When did nursing become the answer to the bottom line?

[marick_RN]

When did nursing become the answer to the bottom line? When it comes time for budget crunching, why is it acceptable to downsize positions in housekeeping, dietary, unit clerks, pharmacy techs etc. and assume nursing will just take over their duties? Why is it that nursing can do everyone's job but there is no one else to do a nurse's job except another nurse? Why are we, as nurses, allowing this to happen? Don't get me wrong, I am never above helping out another department. The problem is when nursing takes on non nursing duties it is the patient who suffers. Haven't we as nurses given up enough patient time? Where does it end?

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

It is not just the nurses. Some are being replaced with lower paid "medical assistants" or "medication aides". CNA's are becoming anything from materials management to phlebotomists to patent sitters.....and nurses have to go from some ancillary help to none.

Or all ancillary help to one nurse.

Whatever can happen to make the illusion of "exceptional" patient care with as many lowest paid people dancing around a scope, with a nurse having to "supervise" (

Facilities are a business. And those in the highest pay bracket could give 2 squirts in a fireplace if a nursing is an art, a science, or a prison sentence. Submit, or go the heck home. Sad indeed.

[calivianya, BSN, RN]

If the hospital wants to pay me my RN pay to stock carts or any other task a minimum wage employee can do - I'm okay with it.

Even when you have a full patient assignment, too? Jeez, you must be some kind of time management whiz. Some days I feel like I barely have enough time to get the nursing tasks done. If I had to stock all the carts and mop the rooms as well, I'd be in trouble.