I wonder what the ER's will be like in 2010 when the continent will be short the predicted 400,000 nurses?
Governments set forth plans and policies to ban hallway medicine, set nurse to patient ratios, give out monies to recruit more nurses yet authorities continue to predict short numbers of nurses.
Our population grows older in larger numbers, and we continue to live longer. But we are also unhealthy. Obesity and all its associated problems continues to rise to near epidemic proportions. People are increasingly going to recur services of hospitals so how is it we are not heading toward MORE problems of hallway medicine.
In one of my more recent past nursing positions I have had to deal with nurses refusing to take anymore patient assignments. The management authority side of the brain says,
"you must, we can not turn people away requiring care".
The more human nursing side of me agrees with the nurse;
"If I take on more patients how can I not endanger the lives of all my patients?"
What happens when nurses on the units refuse to take patients is, for a time anyway, they are placed on stretchers in hallways, cared for the nurses working the ERs. How bloody safe is that!
An ER nurse has his/her more immediate standards of practice to contend with. Now they have to somehow find the time, and energy (and I don't mean that in any nasty way) to care for a med/surg classified patient.
Tell me, Mr Prime Minister, Mr President, how well could you tolerate being cared for in an unsecured, total privacy lacking hallway? Why should you have priviledges above and beyond any other health care consumer?
No more studies. Utilize the excellent resources we already have. A piece of paper does not necessarily mean a better nurse.
Friday, March 25, 2005
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Nurse questioning WHY they should stay in the profession
I have spent some time the last couple of days reading through chat rooms. Too many nurses seem to be questioning whether, even after 20 years, to stay in the profession.
They are stating reasons like the way nurses treat each other (you know many are too rough on students and new grads), heavy patient loads, long hours, lack of support or appreciation from superiors.
So in the forums and chat rooms they look for support. They try to look back at how nursing has shaped who they are now, the good things that have come from caring for people. But I have read nothing about looking forward to the future.
Scares the crap out of me. I may need hospitalization some day, yet there might not be enough nurses left to care for me. I think I'd rather dye at home, or atleast instantly from an accident.
A hell of a thing for a nurse to say but it is NOT going to get better. Why? Because the powers that be are not reading through these chat rooms, and if they are, then it is obviously with closed ears and minds.
They are stating reasons like the way nurses treat each other (you know many are too rough on students and new grads), heavy patient loads, long hours, lack of support or appreciation from superiors.
So in the forums and chat rooms they look for support. They try to look back at how nursing has shaped who they are now, the good things that have come from caring for people. But I have read nothing about looking forward to the future.
Scares the crap out of me. I may need hospitalization some day, yet there might not be enough nurses left to care for me. I think I'd rather dye at home, or atleast instantly from an accident.
A hell of a thing for a nurse to say but it is NOT going to get better. Why? Because the powers that be are not reading through these chat rooms, and if they are, then it is obviously with closed ears and minds.
Monday, March 21, 2005
Shortage of our own creation?
I have read on many news and provincial registering body sites that it is estimated we will be short about 400,000 nurses by the year 2010. And schools repeatedly turn away qualified applicants for nursing programs. In addition, there is a shortage of "qualified" instructors (the reason for turning away students). They require apparently Masters prepared (and preferrably Doctorate) nurses.
Too many meetings, too many committees, too many fancy papered reports on the problem and no one has given, not that I have seen, a concrete suggestion for a solution.
I believe they need to stop wasting time and money, and "qualified" resources. There are very well qualified, educated and experienced nurses who may hold only a Baccalaureatte degree whom they are ignoring.What happens when we hit 2010? What happens when we hit a number greater than 400,000 and the population in need of nursing care far exceeds what it is now?
My fear is too many will be dying waiting for care, excessive hallway medicine and even more nurses leaving the profession due to long hours, burnout and the fear of "accidently" killing someone.
Too many meetings, too many committees, too many fancy papered reports on the problem and no one has given, not that I have seen, a concrete suggestion for a solution.
I believe they need to stop wasting time and money, and "qualified" resources. There are very well qualified, educated and experienced nurses who may hold only a Baccalaureatte degree whom they are ignoring.What happens when we hit 2010? What happens when we hit a number greater than 400,000 and the population in need of nursing care far exceeds what it is now?
My fear is too many will be dying waiting for care, excessive hallway medicine and even more nurses leaving the profession due to long hours, burnout and the fear of "accidently" killing someone.
Sunday, March 06, 2005
The nurses "instinct"
Not too long ago a couple of local area (my home town) nurses saved the lives of 5 people. Not so unusally you may say? Well, using their keen instincts and knowledge about poisonous substances (in this acse carbon monoxide), they noted that the patient they were caring for in hospital (acutely ill in the ER) lived with 5 other people. With little hesitation they had emergency vehicles dispatched to the patients home immediately. There were indeed 5 people in the home who were in need of immediate assistance. Thanks to their instincts, and not fearing to act on them, they were heros (atleast in my eyes).
But how many other peole recognize them as such? Not enough!
But how many other peole recognize them as such? Not enough!
speciality as necessity
After 19 plus years of nursing, seems I have worked myself into neer unemployability.
Nursing has become very specialized, requiring certificates for every area of practice.
I would recommend to all nurses to not stay too generalized. Just keeping updated on CPR and ACLS proves to be of little value to most employers now adays.
I have been trained (as an outpost/community health nurse) to do extensive history/physical exams, deliver babes, suture minor wounds, immunize adults and children, even diagnose and prescribe for simple illnesses. I have had management and supervisory positions where I trained, taught, hired, worked on policy and procedures. Yet after 19 years people are telling me I am under-qualified. I am even not qualified for working PostPartum.
It sort of feels like a nasty kick in the teeth. Afterall, havn't I been working on a BN? Yes, but I have yet to have that paper in hand...;.it makes a huge difference.
Nursing has become very specialized, requiring certificates for every area of practice.
I would recommend to all nurses to not stay too generalized. Just keeping updated on CPR and ACLS proves to be of little value to most employers now adays.
I have been trained (as an outpost/community health nurse) to do extensive history/physical exams, deliver babes, suture minor wounds, immunize adults and children, even diagnose and prescribe for simple illnesses. I have had management and supervisory positions where I trained, taught, hired, worked on policy and procedures. Yet after 19 years people are telling me I am under-qualified. I am even not qualified for working PostPartum.
It sort of feels like a nasty kick in the teeth. Afterall, havn't I been working on a BN? Yes, but I have yet to have that paper in hand...;.it makes a huge difference.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)