| OK, I quit! | | | | weeks with healthcare professionals from around |
| I'm tired of beating my head against the wall in a | | | | the nation at a number of venues. The recurrent |
| healthcare system that believes that its most | | | | theme, they quit or are in the process of "phasing |
| valuable resource, the healthcare professional is | | | | out." Physicians are willing to spend well over |
| indiscriminately disposable. | | | | $5000 per weekend for seminars on "Alternatives |
| Let's face it; nurses have the hardest job in | | | | to Clinical Practice" but whine about spending less |
| healthcare today. Hours are getting longer; job | | | | than $500 for continuing medical education. |
| duties now include public relations, maid services, | | | | Programs in law, business and research aimed at |
| complaint resolution, cryptography and social work. | | | | nurses are full across the nation. None of these |
| Nurses are absolutely abused by the very | | | | professionals are planning on returning to the |
| hospitals that are in desperate need of nurses | | | | healthcare industry after they graduate, they plan |
| now and will soon discover the true meaning of | | | | on non-healthcare careers. |
| the phrase "nursing shortage." | | | | Why are so many leaving? The same reasons I |
| The baby boomers are aging and the current | | | | am, because our focus is no longer healthcare, its |
| generation of healthcare professionals is aging with | | | | money. We are no longer partners with those |
| them. Healthcare needs more geriatricians, those | | | | who run the business side of healthcare; we are |
| physicians who specialize in the care and | | | | their opponent or their victim. Problems are no |
| treatment of patients over 55 years of age, but | | | | longer discussed; the business people mandate a |
| as our physicians age, we will need more not only | | | | specific solution and the healthcare professionals |
| to replace those retiring, but also to participate in | | | | are expected to comply. |
| disaster care. | | | | The latest odious trend is policies that state that |
| I'm a geriatrician as well as emergency medicine | | | | an individual nurse may NOT determine that he or |
| and disaster medicine and I'm out! | | | | she is in a patient care situation that endangers |
| I've taught medical students and residents; given | | | | their license and the life of those for whom they |
| my specialties it will take 3 of them to fill my | | | | care. This is absolutely contrary to basic safety |
| shoes. The problem is that most medical students | | | | operations. On a railroad, on an airline, or in a mine, |
| are now gravitating towards the high pay, low | | | | anyone from the baggage carrier to the captain |
| stress, low time demand specialties. Surgical, | | | | of the jet can stop all operations for safety |
| Pediatric, Obstetrical, and Primary Care specialty | | | | reasons. The Institutes of Medicine in 1999 pointed |
| residencies are closing for lack of applicants. In | | | | out the fact that medicine is the only safety |
| short, there is no one to fill my 3 sets of shoes. | | | | sensitive industry in America where the ability to |
| Now I am not prone resigning from the field of | | | | determine what is safe is restricted to those also |
| battle. I've earned multiple degrees and multiple | | | | charged with keeping the income flowing. This is |
| certifications. I've worked at the scene of many | | | | an irreconcilable conflict of interest. |
| disasters at all levels of care. I've served every | | | | Healthcare professionals are also leaving because |
| deployment to the end regardless of personal or | | | | they are tired of being cannon fodder. With the |
| professional issues that may have arisen. But | | | | coming pandemic those of us in healthcare know |
| enough is enough. | | | | we will die in the line of duty just as our |
| I have recently seen healthcare take a turn that | | | | colleagues did in Toronto with SARS. We simply |
| is not only unprofessional, but immoral and | | | | won't sacrifice our lives for a system that no |
| unethical. Money has always been a necessary evil | | | | longer values us, our positions, our education or |
| in healthcare and I do not mind making a very | | | | our experience. |
| comfortable living in medicine, but when outright | | | | What impact will all this have on healthcare? If I |
| extortion determines care, staffing and caregivers | | | | am the only one who leaves, no one will care, but |
| available, the stench of the system has become | | | | I'm not alone and the pandemic is coming. |
| too great to stand. | | | | Will you let us leave? |
| I am not alone. I have spent the past several | | | | If you do, who will fill our shoes? |