this is what I sent

[Sabra]

I sent this, I did. I'm tired of people giving untruths to the media of why there is a nursing shortage. I decided to speak out and tell them what I know.

A Nurse Speaks Out!

I?ve been an RN for very close to 30 years. I?ve traveled across the country, as a traveling nurse in the Operating room for ten years and I?ve listened and heard. There is a nursing shortage but no article I?ve ever read actually tells the truth. The truth is, nurses leave the profession and discourage the young to come into the profession for numerous reasons. Lack of respect from hospitals, physicians, patients, and their peers. Poor pay through much of the US. Poor managers, rude and abusive physicians, rude and abusive patients and families, and peers who are so lacking in self esteem they eat their young?.and young is a relative term. Young can mean anyone they dislike, are threatened by, are new, are old and have more knowledge. Sad but true, sometimes nurses are their own worst enemies. Another reason is nurses can?t agree on anything, they lack the perspective of the big picture. Instead of standing together in a union, arbitration, non union, whatever it is, they can?t. It?s what about my patients, what about my duties, what about????.Well what about respect, pay reflecting your worth, hours you can work, your family, your life? More importantly, WHAT about your needs?

Hospitals are inflexible many times in scheduling, overtime, expectations. They make policies where the nurse must call the supervisor before they call a physician about a problem and the supervisor on a particular shift deems it is not a problem until 2 or 3 am and the next supervisor gives permission to call. Not to mention, case loads of patients. Do you want your RN, to be in charge of 20 patients? You have managers who want to be your friend, have no control over a unit, refuse to see problems, are narrow minded and prejudiced for any number of reasons. The bottom line is, a manager is a manager, not your friend. They should not play favorites, they should not want to be your friend, should not make friends with staff. They should be managers. They should be open minded, fair and direct their staff without favoritism.

Physicians are still in the year 2007 treated as if they are gods. Most are egomaniacal, rude, abusive and arrogant. Now however the buzz words are, the physician is the consumer. Oh my goodness, they may take their business elsewhere. Let them for heavens sake and make quality of patient care paramount. Do not allow them to abuse your nurses make them accountable for their actions. Make them accountable to their patients. Make them human and not gods.

Then there are the insurance companies who have become the bottom line in healthcare. They dictate what procedures you can have, they dictate what surgeries you can have they dictate your life as a consumer. They don?t hear anything, they just have a list of parameters that most don?t meet. They want to make money and forget the patients.

Patients and families, do you honestly think a nurse wants to take care of you when they?re being threatened with their life, life of their loved ones, physical and verbal abuse? Nurses, mostly work hard, are frustrated, do the best they can, when they?re up against physicians, hospitals and politics.

I?m not ever saying there aren?t nurses who don?t do their jobs, because there are many. Yet most nurses I know give all of themselves, every single day to do the best they can, in spite of the obstacles they encounter.

I sign my name, because somewhere across the country I?ve touched a hospital administrator, a physician, a patient. I?m proud of what I?ve done in the past, although I?m actively leaving direct nursing care.


Deborah L. Mays, RN
253-238-8136

[PoohsBigSister]

((((((((((((((((Sabra))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

YOU ARE RIGHT ON! I work for a company that does continuing education for both nurses and surgeons...guess which courses I prefer to do?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?

Even for Continuing Medical Education the physician/surgeon acts like God.

It is so sad to see the accomplished nurses like yourself leaving the profession they obviously used to love because of the exact problems you describe!

What an excellent and truthful message you sent!

Kudos!!!

[crazymomma]

I have to agree kudos!!! As the daughter of a nurse and now I live with an LPN who works hard on the graveyard shift. I am so glad I didn't become one. O,don't get me wrong, I applaud all they do. My mom tried to talk me into becoming a nurse. I said no. That is what you wanted to do. I'd make a horrible nurse.
My house mate comes home and tells me of how the nurses on his shift are treated by the superviser.(sp) and it is horrible!! She makes them do 2 floors and he even fell one night and this woman just told him oh well. He tells me about aids who yell and swear at these old people they are suppose to be taking care of. I just hope I never have to be in one of those places.
I also understand the stress that nurses are under. You should be proud of yourself. Anyone who has that much compassion for their fellow man I take my hat off to.
Hi PBS

[PoohsBigSister]

hi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!