Cattusbabe--I'll go down your responses one at a time.
1. If the women you are talking about are leaving because they feel they can no longer do the job, my opinion is that is a good time for them to leave. However if they still want to do the job, why not go into teaching it instead of the heavy lifting. Maybe that is where the push should be, hiring retiring nurses to teach classes for the nurse trainees. It seems to be the natural movement for the physical jobs, when one can no longer do the physical stuff they move to less physical aspects of it.
That is a good idea however nursing instructors require at least a Masters degree and in some cases a PhD. There are programs that assist nurses in funding that advanced education. This is one of the places where the storage is and why there are not enough instructors. RN's with less that that can train nursing aides so long as they have gone through train the training certification.
2. I come from a background of working in a typically male dominated workplace. The people I worked with are not fully trusted until they had physically proved themselves, this includes women. I have seen just a many women take down 300 lbs drunks as I have men. There is no affirmative action when you are in a fight, either you can physically do the job or you can't. To you my statement is a "union slogan" to me it is how I survived.
I do understand what you are talking about. I have a sister who is a fighter fighter and one who is a police officer. They had to qualify just as the men did when it came to the physical part of the job. That is only fair. When they could no longer do the physical part of the job and they had enough time on went inside and are now on desk duty. That said you are not going to tell me that men who have paid their dues out there do not move to less physically demanding jobs and let the younger guys do the heavier jobs. I have a brother who is in construction. When he was younger he was a laborer, now that he has more skills he is not out there digging ditches like he did when he was in his twenties. His forty something body cannot do the same things it could when he was a young buck.
With nursing unless you can replace most the the fifty somethings with younger people, which is not happening, then you have to work with what you have. Thus it makes sense to look at what is needed to retain the workers you have.
3/4. I agree with your statement that nobody should have to do the heavy lifting by themselves without the benefit of some assistance whether it be a person or device. A girlfriend of one of my co-workers used to work as a nurse in a nursing home. She injured back while moving a person and was unable to do the work any longer. She sued the nursing home for not providing proper assistance and protective equipment. At first she was offered a settlement of $500,000, but because she still needed to work to pay her bills she went out and got a job as a waitress. She would fill herself up with pain killers so she could lift the food trays and do her best. The nursing home hired a private investigator, who took pictures of her hefting the food trays around and rescinded their offer and replaced it with a much lower one. The point is if there are injuries incurred because of unsafe working conditions then the management will change policies.
That sound about right. The powers that be are not exactly looking out for you.
5. When I was in the military a lot of the innovation was developed by the younger troops. Just because the boss does not give you the proper tools does not mean you cannot informally develop procedures yourself. In nursing it seems to be the lift teams. It does not require any more outlay in money and the job gets done. I don't know how the people do it where you work, but if a woman nurse comes out and requests assistance with moving a patient then is content to stand by and take care of the lighter duties, I would seem to always be very busy and no I would not help. If, however, she's in there attempting to help with the heavy lifting then I would have no problem assisting. My position is I will ASSIST you with your problem, I not going to take it over and do it for you.
I have already FIRED. When I did work we also assisted each other. You are correct, nursing can come up with ideas on their own. They do. The trick is getting the buy in from Administration. That is always the trick. However not all solutions are cheap and sometimes Administration is going to have to invest $$$$$ in their employees.
