Where have all the experienced nurses gone?

Specialties Med-Surg

Published

On my floor, all the staff nurses have 5 yrs or less experience and are all about in the their late 20's. Has anyone else noticed this trend? Where do the med/surg nurses go after 5 yrs?

Me: "Thunderwolf, I feel a need to respectfully disagree with you regarding your response to RN34TX."

You: "And for additional info, members are not to criticize mods on the board...against TOS."

Thunderwolf, I did not realize you'd interpret disagreeing with your opinion as a personal critique of yourself. My intention was to be supportive of my peers. Do you feel it is unethical to occassionally question the 'establishment' or how we view our environment? Is this not exactly how healthcare issues are frequently addressed ineffectively, if at all? I did not intend any personal attack toward you, simply a review of where RN34TX may have been valid (in my own opinion). Likewise, MANY aides vent at this sight (and on the floors). Yes, i'd have no problem repeating any of this to any healthcare members face to face. I do not know what TOS stands for.

Although I cannot agree with your opinion I do wish to thank you for your time & efforts regarding board monitoring. It must be quite time consuming. Thank you for 'hearing' me.

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I needed to intervene to prevent a bad situation...it's my job. The other thing about venting is that I have also read that members can also regret later what they post after the rant. I always recommend to members if you can't post it as if the person was right next to you face to face, you may need to rethink how you post it. I gave a member a chance to rethink it...I didn't censor.

First off, I didn't "rethink" anything. I softened the post exclusively at your request. I wouldn't regret my post later, nor would this be anything different than what I could say face to face.

Let me say that I think that people here should be able to post whatever they want (short of profanity, name-calling, sexual remarks, etc.) free from feeling threatened by moderators of being banned from the forum or other punitive measures.

People are going to disagree, and this is both normal and healthy. Even though some comments are offensive at times,I have learned a lot from others here who have different and often conflicting opinions from mine.

I'd be a lot more comfortable with being more soft and P.C. in my posts if I felt that the warnings and thread shut-downs were dealt out equally.

I read posts every day from a select few who repeatedly preach about the need to eliminate certain groups of nurses from the profession altogether, such as LPN's, or any non-BSN's for that matter.

If that isn't considered to be inflammatory or offensive to many in nursing, then I really don't know what is.

I read, participate in, and even enjoy the viewpoints of those different from mine. Their comments, those offensive to many, should not be stifled or censored. We all learn from each other.

Interestingly enough, however, whenever one of these posters writes yet another "let's get rid of LPN's, ADN's, or whatever in order to save our dreadful profession" type of post, I have yet to see any warnings or thread shut downs directed at them.

It only seems to happen if someone objects to their "elimination" views and writes about it, rather than warning the original poster about their original offensive comments.

Only then is there some "cooling off" period because someone dared to challenge their viewpoint.

I was only trying to illustrate why experienced nurses such as myself don't stay in med/surg.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
I read posts every day from a select few who repeatedly preach about the need to eliminate certain groups of nurses from the profession altogether, such as LPN's, or any non-BSN's for that matter.

If that isn't considered to be inflammatory or offensive to many in nursing, then I really don't know what is.

Man, i SO agree with this!

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

Folks.........may we please return to the subject of this thread, which is "Where have all the experienced nurses gone?" If you have concerns with how the forum is moderated, feel free to PM me or one of the administrators.

Thank you.:nurse:

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Specializes in MS Home Health.

I left the floor in 92. Worked hem/onc/bmt. I loved my job. I really loved it. Worked there over 6 years. Started on 3 to11p, rotated to nights periodically. Waited 5 years to get days. My grandmother died in late 91 for which I got a short leave for hospice. AFter she died I went back to the floor. About 6 months later my dad who had CA also was getting very ill. Went to hospice. He got worse and needed 24 hour care. I asked for a short leave to be there to help him and my mother. My boss said no. It had not been a year since my grandmother died so I could not get a leave. My boss told me sorry so I had to quit. I was very sad that a hem/onc/bmt floor manager did not understand about that since both my close family members died of CA so close together. That was the only reason I left or I would still be there.

