Nursing shortage

[beachnurse]

While I do agree with you that most nurses can't cut the fast pace...When are we going to start holding these healthcare facilities responsible for under staffing and working the nurses to death!!! And then when an error occurs due to these factors....hang the nurse out to dry!! I have been a nurse for 10 years and I have decided to leave and attend law school this coming fall...I loved taking care of my patients but when I started to realize the hospitals were making it impossible for me to do it safely....I decided to leave.... Very sad for our patients...they very rarely get the care they need anymore!!

[aanimec16]

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[AmandaWIRN]

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[Ricu]

Hi folks,

It's been awhile and I'm checking in to say hi. The nursing shortage is one of my favorite topics so, lemme throw a few ideas out. Our national healthcare system is structurally deficient- there's a no-brainer,right? So consequently, as with all resources contained within the delivery component of this system; reimbursement dollars, patient beds, even some medications, nursing staff is limited. Unlike those other things, we are real people who can make a difference. It's like trying to hold the tiger by the tail if you're lucky enough to get ahold of it but each of us can make real changes to improve things,at least in our own work environments. The patients are there and sicker than ever therefore, nurses have to be there too. Work to make it better for yourself and your coworkers and get creative. It's the way to survive.

So, Nurse whose leaving the medical field after ten years to become an attorney, what will you bring from your healthcare experience into the field of law that will work for change?

Rich

[cougarnurse]

In my neck of the woods, lawyers out-number doctors by a long shot.

I often wonder if the never-ending paperwork is a major contribution to things.

[benjo19]

shortage? well in my case, in our place, nurses are over populated, and it's so hard to find a job.

[cougarnurse]

I see you found this thread, Benji! http://www.ultimatenurse.com/forum/f...869/#post61438

'Cat'

[lw2443]

One way to combat the shortage is to lower staff turnover amongst nurses and others. There are many ways to engage staff and improve the quality of their work at the same time. After four years of helping human service organizations with leadership issues, I am convinced that to increase staff retention, we need supervisors who possess the people skills necessary to be good leaders. The world's best widget makers get promoted to being supervisors and their business is no longer widget making. People dont leave jobs, they leave supervisors that they neither trust nor respect.

Larry Wenger, MSW
Workforce Performance Group
1-877-872-6195

[Ricu]

One way to combat the shortage is to lower staff turnover amongst nurses and others. There are many ways to engage staff and improve the quality of their work at the same time. After four years of helping human service organizations with leadership issues, I am convinced that to increase staff retention, we need supervisors who possess the people skills necessary to be good leaders. The world's best widget makers get promoted to being supervisors and their business is no longer widget making. People dont leave jobs, they leave supervisors that they neither trust nor respect.

Larry Wenger, MSW
Workforce Performance Group
1-877-872-6195

Interesting points, Larry. I agree that managers should be trained in leadership and believe that in many ways, ensuring this does help with retention in most job markets however, I think the issues that culminate in the nursing shortage are more complex than that. To understand the problem more fully, one has to explore the healthcare educational system from both the educator and the student viewpoints, staffing structures, salary structures, job requirements and finally a detailed analysis of the nursing scope of practice. Ironically, these very things are what attract people to nursing but once inside the system and doing the job, many opt out because they finally experience just how difficult nursing really is.

Thanks for posting,

R

[LivingDeadNurse]

shortage..ugh that word makes me cringe...we are desperately in need of nurses and CNA...i told them i didn't care if the CNA made as much as the nurses do...just get them here. the worst thing is the lower level nurses and CNA are pulling all the weight in this time of shortage...my Cnas had 25 pts a piece..i am so deperate i might just start picking people up and taking them to work with me...lol

what i want to know is how to get the younger generation interested in this field...?