How many nurses think that we do too much? and in doing so we risk our health? Do you think our employers think we are doing too much? Do you think the lack of respect correlates with our LOW pay for the job we do and the constant risk we take?
How does one determine when one is doing too much? I know every situation is different but I’ve always believed that nursing’s is a calling and not just a job. I believe we should be paid fairly for what we do however in recent days I’ve witnessed what I would term a “money grab” by some nurses and a decrease in the level of care provided by some nurses. We would do well to remember who we are and what we’ve been called to do. At the end of the day we get back more than we put in…
Unfortunately the ANA, ENA, etc. are weak. Why would nurses not have a strong compensation for the physical and emotional work they do? I have a permanent back injury, broke a finger, and had carpal tunnel surgery as a result of practicing in direct patient care in the E.D. School teachers have more power than nurses. My humble opinion we need stronger leaders. I am at the end of my career, having the opportunity to be in administration for the last 10 of my 33 years of nursing. But my back still hurts everyday and my carpal tunnel is coming back. In addition to that, what about PTSD from all the surreal experiences we have as nurses. You now have the baton to hopefully be able to follow your passion. Good Luck!
Most definitely especially during this staff shortage, our company is bringing agency in who mostly never show up and we end up doing our jobs and there’s if they do show up, they make twice as much as us, then there hiring new nurses and offering them $10,000 sign on bonuses, but us full timers get nothing and we’re doing everything and we’ve been here through the entire shit show, when do we get raises when will the state recognize us, where’s our bonuses, it really makes me want to reconsider my life choices, no one cares about us or our dedication, in the mean time I’m working myself to death, missing family time and functions and I have absolutely no time for myself and I’m in debt over my head with bills and student loans !!!
Jonnell, I agree with you. Nursing is a calling, and I have never felt underpaid. I have, however, felt unappreciated by a couple of employers. And I'm not happy with the way health care seems to be moving toward corporate mindsets, more about money than about quality care of patients.
Boundaries are imperative in a punitive career, such as healthcare. You can only do so much. Just like in life, know your worth, establish your boundaries, fight to maintain them, operate within them, and you will always be just fine. Homeostasis, amirite? =) It is when one operates outside of those boundaries is where that burnout, and being taken advantage of, come from. Guess what? We all do it and being empaths, that's the basis of operations as a healthcare provider. However, healthcare is a business. I repeat, healthcare is a business, and you are working for the least amount of cost to your employer. So if you think of the economic value you are bringing vs your productivity, you might reconsider what and how you are working in and for your job.
I have been a nurse for many many years, worked in many areas (PACU, spinal cord, medical-surgical, ICU, urology, primary care, long team care) and my observations are the same. One of the reason that nursing is so "overwork" that we gladly" accept others responsibilities. I always here this "what about the patient'? I am concern about the patient also but I my baggage to carry and I refused to take others. If I response to a code, I will do breathing for the patient. However, as soon as the respiratory department arrives, I gave that part to them.
I now work in primary care. For an example, When a patient call the pharmacy, and talk to a pharmacist regarding a renewal of certain medication. The pharmacist(which is a doctor and can prescribe medication) will alert me (the nurse) and not the doctor or NP in the patient's chart. My response to the pharmacist. "This writer does not have prescriptive authority, will forward this alert to ordering provider." This alert goes back to the pharmacist and the ordering provider. I had to do this a couple of times. However, now I do not get alert for medication renewal or the provider and I get alerted by the pharmacist. I refused to take responsibilities of other discipline duties. I was once name in a law suit but my name was removed because of this practice.
Definitely believe that nurses are asked to do too much but doing too much and being asked to do too much as two separate things friends. You have a choice you can say No! We are Not victims in fact, if we truly believe in advocating for our patients rights then we must also put that into practice for ourselves. I asked my fellow nurses who caved in and got the Covid jab against their wishes only in order to keep their job- I asked them if you would do this to yourself, allow yourself to manipulated & coerced just to keep your job; How are you going to stand up for your patients rights if you are told to inject them against their wishes?? It clearly was not in any way Informed Consent as the long term research was not done & no one knew exactly what was in it or how it was made as well as the potential Side Effects!!! Clearly Nursing did Not do enough during the Plandemic. We should have stood together en made with complete Solidarity
I'm a pediatric home care nurse, with a high needs kiddo. Her parents do NOT do anything for her ( her laundry, cleaning her room , removing the trash.. nor do they wash the medication syringes after they use them; they leave them for me. When I took a week off I came back to ALL the syringes dirty, and they just kept opening more to get thru the meds..
For this my base pay is 23.25 an hour. I've been a nurse for 27 years now and I love being a nurse and I love my client.. which is why I stay, but I could get a job at walmart being paid more and with a ton less responsibility.. it's sad
I think nurses absolutely do too much…not me though. I don’t work extra, I don’t go in early to read pt charts and not get paid, I don’t work overtime. I go in and do my job and leave. I don’t respond to calls or texts asking for extra help. The lack of respect absolutely correlates with the low job pay. But I’ve found that most nurses are punks and cannot stand up for themselves. I’ve once said…if we did a national strike, every single nurse…what would hospitals do? Ask the NP to take our place?
My health is more important. My safety is more important. This is a business and they don’t care about us. They may say they do, but they don’t. Physicians gets 6 figures and we get…maybe 65k a year. Nurses, everywhere, should be making a minimum 100k. My back and hands are hurting from having to move patients up in bed and turn them every two hours. It’s sickening.
We risk our health every day, but any one who has a job that requires physicality does the same. I have been a nurse for 37 years and have had many injuries at work. Honestly, it comes with the territory. I suspect our employers think we do not do enough (ever). It seems as though every week there is a new task we are given to complete during our already crazy busy days. Nurses have never garnered the respect we deserve, nor the pay. I remember a discussion I once had with a successful accountant who said that he made life and death decisions daily (something to the effect of: if I mess up their money, they might commit suicide!). I countered with the absolute fact that once they did that (attempt suicide) he/she came to our ER and we actually cleaned up his (the accountants) mess. The decisions we make on a daily basis are truly life and death. We get no support from the “the next guy”, we’re either successful or we aren’t - that human is either dead or alive because of us.
The lack of respect we get is shocking considering what we actually do. I’ve heard politicians say “All nurses do is play cards at the nursing station” (never have I ever!) and H. Clinton staying “Nurses are overrated”! Seriously, c’ mon over! We’ll see how overrated we are when one of you come to the hospital sick as a dog.
Pay has actually gotten a little better, but still not commensurate with what we do. I’m doubtful that it ever will be.
