The Nursing Shortage: Reasons Nurses Are Leaving The Profession
Written: Jan 25 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Noble Health Care Profession
Cons: Low Pay, Highly Stressful Working Conditions, & Frequently Entails Working Overtime, Days Off, And Overtime With Little Or No Advance Warning or Notice
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| Rebel5877's Full Review: Nursing Profession |
All across America, There are shortages of Registered Nurses (RN's) and Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses (LPN's/LVN's), and Nurse's Aides entering or remaining in this most important health care profession. Many Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Clinics, and other Health Care Facilities are faced with shortages
of nursing staff. Why are nurses leaving this noble profession? What can be done to insure that our national health care system has the adequate numbers of skilled and trained nurses to care for the sick and disabled?
As an LPN for over 20 years of nursing experience in both hospitals and nursing homes; I know first hand the frustrations that nurses of all levels face. The main complaints of nurses are long hours; Many health care facilities required nurses to work 12 hour shifts, overtime, and days off to insure adequate staffing of nurses in order to care for patients and/or residents. Other factors include low pay scale, inadequate employee benefits, requirements to work most weekends, holidays, and being on call should another nurse calls out sick. Nurses are expected to be quick learners, exhibit good people skills, and perform increasing complex nursing duties.
Nurse are required to attend mandotory continuing education classes and/or inservices to renew their nursing licenses and also to satisfy
Federal, State, and Employer Guidelines and Standards Of Nursing Practices required of Nurses. Often, These required continuing education classes/inservices called CEU's are scheduled outside of the nurse's normal working hours so that nurses must be prepared to expect that CEU's may interfere with their personal time normally spent with family, loved ones, and/or friends. Dealing with unruly and combative patients is another drawback that nurses are routinely faced with as well as the hard to read physican's handwritting that accounts for many medication errors.
Nurses face enormous emotional stresses and physically demanding lifting, bending, and carrying activities that are required in giving good nursing care.
Nurses can expect to work shorthanded of other nurses and nurses's aides
which only inceases the stress levels on Nurses and their Nursing Aides.
Nurse's greatest complaints are the feelings that are not appreciated by
nursing administrators, physicans, and patients. Nurses rarely hear "Thank You's", Please", And Good Job Nurse" But far to often hear complaints and insults. No wonder, Many RN's , LPN's/LVN's , and Nursing Assistants (Nurse's Aides) are leaving nursing for better paying and less stressful jobs or professions.
I highly recommend that anyone considering entering this highly stressful and demanding health care profession be prepared for these realities that face nurses of all levels.
One final note, Nursing does offer rewards such as knowing that you made an difference in someone's life and the fact that nurses can expect to find employment readily available nationwide.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
Rebel5877
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Member: Michael
Location: Missouri, USA
Reviews written: 136
Trusted by: 50 members
About Me:
College Student Majoring in Secondary Education & Business Administration, Substitute Teacher
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