Whispering Hope International

Tag: Nursing

  • Confronting Workplace Violence Against Nurses

    Confronting Workplace Violence Against Nurses

    Safety on the Floor

    Nurses enter the profession to care, not to be hurt. Verbal abuse, threats, and physical assaults have made workplace violence a growing concern in hospitals. It is also an increasingly urgent issue in long-term care facilities across the country. 

    In high-stress environments like emergency departments, behavioral health units, and long-term care, emotions often run high. Patients and families may be in crisis, frightened, or frustrated. But none of that justifies nurses being treated as targets.

    Nurses in San Diego quietly share stories of being hit, kicked, or screamed at, of having their safety concerns dismissed as “part of the job.” Some have learned to normalize it. Others carry that fear into every shift: Will today be the day something really serious happens?

    New policies at the federal and state level are starting to address violence in healthcare settings. However, laws alone won’t heal the culture. Real change requires hospitals to take nurse safety as seriously as any other quality metric. The community also needs to understand what nurses are facing.

    How Whispering Hope International Can Help

    Whispering Hope International stands with nurses in saying clearly: violence is not part of the job.

    Our goals include:

    • Creating education campaigns that help the public understand how to interact respectfully with healthcare staff

    • Offering debrief spaces for nurses after violent incidents, so they’re not left to process trauma alone

    • Partnering with advocates and professional groups to support stronger protections and enforcement for healthcare workers

    Every nurse deserves to finish a shift and go home physically and emotionally safe. That’s a baseline, not a luxury.

  • Supporting the Next Generation of San Diego Nurses

    Supporting the Next Generation of San Diego Nurses

    From Classroom to Bedside

    San Diego is home to some outstanding nursing programs. San Diego City College, for example, has been ranked among the top nursing schools in California and the nation. Its NCLEX pass rates reflect both student dedication and faculty excellence. 

    But even with strong programs, the pipeline of new nurses isn’t keeping pace with the demand at the bedside. Limited program slots make it hard for aspiring nurses to get in. Competition for clinical placements adds another challenge. Financial barriers also hinder many from staying in school. The path from pre-reqs to RN is difficult for students who are also working. It is especially challenging for those who are parenting or supporting extended family. This journey can feel like a marathon with no guarantee of a finish line.

    Once new grads land their first job, the learning curve is steep. They step into units where staffing is tight. Patient acuity is high. They’re expected to function at a high level almost immediately. While many hospitals offer residency programs, the quality and length of support can vary widely.

    When new nurses feel unsupported, some leave bedside roles within the first few years. That loss is painful for them and costly for the entire system.

    How Whispering Hope International Can Help

    Whispering Hope International wants San Diego’s next generation of nurses not just to survive their training and early years. They want them to thrive.

    We’re exploring ways to:

    • Pair nursing students and new grads with experienced nurse mentors in the community

    • Offer workshops on real-world skills rarely covered in class: navigating unit culture, advocating for safe assignments, and setting boundaries

    • Provide small emergency grants or resource referrals when financial stress threatens to derail a student’s education

    Behind every RN badge is a journey. We want to make that journey a little less lonely and a lot more supported.

  • Beyond the Applause: Inside San Diego’s Nurse Staffing Crisis

    Beyond the Applause: Inside San Diego’s Nurse Staffing Crisis

    If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that a hospital can’t function without nurses. Across California—and here in San Diego County—nurses are sounding the alarm. They warn about chronic understaffing. It affects patient care and their own well-being.

    California is still the only state with a law that sets minimum nurse-to-patient ratios. On paper, that sounds like protection. In reality, nurses report that staffing often feels like a moving target. When units are short, nurses are asked to take on more patients. They cover extra roles and stretch themselves in ways that can feel unsafe for everyone involved. 

    Statewide, experts project that the nursing shortage will grow sharply in the next decade. This will happen if recruitment and retention don’t improve. Tens of thousands more nurses will be needed across California by 2033.  In San Diego, this pressure shows up as full waiting rooms and longer shifts. There’s also a constant scramble to fill holes in the schedule. This is especially an issue in high-acuity units.

    Recent strikes at Rady Children’s Hospital and Sharp HealthCare put these issues in the headlines. Nurses there have raised concerns about staffing levels and wage fairness. They are also worried about their ability to safely care for patients. This is particularly challenging in one of the most expensive cities in the country.  When nurses walk a picket line, they’re not just asking for more money. They’re asking for conditions that allow them to deliver the care they were trained to provide.

    For San Diego nurses, staffing is not an abstract policy question. It’s the feeling of walking into a shift already behind. One admission, one rapid response, or one code will stretch the team past its limits. It’s the moral weight of going home at the end of a 12-hour shift. You wonder whether you were truly able to be present for each patient.

    How Whispering Hope International Can Help

    Whispering Hope International is committed to creating spaces for nurses. They can speak honestly about staffing and safety. There is no fear of retaliation. Through listening circles, anonymous surveys, and collaboration with local partners, we aim to:

    • Amplify nurses’ voices in community discussions and policy advocacy

    • Provide workshops on advocacy skills and how to engage decision-makers

    • Connect nurses with mental health and peer-support resources when staffing stress becomes overwhelming

    The staffing crisis is not just “a nursing issue”—it affects every patient, every family, and every community. Our hope is to stand beside nurses as they work for change.