[blackwell.72]

1. What was the knowledge gained from the article?
Well, I am well aware of the mental and physical toll of a career in nursing but to have it state, “the authors estimated a loss of approximately 5 years of age compared with workers with less strenuous activity.” Was quite an epiphany to see it put in terms like that. If we continue to discuss and wait around for someone to implement changes, it will never happen. We really need to start pushing for changes as a group.
2. Will the research/information in this article change or influence your practice? If so how? Absolutely! It won’t change my patient care, but it is going to change
my efforts to have more time away from work and being able to say “no.”

3. What other questions does the article raise about current practice?
The discussion on ‘technology and changes being more difficult for older nurses” really validated the stereotype and the behavior of younger nurses towards older ones. That is our culture in general- not just in nursing, and it is not going to change unless we all change the way we view older people and value their wisdom and contributions that only they can make because of their age. They are an asset of wisdom but are treated most often like a burden.
The Interventions to improve mental health really as always, puts the responsibility back on the nurse to practice self-care etc,. Of course, that is great, but the self-care just takes more time away from the household in the mean time the job just keeps piling up more and more check boxes requiring us to do more with less constantly. Although “care of self” is preached at every meeting etc, but in honestly it is just a check box for our employer to feel like they are meeting requirements because if they really meant it there would be many opportunities truly given to help with this. My unit has made several suggestions to just lighten the burden by arranging schedules etc,. but they have all been repeatedly ignored.

4. Do you agree/disagree with the conclusions of the author, why?
I do agree with the conclusion of n but it is all talk and has been forever. An employer that truly cared would have implemented changes long ago but here we are years later being told the same thing every staff meeting – “take time for care of self” the responsibility is always put back on the nurse as we get shorter and shorter staffed, and responsibilities continue to increase.
I do not agree with needing further research- the evidence is astounding if employers would look around and be honest about what they see. So many articles conclude saying, “we need further research” but what they are really saying is we don’t want to make the change.
This is not a bad attitude – it is fact, and I am sorry if my honesty offends anyone

Hidinger, J., Lu-Hsu, S., Otis-Smith, H., De la Cruz, E., & Palecek, N. (October 2022). Dying to retire or living to work: Challenges facing aging nurses. Nursing 2022, 52(10), 20-27. DOI: 10.1097/01.NURSE.0000872452.10766.fd
Melnyk, B. M., Kelly, S.A., Stephens, J., Dhakal, K., McGovern, C., Tucker, S., Hoying, J., McRae, K., Ault, S., Spurlock, E., & Bird, S. (November 2020). Interventions to Improve Mental Health, Well-Being, Physical Health, and Lifestyle Behaviors in Physicians and Nurses: A Systematic Review. American Journal of Health Promotion 34(8): 929–941. doi:10.1177/0890117120920451

[blackwell.72]

Mindy Blackwell – Mill Run gyn/onc.
To everyone that mentioned the LSA program – what is it? I have not carried insurance with OSU and find that I have been missing out on things that are offered to the insured w/ OSU. I went for a massage once and was turned away because I did not have OSU insurance so I have never taken the time to look at things they offered for staff assuming that it is only for the insured.

Holly, Greg and everyone else discussing things that are offered during our workday but at terrible times and we are not realistically able to partake- what do we do about that? That and even just getting a lunch is made to be our responsibility just as we are told it is our choice, our attitude regardless of how understaffed or how much more we are told to do with that much more less. I do realize that most of the action we try to take is shot down but seriously, we are a large # and we should not only be ruling this hospital but also the workforce in general. Would nursing be different if it were more male driven than female?

[hidinger.1]

I want to thank you all for the discussion. They were all very well thought out. I appreciate that you all took the time to read and discuss these articles. I would like to encourage you all to try to stick with nursing a bit longer before taking an early retirement. I have worked with many of you and find that you are excellent nurses, the losses would be massive, as they will be across the country. Pursue innovative ideas to encourage others to stay in nursing and become nurses.
Thank you again.
Julie

[hidinger.1]

Thanks to Stephanie, one of our co-authors for your timely and appropriate feedback.
Julie

[Author]

Posts