Our Most Pressing Concerns With Healthcare

[nursinghumor]

Hello Everyone, this is a question I ask nurses that register with the Nursefriendly. Will be posting their responses here, feel free to chime in with your own.

Andrew Lopez, RN

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Your most pressing concerns with the profession and healthcare: That nurses will leave the health care industry for more of a business career. The idea of being a nurse is not as glamorous as it used to be. We work long hours, short staff, less pay, overtime, take cuts in pay just to keep a float. There are no incentives to continue with CEU's for most facilities no longer pay for them. This is a big issue and does not keep the nurses up to date with healthcare. You have to be on too many committees within your facility in order to get a raise. They don't care about your family and if you get to spend quality time with them, as long as the floor has a warm body to give nursing care.

Kathryn Spilker RN, BSN, LNC, Lifeline Medical/Legal Consulting L.L.C.:"As Legal Nurse Consultants, we use our nursing experience, and knowledge of legal issues in preparing cases related to health care issues. Screen cases for merit, prepare chronologies, summaries, timelines and analysis of the medical records. Identify standards of care, causation issues, locate experts, research and review medical data and literature. Assist attorneys with all aspects of discovery and trial preparation. The success of your medically related cases relies on qualified, detailed, and accurate assessment of the facts.
3034 Ridgetop Ct., St. Peters, Missouri 63376
E-Mail: educate5@verizon.net
Homepage Address: http://www.nursingentrepreneurs.com/spilker/

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Any questions, please drop me a line.

Sincerely,

Andrew Lopez, RN
Nursefriendly, Inc. A New Jersey Corporation.
38 Tattersall Drive, Mantua New Jersey 08051
http://www.nursefriendly.com info@nursefriendly.com ICQ #6116137
856-415-9617, (fax) 415-9618

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[nursinghumor]

Your most pressing concerns with the profession and healthcare: My most pressing concern is putting inexperienced nurses in critical care fresh out of college. They lack the experience necessary to work these areas. When we get a trauma in they panic and puts the patient and other nurses at risk. The saying a nurse is a nurse is a nurse is not true. Areas of nursing are to specialized and nurses need adequate training. The shortage of nurses has put the emphasis on filling vacancy's with anyone with a license.

Patty Olson, RN, BSN, MBA, Independent RN Services, Wisconsin Nurse Entrepreneurs:"Independent contracting to hospitals. Specializing in ER and ICU."
http://www.nursingentrepreneurs.com/olson

[nursinghumor]

Your most pressing concerns with the profession and healthcare: Growing lack of interest in a nursing career. Nursing shortages are at crucial levels across this nation. Many nurses have licenses in escrow because they are burnt- out or just tired of the misuse of nursing talents. Respect for nurses has being a long suffered issue that will only change when nurse unite and no longer fear supporting each other. Make your voice known. Join and take active roles in nurse organizations.

Gerry A. Kinjorski, BS, RN, CLNC, Aidant Research Nurses, Inc., Florida Nursing Entrepreneurs:"Aidant Research Nurses, Inc., is a legal nurse consulting firm that serves the patient-client and the attorney. If you have questions concerning negligence or medical-malpractice, personal injury or assault, toxic tort, worker's comp or any medical injury you may need Aidant."
http://www.nursingexperts.com/aidant/

[1mg.epi]

My friend, to answer your post on new grads in critical care. In our CCU, the experienced nurse becomes a teacher. A good precepter program will get them ready. We put new grads in our CCU then train them for 2 years ant move the best to our CVICU (it is in the same unit, long story). But if the new grad is not cutting it, we ask them to leave to another unit. This is voted on by 4-5 senior nurses after 6 months. We based it on the nurses ability to practice safe, ability to retain information, ability to look up information, attitude towards patient satisfaction. Then you have more personal such as, are they their for a social life, or help patients get better. I have seen some new grads become great nurses after 1 year. And most of the ones that stay for 1 year are here 5 years later. We have a great program.

You must set up a program that does not "eat your young". Take them under your wing. Give constant positive feedback.
When they are off orientation, you must always be their for them. Support, support, support. Most people will achieve your expectations if you set them out at the start and continue to challenge them.

