Bridging the Gap

We’ve long known about the generational gap in nursing. Nursing schools were producing a fair amount of nurses, and the baby-boomers were talking retirement. Since I was in my undergrad back in the early 2000’s, I have heard so much about the nursing shortage that would occur around 2020. I remember sitting in one of my first nursing classes and thinking, man I hope something changes between now and then. If they were talking about it then, they must have known something I didn’t. We knew then that colleges and universities were not producing the needed number of nurses for the future. They were producing a fair amount, but with the boomers retiring, and the population aging, we were in for ride. So guess what we did to combat the perfect storm we saw on the horizon twenty-something years ago?! Absolutely nothing.

You see, where I live in the Midwest, they actually eliminated almost all of the ASN programs. Why would you do that? Not everyone wants to go into management, not everyone can afford to spend the extra time in school to complete the BSN. Why are we making it harder when there is a shortage? Nurses with an ASN make the same about as nurses in the same position with a BSN. So why eliminate the shorter path to a nursing degree? I know, I know….nurses with higher education result in better patient outcomes. I totally agree! However, don’t you think it would be smart of us as a profession to look into some alternative methods for nurses to obtain a higher education. Such as paying ASN nurses for clinical time to obtain their BSN. Some states are trialing this and it’s working. How about LPNs? If you have been an LPN for, let’s say 10 years, sit for registered nurse boards. If you pass….awesome! If you don’t, then let’s remediate the areas where you were weaker. Then for the hands on training for clinical hours, let’s make that paid orientation. I have worked with LPNs in hospitals in the past that worked circles and had more knowledge the any RN on that unit. The red tape that has been created to obtain higher education, is only lining the pockets of the schools providing the education. This is also another topic I will get into. Mind you some of this is just my opinion.

Bridging the gap would also help with retention. A word I have loathed for the last year. My organization has been preaching retention. However, when polling my departments, I found that while more money is nice, sometimes it is the environment, a sense of loyalty from the employer, outside perks, daycare options in house, and other great ideas that would keep more nurses. As the rates for travel nurses skyrocketed post-COVID, nurses were leaving the bedside and specialty areas in droves to make more money, but like I said before, there are so many other retention ideas. Yet we continue to just throw money at problems. So, lets cut the BS and really dig into why, as a profession, do we continue to support the decisions being made by those that have not worked the bedside in years. I am not knocking the BSN programs or advanced degrees by any means, I hold a master’s degree, but I would absolutely love to see easier tracks in the profession. Some examples: Specialty tracks that actually prepare the nurse for that environment, not just a nine week capstone on a unit that they just got thrown on, possibly including Periop 101 in school for nurses that want surgery, counting years of experience towards a higher degree (they do it in other professions), etc. Online programs are growing, and that is awesome, but they still limit certain groups from obtaining degrees.

So I leave you with this……

For those of us still in the profession, not matter what our level/job title is, how to we actually change the face of nursing to ultimately help ourselves? Sounds self right? But I have a least 25 more years to work, and I am already tired.

A Little Bit About Me

“To do what nobody else will do, in a way that nobody else can do, in spite of all we go through … that is what it is to be a nurse.” – Rawsi Williams

I’ve been a nurse since 2008.  So much has changed since then, but some things have never changed.  I started my career while in nursing school as a PCT on a Med/Surg unit.  I knew this life wasn’t for me, but it gave me so many things.  My first patient as a nurse, my first drip, my first upset family, my first runner, my first code, my first death, and so much more.  I worked as a PCT for three years while finishing my BSN.  After graduation, I stayed because I knew that I was comfortable there to grow my skills.  I stayed for one year.  During that time, I found my passion for nursing, and like I said, it wasn’t Med/Surg.  I had fallen in love with surgery.  When I was on orientation, my patient was going down to surgery.  My preceptor at the time asked if they would let me watch.  Man, I was so excited!  It was a simple lap chole on a young healthy male.  I watched the nurse as she scurried around.  I watched the CST set up her table and then assist the surgeon.  I was in awe of the work.  Little did I know there was so much more to consider.  

So, as I finished my first year on my unit, I just knew something was missing.  I set up some time to speak with my manager.  I told her I didn’t think this life was for me and that I wanted surgery.  She was beyond ecstatic that I had finally found my passion.  See, she knew I was a good nurse, but I was missing something.  It was my passion.  Literally right then and there, she picked up her phone and called the manager of surgery.  They were in desperate of staff, but unsure about taking a fairly new nurse with no experience in the operating room.  Long story short, four weeks later, I found myself in the surgery department, on orientation, wondering if I had made the biggest mistake of my life.  LOL! 16 years later, I am now the manager of surgical services in a small town in the Midwest.  I am living my passion.

With that being said, I have so many ideas on how to improve our profession. Just a few thoughts, that I will elaborate on in this blog are: schooling- why has it not changed in 20 years, licensing for LPNs, LVNs, etc, legislation, efficiencies, and so much more. I hope you come along with me on this journey