What needs changing in nursing?

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Hello everyone,

I am in my last two weeks of my BSN program and I have an assignment to do concerning things that need changing in nursing practice. Other groups did topics like the need for more interpreters in the hospital (we are in New Mexico), policies on mandatory overtime, etc. I know this is a great place to go to for ideas. Thank you, everyone.

Specializes in Adult ER.

this is what i think needs to be changed in nursing today :)

# 1. respect for nurses from our bosses/goverment

# 2. respect from pt's and thier families

# 3. respect from each other nurse to nurse.

nurses have never really stuck together as a whole untill the day that we do nothing will change rather many things will become more intolerable.

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Specializes in ICU,ER.
We all need to stop bragging about how many patients we can handle and how many hours we can work without eating or using the restroom.

AMEN to that..... martyrs (sic) really get on my nerves. These people are the very reason that when someone DOES complain or balk, they are regarded as "whiny" or "negative".:uhoh3:

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One thing I think that needs changing is the amount of paperwork that we "have" to do. We chart in 3 places for medicare residents and managed care residents; when someone falls, we chart in at least 5 places.. etc.... I could go on for awhile with that! The darn government needs to really look at how they are spending their money! They are paying us to push pens and not "care" for our residents. Gets really tiring after awhile!

And I agree... we also need to be respected by everyone.. we are only human just as they are and we are NOT PERFECT.... Only one person was perfect and He died and took our sins for us!

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Specializes in icu, neuro icu, nursing ed.

[color=olive]i strongly agree with all of the above.

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[color=#808000]but underlying much of the nonsense that we endure is -- image & respect.

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[color=#808000]look at doctors, lawyers, and teachers. none of them ever apologize for charging for their services. yet when crna's at our hospital gained a significant wage increase, non-nursing personnel and nurses said "who do they think they are? doctors?" and when our contracts come up for negotations, we are always reminded by our union rep and colleagues that the hospital can't pay "that much". (in the meantime, each new ceo over the years has built a monument (new building / project) to their administration).

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[color=#808000]and nursing is viewed as a liability to the hospital, a cost center, a non-revenue producing entity.

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[color=#808000]and patients often comment that "nurses make good money". and "teachers never make enough". (average pay for teachers in our state is $50k, tenured after 2 years, work only 180 days/year, work only day shift, can retire with full pay and health benefits at 25 years).

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[color=#808000]don't think i need to say anything about doctors and lawyers. it's pretty self-evident.

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[color=#808000]image & respect. [color=#808000]and underlying these is unity and cohesiveness. docs must belong to the ama in order to practice. attorneys have to be admitted to the bar. and teachers have a very strong union with an aggressive agenda.

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[color=#808000]leadership. strong leadership! the stress, physical injuries, and disabilities of nursing would require benefits equal to or exceeding other professionals / work groups if the majority of nurses were male. and early retirement with full pay and health benefits would be a part of the package. strong leadership.

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[color=#808000]i will never forget the down-sizing of the early 90's -- rns were being layed off and replaced with unlicensed assistants. and what did the ana do? they put a full page survey asking rns who were let go what their plans for the future was :madface: :bugeyes: and when hmos emerged on the horizons of healthcare, the ana hailed them as 'thebest thing since sliced bread'. strong leadership.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

Ok, my take on what nurses need to do is:

TAKE BACK OUR PROFESSION!

How?

We need to be independent contractors to hospitals and not hospital employees.

This can be done several ways, but my personal favorite is by having an agency that does ONLY the nursing bookwork and job-getting, much like our travel agencies now--except it is geared FOR nurses, and run BY nurses, and the nurses who are members of that particular group, set the FEEs that they charge the hospitals and other facilities for services, as well as doing the MANAGEMENT (paperwork such as billing, taxes, payroll, scheduling) part of the nursing practice.

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

My biggest deal is the lack of information patients and some other healthcare staff have about the nursing profession. We are professionals, and frankly...not that I want everyone bowing for me, but a little respect for my profession would be good!

Heck, even some of those ER shows still show the nurse in lower ranking or ignored roles...except for a few episodes where they focus on a nurse (which I call the token nurse episode).

The public especially should know and appreciate the nurses role in care, and what we do and do not do (I still have patients thinking I prescribe things in doctors absence, or am their personal maid/waitstaff or 24 hour sitter!!!).

Most often the only thing patients know about nurses is 'the nursing shortage' and I always say "wonder why that is...do you have any ideas on that???". Usually that gets them thinking..."wow...lots of things to do that most folks wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole, and no respect!" and they get it finally!

That would be my A #1 thing I would change! If I felt more respected for my profession...I think it would make things so much more bearable for me!

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