A Simple, Courageous Challenge

Guest Post by Alene Nitzky, Ph.D., RN, OCN

Alene Nitzky is founder and owner of Sunspirit Wellness Services, LLC based in Fort Collins Colorado. She provides online health coaching and exercise training. She specializes in working with people who have been through cancer treatment, or are living with cancer or other chronic health conditions.

Most people go into nursing with good intentions, because they want their life’s work to involve giving to other people in a caring profession. We’ve seen our hopes dashed and our disappointment in the many forces that make nursing far from the ideal job.

How can we reclaim nursing so we can make it a caring profession again?

There is no shortage of nurses, but there is a shortage of nurses who are willing to put up with unsafe working conditions that compromise patients’ and our own safety and well-being.

It takes courage to look at yourself and admit you are part of the problem. I believe that is one of the keys to changing nursing. When nurses will stop and acknowledge their part in enabling toxic workplaces, and toxic work relationships.

When I worked in a hospital, I heard repeated complaints from my coworkers. They saw the same problems and felt the same level of frustration. They weren’t willing to say anything, and for good reason, because as soon as I opened my mouth I felt the repercussions.

Management expects us to be the ones to take the fall, it’s no consequence to them if we get in trouble. They know they can blame us and it will fall on our licenses, they have the benefit of big money and big lawyers.

Our silence has allowed things to reach this point.

In codependency, it’s easier to look away and not address the problem, our coping strategies are avoidance and denial.

Courage is what we all need.

There’s a quiet simmer, far from boiling over. Organizations have started up, some existing ones have been more vocal, and there is a proliferation of nurse bloggers and voices on social media calling attention to these issues. A few documentary filmmakers have expressed interest in exposing the plight of nurses and its implications for public health and safety.

I challenge every one of you to take action. Start today. Do it every day.

Look in the mirror, ask yourself two questions, and don’t look away until you’ve answered them.

What have I been doing to make things worse for nurses? What am I willing to do to improve working conditions for nurses?

Stop doing number one. Start doing number two. NOW.