I graduated in 2002 and was thrilled to begin my nursing career on a telemetry unit in a Magnet hospital. But I ended up enduring five months of physical exhaustion and mental distress. I had nine to 10 patients each night, was usually unable to take breaks, and didn't always have ancillary staff to assist me. I routinely left 90 minutes to two hours after my shift ended. Half of the night shift nurses were new to the job, and we knew we were in over our heads-even the experienced nurses were stressed out. I had to resign.
Faith Miller, RN
Jamaica, NY
My manager works against tremendous odds to protect patients and safeguard nursing practice. Always a nurse first, she is highly respected by staff because patient-centered care is her priority. But even she is finding things difficult because of cost-cutting administrators who refuse to see the essential role of nursing in health care.
In California nurse-to-patient staffing ratios went into effect in January. Hospitals retaliated by cutting support staff. Now RNs are spending more time looking for linens, ordering diet trays, and finding wheelchairs and bedside commodes.
I want to work with remarkable nurse leaders who will stand up and say "no" to these shortsighted cuts that keep nurses from doing their jobs. We need nurse leaders who haven't forgotten how to be nurses.
Lynn Taylor, BSN, RN
San Jose, CA
I am a nurse who doesn't work at the bedside and who opposes mandatory overtime. I recently testified with the Hospital Association of Pennsylvania to the Pennsylvania state senate regarding a proposed mandatory overtime bill. My focus was to show the lawmakers that there are ways to staff a hospital in even the worst of circumstances without mandating overtime. I haven't implemented mandatory overtime in any of the facilities I work in, nor do I plan to. Data gathered by our hospital association has shown that 20% of the hospitals are responsible for 80% of the mandatory overtime. 1 These data show that the highest users of mandatory overtime are often the state facilities that the laws don't even apply to.
Beth Glassford, MSHA, CHE, RN
Lancaster, PA
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