I worked a nightshift last night (no I didn't call in sick). One of my patients was a non-practising RN. She was my age. We had a discussion. I asked her why she quit nursing. She got her nursing license back in the late 70's.
She told me that as time went by the government and regulators started making it harder and harder to actually take care of the patients. She said that back in the 70's it was present, but it didn't interfere with patient care. She just lost her desire to work in the profession. Now she does part time work as a medical transcriptionist.
I totally agree with her, this is the major factor for burn out for me personally. I'm tired of the government making a one step process a 5 step process. The computerization of everything is making my job more difficult, and if the Joint Commission throws one more inane rule down my throat, I'm quitting.
I recently went to half time, thank goodness for my husband's income. But more and more I'm starting to think "How can I get out of nursing?" even though I love many aspects of it.
I have been a nurse for almost 1 year now. It's crazy how much energy and enthusiasm you come into nursing with and then the whole gambit of issues that goes along with it just beats the cr** out of you. I used to be in the military as a hospital corpsman, there you got rewarded for the good pt care you provided. In nursing you can do 1,000 things perfectly and if you were to do 1 thing wrong that's what people latch on to. I'm not in no way saying that the military should be the gold standard, just making a point. Another thing is.... what other profession has these type of websites where we have to come together and vent or comfort each other. I mean this is a great thing, but there's obviously something wrong when we have to turn to this. I am lucky to work with many great nurses, and enjoy my job. But, I can surely feel the stress with our nurse/pt ratios and endless charting. I spend more time on my shift charting than actual pt. care! CRAZY. In the end I still love what I do- and hope that I am somehow making a difference no matter how meniscule. To all the nurses out there- keep up the good work.
Specializes in I have an interest in Travel and OB/L&D.
This question is to anyone: Can someone please explain to me how the government and regulators are making it harder and harder for nurses to actually take care of the patients??? (I'm not a nurse yet, but I'm considering nursing as a career).
Specializes in I have an interest in Travel and OB/L&D.
Well, I've been doing this for more then 40 yrs.
You can't believe the changes I've seen in that time--& I must say that most are not for the better.
All these rules & regulations!! For every one thing you do, there are 5-6 pieces of documentation--computer & also paper!!
When we got the computer, we were told--no more paper charting!!
NOT TRUE--now we do the computer AS WELL AS paper charting!!
Go Figure!!
I'm tired of it all & hope that I can soon say Good-Bye!!
I still LOVE nursing but hate all the rest; you all have said it all--I won't repeat.
Isn't documentation very important? As a nurse, you are dealing with people's lives. Documentation will definitely help you more than it will harm you.
Specializes in med/surg, geri, ortho, telemetry, psych.
I was one of those nurses who thought I would never experience burnout. I loved my job, my career, for over 10 years. I loved going to work. But something has changed inside me within the last few years. I now hate my career and everything about it. I get sick to my stomach just thinking about going in to work. I still have 15 years worth of student loans to pay off so I can't exactly switch careers. What happened? I'm not sure. Alot of it has to do with the cattiness of other employees. It's like being back in high school. The lack of support from other staff, administration, and the government itself. It used to be about taking care of people. Now it only seems to be about covering your bottom. Don't get me wrong, I still love to take care of my patients, all of them, but it doesn't seem like we get to do too much of that anymore.
When I started nursing over a year ago at a LTC, my DON told us that we are a restraint free facility. That means "residents have the right to fall" Personally I think that is the biggest crock of kaka I have ever heard. Yes, we put the beds in the low position, use bed/chair alarms, but some of these folks are smart and will take off their clothes with the intact alarms still in place, you walk in and they are on the floor! I had a resident who was constantly falling, crawling out of bed, yanking on her g-tube and taking off her o2. One night I had to call the family to let them that she had fallen AGAIN. The son tells me to just tie her down "like the hospital did" I had to inform him of the no restraint policy, and yada yada yada. He was so mad! I told him good luck on finding a nursing home in our state that would use restraints. I am bogged down with paperwork, and trying to appease angry, rude visitors. I no longer look at nursing with rose colored glasses anymore.
Isn't documentation very important? As a nurse, you are dealing with people's lives. Documentation will definitely help you more than it will harm you.
yes, documentation is very important.
the problem is we document the same thing in 10 different places.
it's time-consuming and unnecessary, but remains mandated.
I started as an LPN back in the early '80's. Yeah, it has changed, and not for the better IMO. Seems I spend so much time dotting my i's and crossing my t's with duplicate and triplicate charting that there is no time to actually spend with the patient. It sure looks good on paper though
Combine that with hospitals bending over backward to kiss butt and pretending they're 5 star resorts, while at the same time not standing behind their employees against inconsiderate, rude, demanding and flat-out abusive visitors (and patients), and it's beyond ridiculous.
Amen to that! Who ever thought survery's were a big deal should have them stuffed you know where. I have managers that actually call these people up after they have been discharged. Someone can possibly tell me does someone get a raise if these numbers are good? Why is this energy going towards this stuff?? I'm so tired of whatever that pt. wants... What if that pt. can't make up there own mind to save thier lives? I love my job don't get me wrong, but when one person decides to throw a fit and then I have to hear about for days or on my review that's when I get ticked. What about I saved their life and did all of this teaching???? No, I didn't have everything on a golden platter.. Keep on going girls and maybe we can make a change!
