- Joined
- Jul 9, 2003
- Messages
- 184
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- 9
I bet if you work in a hospital in this country you have noticed a disapearing species in the medical milieu. I'm talking about the competent nurse.
I'm a former RN who is rabidly anti-mid level with strong opinions about this stuff.
We have a broken system in which the AACN has created a perpetual motion machine of never-ending degree/merit badge acquisition with the apparent hope that every nurse eventually becomes a "physician equivalent".
While our good employees go part time or spend their off days pursuing that grad thesis on "analysis of crack-***** learning styles", our units are filled with supplemental staff from sunny eastern islands. I have started writing Rovenox 80 mirriglams SQ darry.
There is a potential giant thread about how to refill the wards. But, my real thrust is how to prevent further attrition.
I took an informal poll recently in my ICU of the go-to RNs. These are the invaluable folks who keep up their data documentation, join rounds, appear to care, and who have opinions that actually mean something. 3 out of 4 are studying for some mid-level position. CRNA is popular, as is specialty NP.
Why aren't these people being recruited for medical school?
I believe it's partly because we are dissuading them.
With that in mind, I ask you guys to be the recruiter.
-Ask why they are pursuing second-place slots.
-Let them know that yeah you are tired, but this job rocks. My 7th 30 hour call this month sucked, but I felt great sewing in that tough IJ at 3am. The nurse was awake with me and I know she would have liked to be threading that thing.
-question how they believe they can care for folks with two years of grad school when you can't imagine calling the shots without a residency behind you.
-create negative incentives. If your shop is recruiting mid-levels for specialty units get loud! Scope creep in ICUs for mid-levels is rampant. Two large, world reknowned centers with whom I am familiar now have an inverted training mix. Residents round and scut for hours while the PA/NP kidz soak up procedures and family/attending meetings.
-Tell the powers that funding a NP at 75k is ridiculous when another resident could be center-funded for the same coin.
Nursing is a tough job with a convoluted reward system and malignant leadership. They want something better and are smart enough to get it. They are leaving to join professions that are openly antagonistic to physicians.
Medicine also is a job with dubious rewards and toxic leaders, but at least they will be suffering on our team.
Be the cheerleader. Encourage them. Support them. Help these good folks be the great doctors we need.
I'm a former RN who is rabidly anti-mid level with strong opinions about this stuff.
We have a broken system in which the AACN has created a perpetual motion machine of never-ending degree/merit badge acquisition with the apparent hope that every nurse eventually becomes a "physician equivalent".
While our good employees go part time or spend their off days pursuing that grad thesis on "analysis of crack-***** learning styles", our units are filled with supplemental staff from sunny eastern islands. I have started writing Rovenox 80 mirriglams SQ darry.
There is a potential giant thread about how to refill the wards. But, my real thrust is how to prevent further attrition.
I took an informal poll recently in my ICU of the go-to RNs. These are the invaluable folks who keep up their data documentation, join rounds, appear to care, and who have opinions that actually mean something. 3 out of 4 are studying for some mid-level position. CRNA is popular, as is specialty NP.
Why aren't these people being recruited for medical school?
I believe it's partly because we are dissuading them.
With that in mind, I ask you guys to be the recruiter.
-Ask why they are pursuing second-place slots.
-Let them know that yeah you are tired, but this job rocks. My 7th 30 hour call this month sucked, but I felt great sewing in that tough IJ at 3am. The nurse was awake with me and I know she would have liked to be threading that thing.
-question how they believe they can care for folks with two years of grad school when you can't imagine calling the shots without a residency behind you.
-create negative incentives. If your shop is recruiting mid-levels for specialty units get loud! Scope creep in ICUs for mid-levels is rampant. Two large, world reknowned centers with whom I am familiar now have an inverted training mix. Residents round and scut for hours while the PA/NP kidz soak up procedures and family/attending meetings.
-Tell the powers that funding a NP at 75k is ridiculous when another resident could be center-funded for the same coin.
Nursing is a tough job with a convoluted reward system and malignant leadership. They want something better and are smart enough to get it. They are leaving to join professions that are openly antagonistic to physicians.
Medicine also is a job with dubious rewards and toxic leaders, but at least they will be suffering on our team.
Be the cheerleader. Encourage them. Support them. Help these good folks be the great doctors we need.
But we'll still have a huge problem with lousy, temporary-staffing nurses on the floors if all the nurses who want to advance go to med school. Better that we find ways to make staying a great bedside nurse more attractive to the bright, motivated nurses we love. Include them, empower them... whatever you do, don't let them leave!
