What do you think is a major problem in nursing?

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If you had to pick one thing that you thought was a major problem in nursing what would it be and what would you do about it?

Just curious! :)

I believe one of the biggest problems in nursing today is poor nursing management. I believe that a nurse manager must create an environment of respect, shared responsibility and open communication, as well as, demonstrate trust and support for the staff. The manager must also encourage education among the staff. Our manager is harshly critical and lacks empathy and sensitivity. She also lacks the clinical experience and education that should be required for a midlevel management position. Our staff turnover rate is very high and overall morale is quite low. We do however, work as a team, despite the fact that we have very ineffective management and leadership in our unit. There are alot of changes going on with our hospital in the near future. We want our unit to be the BEST! Any managers out there that may want to reply, please feel free. I really needed to vent a little. Thanks.

I second your statement. We have similar managers. It is such a shame that there are any managers like this.

Specializes in Emergency Room.
I hear a lot of "no respect" My opinion on nursing's biggest problem is we don't respect ourselves and demand respect from others. People don't know what nurses do? Nurses need to tell them. Don't like what is in the media? Write letters, give interviews. No body is going to do it for us, we have to do it ourselves. Once you take responsibility (as in it is my responsibility to make nursing better) the feelings of powerlessness start to dissipate.

After being in nursing 20 years including teaching for 12 I still nurses being mean to students and new nurses. That's really sad. Take a minute during your next shift to say something kind to a nurse or give them a hand. Explain everything you are doing to patients and families so they have a better understanding.

NURSE POWER!

you took the words right out of my mouth. i feel respect from my coworkers first and foremost because i demand it and secondly i work with great docs and nurses. i teach patients about what we do and you would be surprised at how patients react when you tell them the level of your education and responsibilty. most patients know that it is the nurses who really "take care" of them. considering they see nurses 75% more than they see the doc, it isn't hard to figure out. female dominated professions has always struggled for "respect". teachers feel the same way. but i must say that nursing has come a long way and the more people get involved with their nursing organizations and BON, the more we will get recognized and heard in the public eye.

LADY, nobody said anything about being "legally licensed". CNAs and QMAs are legally LIABLE. That means get can get sued and taken to jail. That's what liability is.

I understand and have been enlightened on issues relating to this matter. The million dollar question then is-----Why do the majority (not all) of CNA's that I have worked with over the years not seem to care about liability and clock out whether their work is done or not? I wish I could do that.

Overall, who is getting sued or put in jail when "things happen?"

I think that there is a reason that nurses are concerned about this and CNA's are not. I never see CNA's having discussions about this, online chat forums or at work, but I see plenty of nurses who are scared of getting sued or worse when things go wrong.

LADY, nobody said anything about being "legally licensed". CNAs and QMAs are legally LIABLE. That means get can get sued and taken to jail. That's what liability is.

I am NOT sure that CNA's or medical assistants ARE legally liable. They are unlicenswed assistive pesonnel.

When do you see CNA's geting hauled into court?

Trust me: THEY ARE. You don't see too many of them hauled into court for the same reasons you don't see too many nurses in handcuffs even though they make their share of mistakes.

All persons are accountable for their own actions. "Legal action can be brought against the facility, supervisory personel, and or INDIVIDUAL who does not perform per the Standard of Care"

I am NOT sure that CNA's or medical assistants ARE legally liable. They are unlicenswed assistive pesonnel.

When do you see CNA's geting hauled into court?

Specializes in Hospital, med-surg, hospice.

The major problem.. other workers in the hospital are not accountable! CNA's, transport, dietary aides, housekeepers! AND even some LPN's..when the job is not done, what do we hear? "Where is the charge nurse?" When I am in charge, I tell the staff "You are accountable for your job." This is unfortunate, that everything falls back to the RN's and others are not accountable...they believe thats why we receive our "big salary"

I believe one of the biggest problems in nursing today is poor nursing management. I believe that a nurse manager must create an environment of respect, shared responsibility and open communication, as well as, demonstrate trust and support for the staff. The manager must also encourage education among the staff. Our manager is harshly critical and lacks empathy and sensitivity. She also lacks the clinical experience and education that should be required for a midlevel management position. Our staff turnover rate is very high and overall morale is quite low. We do however, work as a team, despite the fact that we have very ineffective management and leadership in our unit. There are alot of changes going on with our hospital in the near future. We want our unit to be the BEST! Any managers out there that may want to reply, please feel free. I really needed to vent a little. Thanks.

