I emailed Dr. Phil regarding having a show that specifically addresses the so-called nursing shortage and the issues that create it........among other things.
The reply I received was that I would be contacted if my request to have this show is approved as a topic for his show. The response goes on to say how many requests they receive a day, blah, blah, blah, so basically......don't hold my breath.
Next on my list are the congressmen and those in the White House. I also plan to write "this nurse's story" and seek to get it in print in a magazine that is well read by the public, etc.
One step, two steps, three steps, more....one day at a time.
As the wife of an elected official and having worked closely with legislator and lobbiest I can tell you that this type of campaigning quickly is dismissed.
The most effective thing you can do is to call your legislators and talk to them personally. Even better arrange to meet face to face. AND AN INDIVIDUALLY WRITTEN LETTER THAT IS YOUR STORY AND VIEWS NOT PARROTING SOMEONE ELSE is the most effective thing you can do. Even after talking with them you should always follow up with a letter restating your concerns.
Whenever lobby efforts amount to mass mailing of the same or essentially same letter the effect of all that work is diluted a thousand fold.
Better to write a few heart felt letters that are in whole original than send out a 100,000 copies of the same letter.
I'm not sure I agree. I've been told that a letter is '"Noticed"' and paid attention to by bigwigs. I was told that for every letter writer, (especially if it is a complaint), the bigwigs assume there are 25 non-writers who hold the same opinion.
I agree it makes a huge impact to write the heartfelt letter.
I disagree the mass mailing has little or no impact.
If that were true, why would the NRA and AARP, the two strongest lobbying groups in the country, mail forms to their membership to be signed and sent to the president et al.?
In other words, I regularly receive a folded form in the mail -already addressed to the person the NRA or AARP wants to see it.
All that is required of me is a signature and a stamp.
Sometimes, even a stamp isn't required. It is metered
mail from the "non-profit organization."
At any rate, I think a form letter could be downloaded and the nurses could send it to their reps or whoeverthe writer wants to receive it.
All a mass mailing letter costs is 37 cents.
If 20,000 nurses sent letters to the same recipient--form
letters-- SOMEONE would notice a grass roots initiative.
Lots of politicians would like to have 20,000 backers right now.
That's not to sneeze at. Even a 1000 is impressive.... a thousand letters.
Why do NRA and AARP support mass mailings??
Because they've learned a lot about
human nature. No matter how strongly most people feel about something, most will not take the time to write a heart felt letter. Remember , most people have a 5 minute attention span.
And, let's face it, even though we nurses are passionate about workplace changes; in our list of priorities;
where does the letter writing fall on YOUR list?
Historically , men start revolutions....initiate policy changes.
Females, (and females make up 95 % of the nursing profession, before I get flamed for writing about /to females),
Females, typically, cannot sustain a change because of home and hearth issues.
In other words, they are too busy preparing dinner, keeping the home fires burning , and tending to the little ones.
So much for change.
So, I am all for the heartfelt letter writing initiative.
And, fully support a simultaneous mass letter writing,
after all, what's the cost? 37 cents and 5 minutes.
how much cqn one nurse do?? what impact will jsut a couple of us speaking out have?? well sometimes the impact is tremendous. three whistle blower nurses here in aust have got the ear of the media and are shaking up teh state goverment.
nsw minister denies nurse threats
former new south wales health minister craig knowles has stridently defended himself against whistleblower nurses' claims he directly threatened them when they raised malpractice claims concerning two sydney hosptials.
the nurses claim that mr knowles's lack of action cost lives at camden and campbelltown hospitals.
whistleblower nurse nola fraser says when she and other nurses raised their concerns about malpractice in a meeting with mr knowles last november, he intimidated and bullied them.
ms fraser claims he said her career in nursing was finished, whether or not the claims were substantiated.
"he said to me 'once i make this phone call and the train leaves the station, you better have enough evidence to get you through to the other end, but you're finished anyway'," she said.
she also says he thumped his fist on the table.
mr knowles has mounted a defence of his actions, vehemently denying threatening the nurses.
he says in that meeting he told the nurses the claims of gross negligence suggested corruption and criminality, and they would have to have evidence to back up such claims.
"i want tested the assertions that in some way i was dismissive of those claims or intimidated these people."
mr knowles says he wrote to the director-general of health straight after the meeting, urging the claims be investigated.
'no trust'
new south wales opposition leader john brogden says mr knowles cannot be trusted and should stand aside while the allegations are investigated.
"we have serious allegations about a minister of the crown effectively bullying and intimidating nurses who came to him to tell him what has now proved to be, without any denial, the truth," he said.