Specializes in med/surg, geri, ortho, telemetry, psych.
Isn't documentation very important? As a nurse, you are dealing with people's lives. Documentation will definitely help you more than it will harm you.
Yes, documentation is very, very, very important. But when it becomes more important to the powers that be than the actual patients, we get pretty upset about it documenting the same things over and over again in ten different places.
You can't believe the changes I've seen in that time--& I must say that most are not for the better.
All these rules & regulations!! For every one thing you do, there are 5-6 pieces of documentation--computer & also paper!!
When we got the computer, we were told--no more paper charting!!
NOT TRUE--now we do the computer AS WELL AS paper charting!!
Go Figure!!
I'm tired of it all & hope that I can soon say Good-Bye!!
I still LOVE nursing but hate all the rest; you all have said it all--I won't repeat.
Isn't documentation very important? As a nurse, you are dealing with people's lives. Documentation will definitely help you more than it will harm you.
I think you missed the point of Mary's post. "For every one thing you do, there are 5-6 pieces of documentation--computer & also paper!!" You should not have to document one thing in 5 different places, it's redundant and a huge waste of time.
Yes, documentation is important. It can mean the difference between you losing your license as a nurse or keeping it. It can mean the difference between you being found guilty of negligence or not. Charting one thing in more than one place is unnecessary. You should only need to document what is done once and in one place.
New forms keep being mandated for things that have been charted all along. New quidelines for WHAT to chart and HOW to chart it continue to be mandated. For instance, where I work in a 12 hour shift I could wind up charting 12 times just on pain assessment FOR ONE PATIENT, or I could chart 12 times alone for a respiratory assessment FOR ONE PATIENT. Now imagine it is more than 1 patient I need to chart these pain and respiratory assessments on.
This question is to anyone: Can someone please explain to me how the government and regulators are making it harder and harder for nurses to actually take care of the patients??? (I'm not a nurse yet, but I'm considering nursing as a career).
They don't address the REAL issues affecting patients and the nurses that take care of them. Instead they come up with more regulations and redundant paper work that tie up our time and take us away from the bedside.
You know the patient rooms on my unit are so small that you cannot safely ambulate a patient to the BR with a walker. But apparently that's OK when it comes time for accreditation, but heaven forbid we leave pre-filled saline syringes (needless ones at that) on the counter. Or the favorite on this thread: no restraint policies because patients have the right to fall. Um yeah, my patients just can't wait to exercise their God given right to fall. Excuse me, but how many of us want to fall and be injured. That's the mentality we're dealing with when it comes to the government and regulators.
It's interesting to note that things such as staffing ratios, mandatory breaks, proper relief for covering breaks, elimination of mandatory overtime, environmental safety for staff and patients, proper equipment and adequate supplies, specific guidelines for staff floating, whistleblower protection, in fact anything that would actually go a long way to enable nurses to do their jobs and promote patient safety are never addressed. I think I'd keel over in shock if JCAHO ever recommended something like staffing ratios.
Specializes in med/surg, geri, ortho, telemetry, psych.
I agree it is insane that they say a patient has the right to fall. They are so afraid of being accused of unlawful restraint that they go to extremes to prove that there is no restraining occuring in their facility. When siderails are used you must chart that they are being used only for the purpose of helping the patient to be able to scoot up and down in bed, and even then it's usually only one or two of them (if you have four), or one (if you have two). Did you know that placing an empty bedside table in front of a patient is viewed as a restraint, but if you put something on the table, such as a drink, it is now viewed as a table? Crazy....
It's interesting to note that things such as staffing ratios, mandatory breaks, proper relief for covering breaks, elimination of mandatory overtime, environmental safety for staff and patients, proper equipment and adequate supplies, specific guidelines for staff floating, whistleblower protection, in fact anything that would actually go a long way to enable nurses to do their jobs and promote patient safety are never addressed. I think I'd keel over in shock if JCAHO ever recommended something like staffing ratios.
mookieslife
13 Posts
I have been a nurse for almost 1 year now. It's crazy how much energy and enthusiasm you come into nursing with and then the whole gambit of issues that goes along with it just beats the cr** out of you. I used to be in the military as a hospital corpsman, there you got rewarded for the good pt care you provided. In nursing you can do 1,000 things perfectly and if you were to do 1 thing wrong that's what people latch on to. I'm not in no way saying that the military should be the gold standard, just making a point. Another thing is.... what other profession has these type of websites where we have to come together and vent or comfort each other. I mean this is a great thing, but there's obviously something wrong when we have to turn to this. I am lucky to work with many great nurses, and enjoy my job. But, I can surely feel the stress with our nurse/pt ratios and endless charting. I spend more time on my shift charting than actual pt. care! CRAZY. In the end I still love what I do- and hope that I am somehow making a difference no matter how meniscule. To all the nurses out there- keep up the good work.