Walk a Day in My Shoes: Regi Werner, RN

To help focus the attention of 2008 presidential candidates on the issues that working Americans struggle with each day -- a paycheck that supports a family, affordable health care, a secure retirement, and a better life for themselves and their families -- the nation's fastest growing labor union is urging every candidate to take time off from campaigning to "walk a day in the shoes" of working people. SEIU members are inviting all candidates to accompany them on the job and spend time with them at home with their families.

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People & Blogs

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• SEIU
• 2008
• President

[RudyMvp]

Yeah, I'm a new RN grad from a 2 year ADN program. Just got hired on a Med Surg floor last month, my first healthcare job! I like nursing but the staffing is a joke at times. I'm going to do my couple years in Med Surg then I will more than likely leave the hospital also and do something in home health nursing, or a nursing position thats alot less stressful where I'm not running around 200 mph 8 hrs a day!

I will get my experience in Med/Surg, then move on in a few years.

[julie1300]

(Cont.) ........ I left med-surg after "doing my time" . After years of the med-surg experience I don't regret it a bit. I think it's a valuable foundation to grow from. Once you have the Med/surg basic medical knowledge you can branch out into a specialty or even a non-traditional nursing role. Nursing is so versatile !!

[julie1300]

I agree , in med surg we are seeing really what 15-20 years ago would have been considered "ICU patients" on insulin, narcan and heparin gtts, those who are unable to move, completely dependent on tube feedings and require constant positional changes and neuo checks. The documentation has increased 10 fold as have lawsuits and rediculous staffing issues.

[ANGELBLU2042]

With the economy, I have to go back to nursing, but it's scarey because of the understaffing ratios. Nurses deserve alot of credit as they constantly work under such stressful conditions. I hear all the jive about poor teachers, and it seems they do more and more to look out for teachers. If the did so for nurses, there would not be such a shortage.

[spinozacelt]

"nurses leaving"...."understaffed"....­..same as 20 yrs ago.Given the general lack of power in nursing I dont expect it to change :-(

[jtk00913]

I agree. i am an rn c 10 year exp. the staff and aval of staff is not the prioity. fill the beds and not the help. it is a very frustrating time in healthcare now!

[Barbb2000]

I am one of those nurses. I left the hospital setting for home health because of it being unsafe for the patients and for my nursing license. My last day working in my small hospital I had 12 patients and was training an LPN who only had nursing home experience. I complained to the DON and she said "I don't have anyone to help". That's waht we always got, so I left.