med/surg, LTC, orthopedics.

GreyGull, your post only addresses the immediate needs of the individual nurse, but what about the global picture? It’s easy to say we should have known what we were getting into, and we can always go out and find another career, but what happens to the future of nursing if the majority of nurses take your advice and jump ship?

So we are at a crossroads: enforce change or remain status quo.

Well clearly status quo isn’t working. Nursing is fast becoming a lost profession; many nurses leaving bedside care, many injured nurses unable to continue working, many students choosing other health related fields, many nurses seeking early retirement. Now admittedly I haven’t delved into any statistical research on this subject but all that notwithstanding, let’s just observe a cross-section of nurses on this forum (those that have been nursing >3 years), a large proportion have cited very real issues that either; a) makes them wish they could leave/hadn’t chosen nursing; or b) would not recommend nursing to family, friends etc. This small representation, as hypothetical as it may be, is extremely telling…. not to mention foreboding.

So where do we draw the line between maintaining our own physical and mental health/wellness and putting the patient's needs first? If patient care is a priority for nurses but financial sustainability is first for all other levels within the industry, how do nurses compete?

How can we say, “nursing is amongst society's most respected professions” when it is the public physically and verbally abusing nurses thus forcing them to consider other career possibilities, when that just reeks hypocrisy?

If you feel that, ethically, nurses can not/should not strike in an effort to “shake things up” potentially enforcing positive change for the future of nursing, then what should they do? I’m sure you have some ideas.

So the question is…. at what cost, nursing?

PS. I’m glad the public can read this forum and clue into the shocking realities of nursing instead of those fictional representations from General Hospital , et al.

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