"it's about time this was properly investigated."
mr knowles moved from the health portfolio in april to become minister for natural resources and infrastructure and planning.
meanwhile the independent commission against corruption has rejected comments that it ignored the nurses' allegations.
commissioner irene moss says allegations were made last november to the icac and the health care complaints commission, which confirmed it would be investigating the incidents, including the victimisation of nurses.
she says the claims were not adequately covered by the hccc and the icac will now examine the original claims, along with more serious allegations.
I posted a big old long post and then found my server dropped me so the post did not go. Probable a good thing:chuckle I was on a soap box and did some digression.
Bottom line NRA AARP use membership numbers to back them up. The mass mailings demonstrate they are representing the membership's agenda.
When ever they do a mass mailing they also strongly encourage personal letter writing.
They put huge efforts into membership building and huge efforts into the mailings. The purpose for building a very large membership they will tell you, is to strengthen their voice with legislators.
The ANA does not have the members, nor support these two lobby groups do. Even then they do not get everything they want and they understand that their battle will be an ongoing one that will last forever.
It is not enough to win a little or even a lot. The understand they must be ever active to retain that ground.
WE do not have that support nor drive for a sustained monumental effort like this. That is Why individual rational letters are so much more important.
Most of us are not members of ANA many of us do not like the ANA. Where the majoriity of seniors are AARP members and they are a know large voting constituency. Most gun owners are also a lage know voting constituency.
The same cannot be said for nurses. These groups are solidly united we can't agree on much.
I am glad to see the Aussi post. In the post that I made that did not go through, I talked about how in our town the people who have the most effect are a handful of disruptive people who show up at public meetings, who bus their friends to the polls with instructions on how to vote. These friends never show up for public meetings are uninformed. They would not even show up at polls if they were not taken there and and essentially not given an option by their friend or distant relative.
Yes a very few control local and greater politics. Because the vast majority find it easier (understandibly) and even distasteful to get involved.
It is only because we do nothing that those who do not repressent us suceed in pushing though their agendas.
Their agenda will be one that benefits them and no one else. But they are driven and determined and willing to do what it takes to get it though. Politics is dirty. We don't want to (undrstandbly) get dirty. It takes a very thick skin and strong moral courage to stay in the ring with these folks. But that is what it takes to win.
I agree, Agnus. What you say is well said. I'd point out though that the American Rifle Association and the AARP both began decades ago.
Every organization has to start somewhere. This is a grass roots initiative.
Too bad we aren't all unionized.
But, I think what Cheerful is hoping to accomplish at this point is to catch the public's attention and let them know what is going on with nurses.
And, our profession.
And, our message is (IMHO) a lot more relevant to the general public that the message of the NRA. Our message applies to every person in the country. Because every one - at one time or
another - is going to find themselves in the hospital.
I think our message is important because 20 years from now, some big shots will say, "well, no one told us nursing was in this condition."
That's oversimplifying......
My only concern regarding Cheerful is that she will have to do everything in a clandestine manner. I wouldn't even tell my best friend, cause I haven't met a single soul that can keep a secret.
And, if Cheerful gets labeled by HR and management as a trouble maker....which management will, I don't care where you go, that label will follow you when you apply for your next job.
HR managers might not say why you left....but they have their "code words".......that if you and I overheard the conversation would not think it was anything at all.
Maybe they would describe her as "a real go-getter, ambitious,
hard working, a team player, displayed real leadership abilities, an activist. "
Catch the warning?
I think this is how management maintains control over nurses, we all have to work.........but if we stir up trouble for the hospital, well, we will be labeled as troublemakers.
If we screw up and make errors at work and get fired, well, that's okay, like the nurse who didn't check the mom and babys I.D. bands and got fired. She can go down the road and get another job. She will not be labeled a troublemaker.
She didn't cause the company/management any trouble.
passing thru........there is this old Chinese proverb that says "Never trouble trouble until trouble troubles you." Well, I've been "troubled" by one too many issues in nursing, therefore......according to the "Old Chinese Proverb".........I am NOW permitted to respond, react, get jiggy with them (if you will) :chuckle
I'm NOT the least bit worried whether I will ever get a job in nursing again. If having to be SILENT when I see so many others in pain (including myself) means being "the perfect employee", then they aren't the employers that I am seeking to be connected with in the first place. :) It's about having one's name connected to the right force, not the wrong force in life. We can never prevent trouble from finding us. However, once it does (according to the old Chinese proverb) we can either bow down to false truths, or stand up for justice..........no matter the cost to our person. I choose to stand up for justice........no matter the cost to my person. The World didn't become what it is today because of cowards, but because of brave souls who IN SPITE OF the pain they knew would come their way for standing up for what was right and just......they persevered anyway.
