A n interesting article in the
Washington Post entitled "What Nurses Want" describes the growing fear that many hospitals have for the not to distant future when the projected job openings which were at 116,000 nationally last year (2007) will reach 1 million by 2020. Years ago hospitals tried using sign on bonuses, vacations, and new cars to lure nurses into vacant jobs but that has changed. Now a days nurses want more than just money, although mon
ey goes a long way considering what most nurses have to contend with on any given day.
So what do nurses want. For starters better working conditions. In many hospitals nursing has to work with outdated or poorly functioning equipment - that's when they can find it. Better patient nurse ratios. An actual say in what goes on and the ability to do what matters as the article points out. Probably the biggest item for many of us is for hospitals to come down hard, and I mean hard on rude obnoxious physicians and other nurses. I have worked in plenty of places where these bullies are allowed to continue to work regardless of their behavior. Even though the Joint Commission is stepping in now with conduct rules it is likely that not much will change.
In the last ten years of my practice which included some traveling time, working at large and small medical facilities alike, the majority by far of all nurses that I have spoken to would leave nursing in a heart beat if there was some way of keeping the same income doing anything else. A sad commentary for sure. Several new nurses I have met that have less than one year of experience under their belt have left nursing for good or are already looking to leave. Many say it is the working conditions that kills it for them. On a side note many physicians I have spoken to feel the same way.
I could go on and on about this subject which would include horrible nurse managers which are in great supply these days, unsupportive nursing administrations, bullies from all walks of healthcare - MD and RN, poor compensation, mandatory overtime, etc. etc. The list is long. The end result is what the article says and what many of my colleagues now say - "it's only a job, all you have to do is get through the shift".
The worst part about this is that hospitals are looking to change their ways only because they know that the competition for nurses is only going to get harder. If there were plenty of nurses I dare say that hospitals wouldn't be looking to change things.
At the end of the day, nurses are finally getting into the driver's seat.
So what do nurses want. For starters better working conditions. In many hospitals nursing has to work with outdated or poorly functioning equipment - that's when they can find it. Better patient nurse ratios. An actual say in what goes on and the ability to do what matters as the article points out. Probably the biggest item for many of us is for hospitals to come down hard, and I mean hard on rude obnoxious physicians and other nurses. I have worked in plenty of places where these bullies are allowed to continue to work regardless of their behavior. Even though the Joint Commission is stepping in now with conduct rules it is likely that not much will change.
In the last ten years of my practice which included some traveling time, working at large and small medical facilities alike, the majority by far of all nurses that I have spoken to would leave nursing in a heart beat if there was some way of keeping the same income doing anything else. A sad commentary for sure. Several new nurses I have met that have less than one year of experience under their belt have left nursing for good or are already looking to leave. Many say it is the working conditions that kills it for them. On a side note many physicians I have spoken to feel the same way.
I could go on and on about this subject which would include horrible nurse managers which are in great supply these days, unsupportive nursing administrations, bullies from all walks of healthcare - MD and RN, poor compensation, mandatory overtime, etc. etc. The list is long. The end result is what the article says and what many of my colleagues now say - "it's only a job, all you have to do is get through the shift".
The worst part about this is that hospitals are looking to change their ways only because they know that the competition for nurses is only going to get harder. If there were plenty of nurses I dare say that hospitals wouldn't be looking to change things.
At the end of the day, nurses are finally getting into the driver's seat.