Very sad.

renerian

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I am an aide and in will graduate with my BSN next Dec. I have worked on med/surge floors at two different hospitals. I just took a new job in Oct on a med/surge floor and I'll add my 2cents. I did not take offense at the OP because I have found it to be true. Althought there are many good aides I get so mad because the unit clerk calls me to take care of a pt that is not my assignment because the aide has left the floor for the millionth time. They leave in groups and some nurses join them to smoke do whatever...

It is irritating because I am busy and they did not say oh will you look after my pts while I run downstairs. They just leave :nono:

So there is a grain of thruth there. End Vent :)

For the origional question, where do all the experienced nurses go, hopefully to Club Med :biere: LOL!

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

For the origional question, where do all the experienced nurses go, hopefully to Club Med :biere: LOL!

I was going to say, hopefully we go to Heaven.........because we've already been through Hell!!

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

I thought this thread was ironic...I was just thinking the other day, I have been on my medical/surgical floor for 3 years now, and it is hard to believe that I am one of the 'old-timers' SCARY!!!

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Specializes in Psych.
To hell in a handbasket, that's where! I am now unemployed after working for the last 36 years of my life. The dominoes began falling after I was forced to quit a good paying job with an HMO because I could no longer tolerate the physical or emotional strain of an impossible workload and 15 hours of commuting time per week. I have held three temporary positions since last June, the first of which only lasted a month, after I was overheard venting to a coworker by the wrong person, the second was for four months, because the facility couldn't "afford" to keep me on full-time...and last, but not least, my brand-new job which began this past Tuesday only lasted one day....after the Manager complained that I had "problems with the computer", not even giving me a chance to prove that I could do this job, which I was more than qualified for!

I have sent out resumes and applications to at least ten potential employers this week, with no response. In the meantime, unpaid bills are piling up...and I just discovered that my five-year-old car is leaking oil. What am I going to do, if it breaks down on me? How am I going to even interview for a job, then, if I do get a response?

While I will admit that I deserved to get canned for shooting my mouth off, I don't deserve what I am going through now. I am not eligible for disability or unemployment (I'd get laughed off the face of the earth, for even trying), so what do I do next? This is the thanks I get, for a lifetime of work...DOWN the drain!

I am on the verge of a full-blown panic attack, and I know it. Am going to go and lie down for a while and try and pull myself together, for this is not helping me at all. Thanks for listening.

So sorry to hear that. I wish you well in your future endeavors. Maybe you need a REAL change of scenery. Try something completely different. You may like it.

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Specializes in Psych.
I support folks in venting...I have too. No problem with that. However, we do need to be mindful that other health care folks, such as PCAs/PCTs/MAs/CNAs, are members here TOO. What would you say if the shoe was on the other foot....with a CNA name calling RNs/LPNs? Would that thread survive the onslought and would it have to be closed down by a mod as a result? I wish no threads to be closed. I needed to intervene to prevent a bad situation...it's my job. The other thing about venting is that I have also read that members can also regret later what they post after the rant. I always recommend to members if you can't post it as if the person was right next to you face to face, you may need to rethink how you post it. I gave a member a chance to rethink it...I didn't censor. Censor would have been my jumping right in and editing it myself or removing it totally from the board...which of course, I didn't do as you see (I only reserve that for very bad language, editing out personal identifying info to protect member anonymity, and troll Media..which I am sure you are very grateful for). So, kharma09, I hope you understand. And for additional info, members are not to criticize mods on the board...against TOS. You might want to review it.

And yes, RN34TX, thanks for reviewing and self editing your post. Your message is unchanged, but it is more respectful. Again, I share your pain. Been there and seen it as a nurse for 20 years.

And Csemgr1, I hope things improve for you and you get back up on your feet again. Wish you the best. (((((((((HUGS)))))))

Thanks everyone,

Thunderwolf

Thank you for you gentle advice

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I was going to say, hopefully we go to Heaven.........because we've already been through Hell!!

LOL!! Nurse Heaven

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In nursing school you always here that Med-Surge is where you go when you first graduate. It's like an extension of school and that is where you really learn the skills that make you a good nurse. New grads may view Med-Surge as a place to learn and move on to another specialty.

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