About 2003 I remember our senior director said they wanted to look at using a nurse as a patient care coordinator for 2-3 operating rooms. The OR itself would have non nurses doing the care. Thankfully, it went nowhere. With regard to nurses quiet quiting or not wanting to return to direct patient care, this will never improve as long as nursing management is unrestrained in its retaliatory actions against staff nursing. Amnesty International, TANA and ICN have called for regulatory reform. But, nursing elite control the narrative. They will not self regulate and will not give up this power. So, the culture allows for immunity calling what is clearly misconduct, an employment issue. And we all know HR works for administration, not the employees. Thus, the only recourse is legal action. Nurses do not have $25,000 to retain an attorney. Much less battle a hospitals deep pockets. This leads to helplessness against the system. There are no watchdogs for the nursing front line except grassroots small organizations. The media has failed nursing and so has so called professional organizations. Unions have their decades old playbook and will not champion regulatory reform, either.
As always, John, you share the hard truths. I also share your disappointment in nursing leadership. After talking with the new ANA President I felt she understands what nurses are going through and wants to help. Whether she can steer the organization toward making a real difference for front-line nurses is an open question. I hope so, but identify with your despair. Thanks for commenting.
Thanks, Theresa for writing back. I wish I could write like you. I mean it. As an oncology nurse I have followed your back when you wrote for the NY Times and thought it was so cool that they were letting you have a voice.
My story is not unique and I don't mean for anyone to feel sorry for me. I am just mourning the hope that I believe gets fizzled out so quickly within the current (10-15 years) nursing work force. I don't know what kind of seismic change we need before our country (or the world) would say enough is enough.
You are welcome! And don't worry--I didn't read your comments as feeling sorry for yourself. It's important to share stories of struggle. We can't fix problems we don't know about.
Happy anniversary, and congratulations to Sophia! Her move will be a big change for you all, but what an exciting opportunity!
As for your article, I always wonder why it is that people in power forget basic economics. However can we solve the nursing staffing shortage?! Just spitballing here, but maybe hospitals could try making nursing jobs more attractive, so nurses would choose them? It’s worth a try!
Brilliant! Yes, Mari--you see how easily the nurse staffing shortage could be solved. As I love to say, since I'm married to an astrophysicist, "This ain't rocket science." All joking aside, though, American health care is in crisis and it's not clear that the people who could fix that problem care enough to, which is sad and scary.
A great question. The worry was that the scope of practice that is given to RNs (and to some extent LPNs) would be expanded to include unlicensed personnel. Since licensing is controlled by the state, requirements for licensing could be changed or certain jobs could be reclassified. It doesn't make a lot of sense if you think about it--and your question gets at that nonsensical element. But since hospitals are so resistant to doing the obvious to keep nurses at the bedside, and still willing to hire travel nurses rather than support their own staff, the fear of replacement took hold in some people's minds, mine included. The basis of the idea is that greed will make people do crazy things, even if those things would compromise our entire health care system.
During the COVID pandemic, the country could witness, day by day, the incredible sacrifice and value of our nation's nurses. At the same time, hospitals and hospital systems were given tens of millions of dollars in financial support by the US government (meaning you and me). How much of that was passed down to the nurses working on the front lines? Only as much as was necessary to keep them working. Theresa has it exactly right - our "shortage" will continue until nurses are given the respect and gratitude they deserve and are paid commensurate with their worth.
Great point, David! That money was supposed to keep American health care going in the midst of a crisis, not benefit high-level hospital administrators and, God help us, shareholders.
We are living in sobering times and I am saddened by what the future will hold for me as a boomer who will need health care. I pray that my time will be far off.
Working through a pandemic was traumatic and forced me to accept that my chosen profession that has provided me skills and experience for good was not valued. I am not just my skills! I am still working and you would have thought that what we went through with all our collective stories would be enough to impart change.
I appreciate you Theresa for bringing these issues to light so eloquently.
Thank you, Marie! I'm sorry you feel so taken for granted. A friend who is about 20 years older than I am had feelings similar to yours after reading this column. She wondered who is going to take care of all the aging baby boomers. I don't have a good answer to that question and like you, I am disappointed that Covid did not lead to a national reset in health care priorities. The lure of money has proven overwhelming, when I know from my hospice work that what matters at the end of people's lives is how loved and cared for they felt, not how rich they were. When will we come to our senses as a nation?
Very sobering commentary on a real threat to the remaining glue in a patchwork system of care, Theresa. Delivering compassionate and humane care to our fellow human beings is hard work; we should show our respect and gratitude to those nurses willing to embrace that role while we endeavor to address the underlying reasons for an exodus from the bedside.
As always, Lou, your eloquence on these hard topics brings a tear to my eye. Physicians are suffering, too, as are other health care workers. You are right to say that delivering compassion is hard work and deserving of respect and fair compensation. The answers to this crisis are known. We must as a nation find the will to implement them. Hugs to you and thanks for commenting.
