[briansgirl]

I recently joined the active duty Air Force. I came into it with the expectations that the recruiters lie and some of the processes with be inefficient and complicated. I never dreamed that I would be praying for good health so I never end up needing health care in the system I work in.
I am so disappointed in the quality of care, resources, technology and educational opportunities for nurses.
If the hospital I work in was a civilian facility, they would be belly up in the year. Are there any nurses out there who can offer some "light at the end of the tunnel"? Does it get better or is this the best they have got? Its horrendous! No training, no continuing education, no one who has a clue about running a hospital!!!! Truly horrid!
Any words of encouragement?

[hsieh]

if this is so then i find it very sad that the people who risk everything to defend our freedom so that we may live the carefree life that we do are not given the best medical care possible.

[SoldierNurse]

I'm very happy/content in being an active duty Army Nurse & enjoy working ICU-E at Madigan Army Medical Center, FT Lewis, Tacoma, WA. In fact, my wife [a civilian RN] recently got hired to work as a GS RN at MAMC. She loves the very clean environment, great team health care concept, and has worked at worse civilian hospitals... by far.

Frankly, briansgirl may I suggest you be more specific in your complaints so others will not be mislead regards to military nursing in general.

[SoldierNurse]

Originally Posted by hsieh

if this is so then i find it very sad that the people who risk everything to defend our freedom so that we may live the carefree life that we do are not given the best medical care possible.

I can assure you, ALL patients that I have witnessed come under direct care of the Army Medical Department & Army Nurse Corps were provided the most professional healthcare available in modern medical science. I would NOT hesitate to take a family member to an Army Medical Center that needed immediate medical attention.

[briansgirl]

I guess the army was the way to go then. I find the hospital I work in to be bogged down with inefficiency and petty issues. For one the hospital on a high census day has maybe 50 patients in house. What hospital would stay open for that?
I have never worked anywhere in my life where we see repeat offenders come through the door with complications and readmission. The surgeons preadmit their patients all the time to hang out before their surgery. What planet are these people from?
There are no continuing education opportunities for the nurses. The hospital is antiquated and inefficient. When a medical facility is not forced to do better and be better it wont. Especially when they have a captive audience. Its social medicine at its finest. I wouldnt want my family taken care of there.
I feel like I have worked in a few civilian hospitals that were bad but not this insane. THe waste and inefficency is pervasive. There is this attitude that "its the military and we do whatever we want".
I am sorry to demystify it but its not a good place for a nurse if you want progressive medicine, research opportunities and continuing education.
Honestly, the technicians can do more than the nurses.

[briansgirl]

I just want to add that Im not looking to complain. I just want some insight that it gets better. I dont know how the army nurses all feel but many nurses I work with is disappointed. We all share the same feelings. Trust me, we discuss it!

[SoldierNurse]

Originally Posted by briansgirl

I just want to add that Im not looking to complain. I just want some insight that it gets better. I dont know how the Army nurses all feel but many nurses I work with is disappointed. We all share the same feelings. Trust me, we discuss it!

In the military [AMEDD/ANC] I have worked at two outstanding facilities; Brooke Army Medical Center, FT Sam Houston, San Antonio, TX & Madigan Army Medical Center, FT Lewis, Tacoma, WA. These are the only military hospitals I've worked at, besides two weeks at Okubo Clinic, North FT Lewis. Both facilities were well advanced in their practice & technology.

I don't know which USAF medical facility to which you are complaining about, or if you are dissatisfied with military nursing in general. However, if this is the first military facility you have ever worked maybe you should consider it is not a perfect world and you got the short end of the stick. Please, in the future be more clear when you voice your displeasure of military nursing. I have no regrets serving my country again, this time as an RN in the Army Nurse Corps.

[Sylvia321]

The military just as the civilian medical facilities are no better than those who run/work in them. I am a widow because of army substandard care.

When I went before the VA board in Waco, they even stated, "I am sorry, your husband fell through the cracks" I responded with, "you are saying he died from substandard care?" He responded with, "Yes, I am so sorry".

In brief his 47 page medical records spoke volumes(he was active duty for just over 24 yrs); the MD at the ER in korea [b]wrote[b] for him to go back out jogging and return if the chest pains return. The only thing they did was a 3 lead EKG, nothing more. The NP in Germany told him his HTN was stress related and only had him on meds for about 6 months, then SHE WROTE in his chart, "HTN stress related, pt BP stable and cured at this time". She did one lab draw over a 3 yr period. According to his chart he had HTN since about 27, and they did absolutely nothing. He went in routinely for BP checks,and health check ups,and it was noted in his chart, yet they did absolutely nothing. If it is not written, then it was not done.
In Munich, he went to the doc because of a pain between his shoulder blade, they treated him for lumbar pain. This was a man who was rarely sick, only for two weeks a year after recieving his flu vacc.

Just as in civilian life, there are horror stories from the military medical communities. There was an army Col at Ft Sam that told me endometritis was psychosomatic. I can also tell you many stories of the civilian facilities I've been in as a patient and worked in.

My mother,last May was in the ER at Kaiser in Sacramento,for over 10 hrs and of those who entered her room, no one, except a young girl from admitting, washed thier hands. That is another long story, one of which is over 30 typed pages of infractions.

As I said, it is not just the military facilities/personal, it is every where. Some are good and some not good.