Comments on: We the nurses... by Wendy Bowles NP

By: Sally

Sally — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 22:01:44 +0000

Easy to understand why nurses are so often demoralized given the complex conditions you’ve all been describing. However, just as we don’t give up on our patients, important not to let that discouragement make us give up on our profession. We do face very real challenges. But I think we also need to remember that there are so many instances of wonderful, courageous, optimistic and effective nurses out there. Often we just need to be around one to shift our gears, recharge our batteries, and regain our sense of what we can accomplish individually and together. Nursing is unfortunately notorious for a predilection for “awfulizing” and “catastrophizing.” If we somehow normalize those attitudes, they can become seriously self-fulfilling. But individually, every nurse who bounces back, refuses to accept pessimism, sees a light at the end of a tunnel, or finds ways to rediscover the magic is offering something restorative for the rest of us. We have been too long in BC without an association to take on that challenge of helping us feel that pride and optimism we rely on to keep us going through tough times. But we can rebuild that – one nurse at a time – if we accept our individual and collective professional responsibility to try. Thanks to all the wonderful nurses who take the time to express their perspectives on these really difficult issues as we all try to find our way toward optimism together!

By: John

John — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 20:20:06 +0000

Hi Sheila et al,

In my opinion, I believe there will be a place for Nurse Practitioners in British Columbia and in other Canadian jurisdictions. Whether it is sustainable is another question.

NP's are an emerging profession, and although legislation provides a broad scope of practice, funding, protection of practice from other professions, and politics are part of the landscape that needs to be managed.

Without sounding naive, I am optimistic that when I graduate, I will have the opportunity to contribute to the health and quality of life of BC citizens. However, the reality of current data points to an increase of Family doctors, lack of NP funded roles, in adequacy of funding models, lack of engagement by the current government to optimize the current NP's that are looking for work.

Unfortunately, I may have to pack my bags and look to other jurisdictions like Ontario and or Sask that are accelerating their commitment to integrate and optmize the NP's into their health care system.

Its interesting when we try to define and defend universal health care. It's not so universal after all; especially from an access to primary care perspective.

By: Sheila

Sheila — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 05:35:07 +0000

In my facility, the LPNs are doing almost the exact same job as the RNs. It's very demoralizing for us. We are asked to take on more, and to supervise the practice of others when we have had no real training or support, not to mention compensation for doing it.

I really hope that the Association can help to make nurses proud of who we are again.

And maybe the Association can point out that there are some problems with CDMR, which is being forced on us by the Health Authority and is jeopardizing patient safety in a big way.

John, as an NP student, do you feel there is hope for the NP profession in BC? I had considered going that route myself, but honestly, there seem to be few jobs for NPs. Do you worry that you won't be able to find work when you're finished? I wish we were able to really use our Nps. We were so excited when the profession was introduced in BC, but its frustrating to not be able to access them properly. I would be interested to hear your thoughts on this.

Best
Sheila

By: John

John — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 22:39:37 +0000

I graduated twenty years ago and these are the same issues Registered Nurses were grappling and asking themselves. Is Nursing a profession ? Is there a distinct body of knowlege that defines the philosophy and practice of nurses ?

I've returned back to univeristy and as a MN:NP student today, I am disheartened because these very issues have not been solved.

I am not sure if nursing is a profession ? what do nurses - other than the nursing process - do that cannot be done by another profession ?

By: Linda

Linda — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 23:17:58 +0000

Wendy

Thank you so much for posting this. I couldn't agree with you more. I attended one of the sessions this week, and I was amazed at how many nurses share my concern around the lack of respect nurses face - not only from the public and government who seem to have no idea what we do, but honestly, the lack of respect we have for our own profession and our own colleagues. And yet we're not doing anything about it.

The meeting I attended was one of the first times I've really felt like I could TALK about nursing issues. I LOVED the chance to just get together with nurses and talk about some of the burning issus we face.

How have we let it come to this? Good on ARNBC for trying to fix what has clearly broken down.