About 2003 I remember our senior director said they wanted to look at using a nurse as a patient care coordinator for 2-3 operating rooms. The OR itself would have non nurses doing the care. Thankfully, it went nowhere. With regard to nurses quiet quiting or not wanting to return to direct patient care, this will never improve as long as nursing management is unrestrained in its retaliatory actions against staff nursing. Amnesty International, TANA and ICN have called for regulatory reform. But, nursing elite control the narrative. They will not self regulate and will not give up this power. So, the culture allows for immunity calling what is clearly misconduct, an employment issue. And we all know HR works for administration, not the employees. Thus, the only recourse is legal action. Nurses do not have $25,000 to retain an attorney. Much less battle a hospitals deep pockets. This leads to helplessness against the system. There are no watchdogs for the nursing front line except grassroots small organizations. The media has failed nursing and so has so called professional organizations. Unions have their decades old playbook and will not champion regulatory reform, either.
As always, John, you share the hard truths. I also share your disappointment in nursing leadership. After talking with the new ANA President I felt she understands what nurses are going through and wants to help. Whether she can steer the organization toward making a real difference for front-line nurses is an open question. I hope so, but identify with your despair. Thanks for commenting.
Thanks, Theresa for writing back. I wish I could write like you. I mean it. As an oncology nurse I have followed your back when you wrote for the NY Times and thought it was so cool that they were letting you have a voice.
My story is not unique and I don't mean for anyone to feel sorry for me. I am just mourning the hope that I believe gets fizzled out so quickly within the current (10-15 years) nursing work force. I don't know what kind of seismic change we need before our country (or the world) would say enough is enough.
Thanks again for your advocacy!
You are welcome! And don't worry--I didn't read your comments as feeling sorry for yourself. It's important to share stories of struggle. We can't fix problems we don't know about.
Happy anniversary, and congratulations to Sophia! Her move will be a big change for you all, but what an exciting opportunity!
As for your article, I always wonder why it is that people in power forget basic economics. However can we solve the nursing staffing shortage?! Just spitballing here, but maybe hospitals could try making nursing jobs more attractive, so nurses would choose them? It’s worth a try!
Brilliant! Yes, Mari--you see how easily the nurse staffing shortage could be solved. As I love to say, since I'm married to an astrophysicist, "This ain't rocket science." All joking aside, though, American health care is in crisis and it's not clear that the people who could fix that problem care enough to, which is sad and scary.
How the heck do you replace nurses with non - nurses ??????
A great question. The worry was that the scope of practice that is given to RNs (and to some extent LPNs) would be expanded to include unlicensed personnel. Since licensing is controlled by the state, requirements for licensing could be changed or certain jobs could be reclassified. It doesn't make a lot of sense if you think about it--and your question gets at that nonsensical element. But since hospitals are so resistant to doing the obvious to keep nurses at the bedside, and still willing to hire travel nurses rather than support their own staff, the fear of replacement took hold in some people's minds, mine included. The basis of the idea is that greed will make people do crazy things, even if those things would compromise our entire health care system.
It’s sad
I love being a nurse but not sure I can hang on through all of this . It’s maddening !!
Agree. I feel for you.
During the COVID pandemic, the country could witness, day by day, the incredible sacrifice and value of our nation's nurses. At the same time, hospitals and hospital systems were given tens of millions of dollars in financial support by the US government (meaning you and me). How much of that was passed down to the nurses working on the front lines? Only as much as was necessary to keep them working. Theresa has it exactly right - our "shortage" will continue until nurses are given the respect and gratitude they deserve and are paid commensurate with their worth.
Great point, David! That money was supposed to keep American health care going in the midst of a crisis, not benefit high-level hospital administrators and, God help us, shareholders.
We are living in sobering times and I am saddened by what the future will hold for me as a boomer who will need health care. I pray that my time will be far off.
Working through a pandemic was traumatic and forced me to accept that my chosen profession that has provided me skills and experience for good was not valued. I am not just my skills! I am still working and you would have thought that what we went through with all our collective stories would be enough to impart change.
I appreciate you Theresa for bringing these issues to light so eloquently.
Thank you, Marie! I'm sorry you feel so taken for granted. A friend who is about 20 years older than I am had feelings similar to yours after reading this column. She wondered who is going to take care of all the aging baby boomers. I don't have a good answer to that question and like you, I am disappointed that Covid did not lead to a national reset in health care priorities. The lure of money has proven overwhelming, when I know from my hospice work that what matters at the end of people's lives is how loved and cared for they felt, not how rich they were. When will we come to our senses as a nation?
Very sobering commentary on a real threat to the remaining glue in a patchwork system of care, Theresa. Delivering compassionate and humane care to our fellow human beings is hard work; we should show our respect and gratitude to those nurses willing to embrace that role while we endeavor to address the underlying reasons for an exodus from the bedside.
As always, Lou, your eloquence on these hard topics brings a tear to my eye. Physicians are suffering, too, as are other health care workers. You are right to say that delivering compassion is hard work and deserving of respect and fair compensation. The answers to this crisis are known. We must as a nation find the will to implement them. Hugs to you and thanks for commenting.