Nurses Escaping the Corporate World: Who Will Take Care of Us?

For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be a nurse. I always patiently waited for someone to need a scratch bandaged, or a bowl of soup brought to them. I took pleasure in "taking care of" people. I enjoyed the satisfaction of a "thank you", and the challenges of finding a way to help those in need. It felt good, and I liked feeling good. I felt respected when I knew how to handle medical emergencies, and I thought that I would be respected if I became a nurse. I felt it my lifetime goal to care for the sick and suffering, still somewhat aware that not everything can be fixed, but most things can be made less unbearable. Directly after high school graduation, I completed a nursing program that would not prepare me for what was in store for me in the real world. The real world takes guts, experience, practice, diligence, patience, humility and dignity. The real world requires that we step back and understand, and accept the uniqueness of every individual. The real world suggests that it might help to be a little insane to be able to work effectively in the medical field.

Apparently I gave little thought to the fact that some people would be less than appreciative, otherwise I would never have had the strength to enter a nursing program. I used to watch Marcus Welby and see those nurses in their starched white uniforms, hair neat and makeup just right, spend endless hours watching Emergency, taking cues from nurse Dixie on how to deal with Doctors and patients, and dream that someday I could be doing the same. After 28 years, I have found that there is seldom a "right way" to deal with people. The ending is sometimes less than blissful, and let's face it, those uniforms just weren't practical!

Sometimes dealing with people that are ill is downright exhausting, due to the fact that they feel as if they are entitled...to what I don't know, but some folks actually act as if they are the only patient on the unit that requires my presence. I understand that they are ill, but does it give them the right to be so cruel toward others? Dealing with Physicians, now there's a treat I didn't sign up for. Dear Physician, please act as if you are a complete jackass, treat me like a doormat, and blame me for everything. If I wanted to be treated like this, I would still be married. How does your wife stand you? How on earth do you sleep at night? You do realize I am the one here doing the assessment, and I have clinical skills that may be better than yours at this point, you are simply on the phone receiving the information that I am giving you. I didn't call you because it's fun to wake you up at 3:15 AM to tell you that your patient appears to be suffering from an exacerbation of congestive heart failure. Do you think this is fun for me? Sure, I'm the one who gets to do the paperwork!

You may think I get paid very well, and I don't, thank you very much. I get paid on an hourly basis, just like the guy at McDonald's. Of course, I make more hourly, but I bet he has a lot less stress, and a better benefit plan. Do you know I don't even have vision or contraception options on my insurance plan? I'm the one giving care to people, can I not expect to get the same quality care as I have given for all these years? Can I hope to be taken care of in my golden years? Many nursing care facilities have benefits that are just awful, if they have any at all. I find it a damn shame, both ethically and socially, that a nurse would have to pay out of pocket for any health care needs. There should be a state funded program for ALL workers in health care, and perhaps states would be able to relieve the nursing shortage. Do you realize some of us work part-time at Wal-Mart just to have a benefit plan at all?

So where are all the nurses? Some are entrepreneurs, and have started their own businesses outside of the health care arena. It seems that they are better compensated for their time and feel more secure financially. Some have semi-retired and work odd jobs, or as aforementioned, at Wal-Mart full time with benefits, as it is certainly less stressful. Many have gone into the legal or paralegal arena as consultants or attorneys. A majority of them are retired, and living on social security, as there was no real good benefit program to supplement their retirement. Nursing is a stressful job that leaves it's mark on the men and women who have entered the field.

Why don't we just train new nurses? Here's an enlightenment...I work with CNA's who see what we do and would never DREAM of becoming a nurse after what they have been exposed to. CNA's used to be our potential nurses, but now it seems that when one actually knows what happens on this side of the stick, they try very hard to get out of the field, and no longer want to pursue nursing as a profession. They see the disrespect and criticism we are given, and say "no thanks". They become veterinary technicians, hairdressers, paralegals, respiratory therapists, or continue on as a CNA with no desire to further their education. They don't want the liability. Neither do potential nursing instructors, who are underpaid and have tremendous liability. How can we even begin to train new nurses if there are none interested in the profession, and nobody available to train and teach those few who do have continued interest?

We are understaffed, over-stressed, and underpaid. We are the few, the proud....oh well, you get the picture.

We need reform in the medical field to get more staff assistance and relief for those nurses remaining, or there will not be enough nurses to care for us when we enter the stage of our lives that we need care. We are getting burned out, and we aren't going to survive much longer. It is taking toll on our health and well being, and we are all going to find a way out sooner or later, whether it be voluntary, or by death from exhaustion. We desperately need more LPN's and Rn's, more nursing instructors and nursing programs, and an incentive for those who wish to enter the field, whether it be free education, increased income opportunities, a program for free health care for those in the nursing profession, or perhaps all three. Is there a legislator out there rooting for us?