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The Kitchen Table

We are losing two more nurses!

12 years ago

Both got new jobs are getting ready to turn in their resignations, one from day shift and one from nights. That leaves 6 of us on day shift and 5 on nights. You would think they would realize why we've lost so many nurses in such a short time and do something about it. A lot of the nurses who have already left spoke to the director of nursing about why they were leaving and still nothing changes.

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Comments (9)

cate52
12 years ago
Sounds like someone needs to chat with the board of directors..
marie_ndcal
12 years ago
We too are loosing nurses, but mainly due to the cost of housing due to the oil workers. Rents went from about 500-700 a month to as much as 2000.00 a month. That is what I am telling our politicians that we need some type of rent control. We do have some good clinics and teaching hospitals in this state, and some really good hospitals.
Marie
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bee0hio
12 years ago
That's too bad for you & those left. I'll bet the morale is horrible. The worse it gets, the worse it gets. Sounds like the DON is asleep @ the wheel. Are you looking for new/better opportunities, Kathleen? You know that it's not going to improve for a longggg time, if ever. They have to CARE about their nurses first.

Some of my former nurse colleagues told me recently that the hospital I spent all my working years has instituted a requirement that all their RN's must have a Baccalaureate degree within 5 yrs. Age 50+ by this month are exempt. I don't know what they'll do if someone chooses not to do that? Hard to imagine firing an experienced RN for that reason alone.
donna37
12 years ago
Requiring a BSN is going to hinder health care greatly. They are wanting to do that with our local health depts, and no way can they pay the salary wanted by a BSN RN.

I'm a retired 2 yr.RN with an Associate degree and can't see all BSN nurses in the future working on the floor. Are they just going to be there supervising LVNs?

When I was orientating, after graduation, on a medical floor there were two BSN nurses that were in charge. Neither of them had ever started an IV on a patient,nor catheterized a patient before coming to work at this hospital, it had been all book work and very minimum patient care. One started an IV and later the man called out to the desk and asked it that rubber thing was supposed to still be on his arm!

We had a huge, many page check list that we had to have all procedures done under supervision of our instructor and checked off by them before we could graduate.

One of my new graduate co-worker wanted me to go with her for moral support when she started an IV, she had done several but still wanted support. The patient looked at her nametag and snippily said 'oh you're just a 2 year nurse'. Now, this made my co-worker quite agitated and she replied, no mam, I'm a 4 yr. nurse. Patient said 'oh no, you're not if you went to ......college. Co-worker said, 'I have went two years taking prerequisite courses and two years clinical care with patients and I'm a 4 year RN'. Her DH was a local physician and she told it like it was.
Kathsgrdn
Original Author
12 years ago
Donna, they're wanting all BSNs in our hospital too, not mandating it yet but I see it coming. They were pushing it after we got a lot of bad press after a nurse was charged with killing a patient a few years ago. The articles basically said we were the most uneducated in the city. I almost went back to get my BSN about 4 or 5 years ago but the hospital wouldn't help pay for it and my ADN at the same time. I couldn't afford it and had two kids getting ready to go to college soon. Now I will be 50 years old this year and I just don't want to go back. Not only will it not help me in my job but it would make my life miserable and I still can't afford it. Helping Alex pay for his college is all I can do now.

My nurse manager just called me to ask if I would work tonight instead of tomorrow. I am supposed to work tomorrow and Thursday day shift...so I'm wondering when my next day of work was supposed to be? I didn't ask and told her I couldn't do it. I mean, I just slept last night expecting to work days tomorrow. Plus I have to run to the store. I told her I had too many things to do and it was storming here. It is, and so I can't even go out until it's over.

BeeOhio, no I'm not going anywhere. They had openings in the clinics recently (some were replaced by nurses from our unit). I don't want to work Monday through Friday right now. I would have to commute 5 days a week, park in the parking garage across the street and walk in the cold and rain to our building. I like working some weekends because we get to park in the parking garage at our hospital...and on holidays. You don't work holidays in the clinics because they are closed. Which also means no shift differential and holiday pay. I also don't want to leave the hospital because I've only got 7 years left till I can retire. It would be stupid to leave now and I love our patients. I've also seen a lot of nurses come back after leaving and saying they would never come back.
joyfulguy
12 years ago
Sorry there are some more weeds recently in your garden, Kath.

ole joyful
lynn_d
12 years ago
Wow, you are all going to be run ragged. What a mess and sadly when things like this happen the over worked can start to make errors.

One of my friends from our church just changed jobs because her hospital had changed to a BSN requirement, they lost a great nurse. But she's now working at a state run home that has a great schedule for her, she works 8 days straight and is off 6. She loves it and it allows her to be home to care for her mom and be able to plan things with her hubby and adult children as well.
maddie_in_ky
12 years ago
This is interesting b/c I am (hopefully, if Med/SurgIII doesn't kill me in the meantime) graduating with an ASN in May. I already have a BA in another field, and have no desire to go back and repeat history courses. If anything, I might look at a MSN that will take my BA and ASN. But still...I'm with you...I'll be 50 this year, and I'm tired at this point. And broke.

May I ask what floor do you work on, and if you knew one thing now that you didn't know when you graduated, what would it be?
Kathsgrdn
Original Author
12 years ago
Maddie, it's a med-surg floor. If I had to do it over again I would have done something else. There are days that I love my job and others that I hate it. I hope you find something you love and work for someone who appreciates what you do.

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