[TracyR]

I am 100% behind any form of intern program, as long as it is appropriate for the unit. And I was one of those nurses who thought that all the newbies should spend time in Med/Surg before venturing out.

Teach them from the ground up... weed out as appropriate... everyone has their niche!

[ReesesMIMI]

I have worked for an immediate care facility for 14 years. The business was sold about five years ago and now has internal family medecine, emergency care and walk in patients also. It's a very fast pace enviroment. Caring is not the most important part of their care plan.. They recently hired med. tech's who don't have a clue of what their doing. I called the state nursing board and they told me that if I am the R.N. working with them that I could be held responsible for any medication error that occures. I spoke with the medical director about this issue and she was beyond mad that I had called the state. I did not give the name of the facility. I have since left because of all he stress and errors I saw. They hired three med. tech's to replace me. I found out they are paying them seven dollars an hour. It has taken me several months to get over this. I went on several job interviews and have found the same situation in other urgent care and family facilities. I would not tell anyone to be a nurse. I loved the people I cared for----and I really cared. I saved their tails numerous times. Thanks for reading. My typing is not that good.

[nursinghumor]

Sorry to hear about your situation, never worked in a surgicenter myself. I've always worked on hospitals med/surg, tele units or in long term care.

I wouldn't be comfortable in that type of situation either, knowing I could be held responsible for poorly trained, cheaper employee's screw-ups. Yet you see that type of situation all the time in hospitals when supervising students, lpn/lvns and nursing assistants or unlicensed assistive personnel. It's hard to avoid.

Best suggestion I could offer is try a different type of environment or hospital unit. Maybe try homecare, casemanagement, etc. Chances are you'll find a situation you are comfortable with.

I do recommend nursing with several reservations. I want potential nurses to have a good idea of what they're getting into beforehand.

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.4nursing.com

[nursinghumor]

"Your most pressing concerns with the profession and healthcare: Nursing shortage and the fact that current nurses are discouraging others from becoming a nurse. Also increased paperwork for bedside nurses. It is very difficult to provide full nursing care because of the mounds of paperwork required. New forms arrive frequently."

Janet Zarzour, RN, Tennessee Nurses:
Specialty Area: Labor & Delivery
http://www.nursefriendly.com/zarzour

[nursinghumor]

Your most pressing concerns with the profession and healthcare: Healthcare is expanding and growing exponentially. We, as nurses need to be flexible, skilled, and open to fill unique niches to meet the needs of an ever changing society.

Victoria Pettograsso, LPN, BS, MS, Coastal Care Nursing Associates:"Private nurse ownership assures our patients of superior nursing care and personalization. Presently, we are expanding our horizons into the nurse registry-consulting field. We would like to help you set up your own nurse registry. Time saved in policy and procedure development can yield earlier profits."
1525 S. Tamiami Trail Suite 603
Venice, Florida 34285
Phone: 941-492-4474, Fax: 443-342-2493
CoastalCare@nursingentrepreneurs.com
http://www.nursingentrepreneurs.com/pettograsso

[nursinghumor]

Your most pressing concerns with the profession and healthcare: The amount of people that are joining the profession for the wrong reasons. People know of the nursing shortage, and know that jobs in this profession are plentiful, but some people would make a better dog warden than a nurse.

Angela Halley RN, BSN, CLNC, River View Legal Nurse Consulting:"We specialize in providing legal nurse consulting services to attorneys (plaintiff and defense), insurance companies, workman's compensation firms, and individual institutions for risk management services. Our firm has over 20 years of nursing experience in psychiatric, labor and delivery, pulmonary, neurology, medical/surgical nursing, and many areas of nursing management. River View Legal Nurse Consultants provides a time efficient and cost effective answer to your legal nurse consulting needs."
64 Deenie Dr
Bidwell, Ohio 45614
Phone number: 740-245-9891, Fax number: 740-245-0153
E-Mail: angelahalleyrn@wmconnect.com
http://www.legalnursingconsultant.org/halley