As a nurse in the workplace, you might find that most – if not all – patients are treated like numbers by insurers and doctors; individuals who arrive at the hospital through various circumstances and must be treated promptly to make space for others. Some higher-ups tend to look down on one of the crucial players in any hospital setting: nurses. While we’ve talked plenty about the importance of nurses being advocates for their patients’ rights, we’ve frequently disregarded one equally-important topic: the self-advocation for the nurses’ rights.

The hygiene and staffing conditions of a given health center will directly impact the quality of service and the results of the care provided, including mortality rates, the working conditions, among other things, will also affect the longevity of the nurses on the job. In this sense, it comes down to the nurses themselves to advocate for their rights in a hospital setting. They must work to influence the system so that they are provided with fair and safe working conditions in order to provide proper care to workers.

Two of the most influential aspects, which can significantly impact the quality of a nurse’s work, are the policies and practices of a specific workplace. Similarly, these practices can also improve the quality of service that these professionals provide to patients. Here is a list of policies and practices that can contribute to making a workplace safer and more satisfying for nurses, in general.

Positive Working Conditions

This is, arguably, the most crucial aspect of all and consists of essential rights and conditions that any nurse should have access to during their shifts. Favorable working conditions include adequate staffing in the center, ensuring the reasonable division of responsibilities among all the nurses; proper training, as well as the support to maintain the nurses’ credentials relevant and up-to-date. Furthermore, these working conditions also include the availability of breaks; if possible, there should be a proper break room for nurses where they can unwind for a few minutes before returning to work. Also noteworthy is the access to emotional support via a counselor after traumatic events, or for those who struggle with stress management and decompression.

Adequate Remuneration

Not limited exclusively to the pay; this policy also refers to the basic needs of any worker, including mental health days, sick pay, and vacation pay. If you think that your workplace is not offering adequate remuneration or compensation, feel free to visit organizations such as National Nurses United to verify your claims and, if need be, to ask for assistance.

Inclusion in Policymaking and Representation on Hospital Boards

This is a tricky one as, the larger the number of nurses in a given workplace, the harder it will be for them to receive proper representation in a hospital board or committee. These groups of individuals are the ones responsible for most of the policies that you must adhere to while in the workplace. In other words, the decisions they make will potentially affect thousands of workers, including the nurses. Sometimes, these policies are made by a handful of people that might not be completely aware of the necessities of each party involved. In this sense, nurses must advocate for proper representation in these boards, so that their collective voices can be heeded and taken into consideration during policymaking.

A Violence-Free Workplace

While technically a part of our first entry, the issue with workplace violence for nurses has escalated to the point where it requires its own entry. Many nurses are mistreated by their superiors, as well as by doctors, on a daily basis. Furthermore, these very individuals that abuse nurses force nurses to keep quiet about their circumstances. Nurses, on the other hand, are forced to comply out of fear for keeping their jobs, or out of want for a promotion. Fortunately, there are currently many social and legal movements that seek to root out violence and sexual harassment against healthcare workers either from superiors or patients. Search social media for the hashtags #MeToo, #SilentNoMore for more information on the subject.

The Portrayal of a Positive Image in the Media

Either in TV, Radio, or on the internet, nurses have always been portrayed as second-best when it comes to the pivotal parts of any hospital setting. In this sense, we can find reporters and journalists interviewing doctors on topics that they could be asking nurses. To give nurses more impact in the media, as well as protecting their rightful place as essential pieces of the caregiving process, this must be remedied. Several resources address these issues, and that provide feasible measures to improve public opinion on the value of nursing.