I am just starting into nursing education, so I can't make an informed comment about management in nursing. I have been a worker bee, a small business owner, and a manager within the corporate world for over 30 years. For what it's worth... I can tell you that there are many managers that are in the wrong job within every industry.

You can learn management technique, but you can't learn to be a successful manager from a book or a class. The bottom line is really the person, and whether they truly lead or just command. I am old school, and believe that you encourage and praise others to success.

There are many MBA's that are lousy managers. Unfortunately, a lot of folks think that they have to take on a superior persona when they are given the responsibility of management. That really isn't what it is all about. If people like and respect you, they will produce for you ... no matter what the task and no matter what the pay. You don't get those results with a superior attitude and looking down on your employees. I believe that great managers are the ones who pitch in where ever and when ever needed.

If you manager motivated by kindness, open communication that didn't talk down to you, and showed that no task was beneath her (do not ask others to do what you would not do yourself, if necessary) you would probably think this person was a great manager.

Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.
If you had to pick one thing that you thought was a major problem in nursing what would it be and what would you do about it?

Just curious! :)

Staffing determined by numbers and not by acuity. Of all of the nurses I know who have quit where I work their resignation could have been avoided if the staffing had been determined by the acuity of the patients.

Specializes in Psychiatric, Home Health, Geriatrics.

That really isn't what it is all about. If people like and respect you, they will produce for you ... no matter what the task and no matter what the pay. You don't get those results with a superior attitude and looking down on your employees. I believe that great managers are the ones who pitch in where ever and when ever needed.

I couldn't agree more; that is the way our CEO does things, but sadly, the "geniuses" from the corporate office are the ones with the superior attitude, so it seems like things are changing where I work, and not for the better, either. It is just a matter of time until the "geniuses" will be the only ones left to do the job. Would I like to be a fly on the wall...... :rolleyes:

A lack of respect is a major problem in nursing. Our healthcare system is in a crisis and when cuts are made, it tends to be impact nursing the greatest. On the one hand, we are told that nurses are one of the most trusted professions yet we can be dumped on by both sides- management and patients and their families. We are educated professionals. There aren't too many professions where you have a good possibility of getting kicked, bit, scratched, vomited on, exposed to dangerous bacteria and diseases, etc. etc. in a typical shift and then turn around and are told that overtime is mandatory. That you can be criminally charged with patient abandonment if you don't stay and work another shift ignoring your own family because there is nobody to cover. A nurse fresh out of school has a good chance of getting a great sign on bonus and salary yet a nurse with years of valuable experience is paid less than or close to the new grad. When my husband and I first started dating he never understood why I didn't answer the phone on my days off- it didn't take him long to catch on. Johnson and Johnson is spending millions of dollars on their PSA's. Why not put some of that money to better use? All of that being said, it may sound like I hate nursing. I don't, I love my career- there are just some things not too desireable about the profession.

Ann

When people decide to sue they go after the money. It's usually the hospitals, nursing homes or rich doctors that get it first. But I have seen many CNAs being let go. Same with nurses. The only time they make newspaper headlines is if the nurse is a mercykiller and had poisoned 34 patients or so or if the CNA got drunk and ran somebody over with her car and dragged him home to her garage or something like that...

The major problem.. other workers in the hospital are not accountable! CNA's, transport, dietary aides, housekeepers! AND even some LPN's..when the job is not done, what do we hear? "Where is the charge nurse?" When I am in charge, I tell the staff "You are accountable for your job." This is unfortunate, that everything falls back to the RN's and others are not accountable...they believe thats why we receive our "big salary"

OK maybe I cant pick just one!! But the biggest is us nurses eat our own!!! Thats created because we are the one profession that is judged and monitored by so many agencies but we have NO backing for example. I am licensed in two states. In Ohio nurses answer to The nursing board. The pharmacy board, The state health dept. the facility etc... Who has the nurses back? NOONE! The nursing board was created to police us. Im not complaining about any of these agencies. Im just saying that NO other profession is policed so well. And.. other professions have people backing them. In there corner.. What does nursing have... You make a mistake!!! Your on your own baby!! Noone is gonna come to your rescue. If a facility is sued.. who do you think they will fire? The nurse or nursing supervisor! They wont spend money to protect you!! so in turn we turn on each other. You always bite the hand that is the closest to you. We have noone else to lash out at when we are backed in a corner.. That is the biggest problem in nursing today... How we solve it is yet to be seen!!!!

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