[moron4hire]

People could die because nurses have to cut corners to keep up. It's better to not be involved in unethical behavior than to contribute to it continuing to limp along.

And to be clear, I don't think of this as a "negotiation tactic with the bosses". I see this as a tactic to get the bosses evicted completely.

[rtkwe]

That's a much easier thing to say as the person who's not the one who has to actually do it. Actively choosing to do identifiable harm now to prevent future diffuse harm is a more difficult version of the 'Trolley Problem' that already gives people trouble when the numbers are direct.

[moron4hire]

> Actively choosing to do identifiable harm

No, it's actively choosing to not do identifiable harm. Whatever harm comes to patients when you are not there, not even an employee anymore, can in no way be blamed on you.

Why does nursing licensing exist? Probably in no small part to ensure a minimum standard of care. Therefore staying and cutting corners in violation of your licensing terms is the active choice to do identifiable harm. To stay and cut corners is allowing management to shift the blame on you.

I've been on the difficult side of this problem, where safety and people's lives are at stake. Management never says "cut corners". It's always "you're expected to get through the work load." If you ask them if you're supposed to cut corners to make it happen, you get greeted with silence. They will stonewall you on every corner. You can tell them it's impossible and they will just ignore you and repeat their "expectations".

They'll hang your job over your head. They'll tell you they will just get someone else to do it. They'll tell you they'll blackball you. It's a bluff. Any place that is cutting corners is already in dire straights. They can't fire you because they'd be in an even worse position. They can't find anyone else to do the job because they wouldn't be in this situation if they paid enough to hire enough people to do the job. They can't blackball you if they themselves become persona non grata because they were at the helm when a hospital had to shut down because they refused to pay enough for nurses.

The only play, as a bottom rung worker, is to not play at all. It's War Games and WOPR.

Quit and the situation gets resolved very quickly. The org is on its last legs. It's only life support is the people who bend over backwards to keep it running. One hospital guess down, it's nightly news. Two and it's a national emergency.