I'd rather use "the voice"---a gift my Father God gave me---to bring about positive change for all........than to remain SILENT with my voice just because "TPTB" can't digest the truth. (May God add His blessing to the truth of what I am saying, and forgive me if I am wrong.....Amen!)
Pressing on to a higher calling in spite of what man may say about me for doing so...........they only wish they had half the guts that my Father God instilled in me from before my own parents set eyes on me outside my mother's womb. :)
Many nurses have written to "O". She prefers to offer more sensational topics, like medical errors (you should have seen all the negative comments on her site after that show).
And when Dr. Phil was on her show, a nurse did speak up about conditions. Both of them basically told the nurse to put up or shut up.
As for "The View"...they've had so many negative segments about nurses, I've given their souls up for lost.
So I'm focusing my efforts on print reporters. I've gotten kind of friendly with one, and she's been a great boon to the nurses at MCP.
Sometimes, when there is enough info in the print media, TV will pick up on it, so I'm throwing my support to print reporters. Besides, they love it when people let them know that they are reading their articles.
I became a nurse for many reasons. As then as is now they are the same. There come a time in anyones life when they look at the choises they have made. When that is done with focuses honesty some come away with a view of their evnelope as a ever shrinking one and some come away witha unabiding drive to expand their envelope. I chose the later as I see you do to.
Some prefer the moto I am comfortable being miserable while some prefer I am sick and tired of being miserable. Again I chose the later.
Howerver, when one see the world before them and where they have come from to get there some can not leave their comfort zone while others can. Some surrender and quite because it is always easier to do that. It takes work to step out of ones comfort zone. It is Faith that sustains us and desire that drives us to achieve our goals. For those that give up on their dreams and goals what is left is just the drudgery of doing the minimul to get by. Ive been there and it not living...Its dieing.
Someone much wiser than I once said something to this effect.
(Dylan) something about you are either living your life dieing or living your life living.
Both can be painful and uncomfortable ..I thik you know which I perfer and the rewards are better here.
JB.
Change is Inevidable for all of us in this world...It is how we deal with our Fears that makes the difference.
but it really doesn't say much. What would you change and how will you change it?
Outside of complaining about being overworked and understaffed I don't see anything that you can realistically chaneg without confronting what Cheerful calls "The Powers That Be"
Change begins when you make a list of things to change and confront the people or person with the power to make that change.
So maybe what we all need to do is bombard the State Boards of Nursing in each state and and demand direct involvement in the setting of limits for safe practice. The Board governs nursing and therefore they can make Laws, regulations etc. that govern Standards of care regarding safe Nurse to Pt ratios, and more lenient time limits for med passes and less stress on time limits for care such as dressing changes providing nurses more autonomy to plan their day.
To Whom It May Concern:
Dear Sirs or Madame
It has recently been a topic of much discussion and concern to all of the nurses who have signed below that we are not recieving fair representation. We understand that the Boards of Nursing for each state govern nursing and have set many laws, regulations, accepted practices, and the strict scope of practice to which we all willingly conform. It is our concern however that nurse to patient ratios have not been properly addressed. We as nurses throughout the United States feel that facilities are continuing to increase our load to extremes. We feel that as our professional representative we must call on you to protect our interests and see that safe patient care is not only performed but is within our abilities to perform. We all feel that we are called upon to perform many more tasks than can reasonable be performed in the allotted time span. We feel that as nurses we are expected to perform well and admirably nder such conditions and accept that we are always going to have a certain amount of stress involved in our chosen profession. That is one of the many reasons that many of chose nursing because we are able to maintian a cool head and perform ideally in such circumstances. It is one of our greatest attributes and one we all prize. The continued increase has understandably taken some of our glory by the sheer fact of overwhelming us to the point of inability to carry out our duties and mantain our fearless countenance. We are currently under too much strain and even a donkey can bear only so much wieght before his back is broken. We further do completely appreciate timed medications and procedures and fully understand that some things must be performed within understandable time limits. We understand for instance that moring medications are passed due to the timing of interacting with meals as most medications should not be taken on an empty stomach. Just as we understand that soe medications must be specifically administered on and empty stomach. In the issue of other things such as dressing change and other procedures that can be safely performed at any time providing they are definately perform within a timely manner we wouldl like autonomy. We beseech you our Boards of Nursing to take up the mantle in this regard and perform for us you charges the implimentation of these wishes.
cannoli
615 Posts
Well, I guess they won't be hearing from me then.