What changes do nurses want to see in their workplace? We asked our community on Facebook and they came up with a long list of grievances.
Table of Contents
Most nurses echoed the need for more staffing and a lower nurse to patient ratio:
“Staffing, lower nurse/patient ratio to 4 patients/nurse, somehow decreases nurse to nurse backstabbing. I graduated from a BSN program in 1977 and things were so different as nurses actually helped and supported one another, instead of trying to look for things to get a co-worker in some sort of trouble with nurse management. It’s such a stressful job even though it was ‘my calling’ and I loved being a nurse!!!” —Dawn S.
“Better staffing ratios. Recognition that nursing is one of the most draining, demanding professions—and support to help nurses cope with all they face.”— Patti C.
“I love being a nurse and have been a nurse for twenty seven years. A lot has changed…Most of the time we’re expected to perform the same amount of tasks and workload even if we are short staffed due to call-ins. You cannot expect a nurse to give her clients 100% if she is spread so thin and pulled every which way all day and sometimes, most of the time, all without even a sit down break to re-fuel.” — Paulette S.
Better management and nurse leadership is also a major issue:
“Fire narcissistic, pathological lying supervisors. That would help a lot. There are a lot of other ways to improve conditions, but it should start with that one.” — Ginger R.
“In our hospital we have nurses with lots of letters after their name, but no floor experience, help to make the rules. They haven’t a clue! With increased acuity of patients, they have tried to decrease our load from 1 RN and 2 LPN to 9 patients down to 1RN and 1 LPN to 6 patients. But if all or most are total care, it’s just too tough. Stress and frustration lead to unhappy staff.” —Doreen M.
“Stop letting doctors run the show! The hospital administrators suck up to the doctors and all of the hard work falls on the nurses!”— Cathy B.
Others suggested more concrete changes, such as the following:
“Go back to 8 hour shifts, or at least offer it. Older and well-seasoned bedside nurses have a difficult time and our legs and backs are worn out!” — Lisa G.
“Showers and nap rooms, 1 hour break per 12 hours (not no bathroom, no water till you about to pass out!), lower nurse-patient ratio. And this goes for nurse’s assistants too for they work just as hard and get paid just above the minimal wage (unlike nurses…)”— Marina M.
Veteran nurses also have specific concerns:
“One suggestion: as floor nurses get older and have more aches and pains and issues due to this line of work there should be transition to less physically demanding positions that can take advantage of all that experience.” — Renee A.
“I agree! I am 61 and still expected to be the same ball of fire I was at 26!” — Deborah R.
“Do not run nurses off who have 20+ years of experience to hire new grads with degrees in the name of ‘status.’ I am all for continued education, obtaining advanced degrees, but when dealing with people in life and death situations there is no replacing experience.” — Alana D.
Several have also expressed their concern about government policies and its impact on healthcare:
“Get government out of healthcare and only allow upper management with hospital experience, not a business degree only.”— Ruthie O.
“Such a question with so many answers…Stop letting government rule how to care for patients is at the top of my list, they have no clue how their choices, laws, regulations etc. have affected the nursing field.” — Kathleen C.
And some believe that change starts from the nursing community itself:
“I believe that more nurses need to run for legislative positions. We need to stand up for our patients and future patients. The quality of care needs to be improved. We need to push for preventative care and education to help keep healthcare costs down. We cannot allow the lawyers to make decisions that determine how we are to care for our patients.”— Lauren C.
“As nurses we have to understand that WE are a team and we really need each other to be successful. The job is about the patients and not us.” — Chocolatee R.