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| Advertisement Sponsored Links | | | | No. 1 | 
Dec 18, 2007, 03:17 PM
 Re: about CO nursing
Is it true that there is no "colective" voice for the RN in CO? No union? "Right to work" state?
If so that is a very disapointing truth   | | No. 2 |
Dec 19, 2007, 08:45 AM
Re: about CO nursing
Wow, and I just thought I was feeling persecuted for no damn good reason! Actually a couple of years ago our hospital had a consultant from back east in to review our patient loads, practices, etc. They recommended we raise our ratio - the consultant couldn't believe we only had 5-1 on days and 6-1 on nocs on a medical floor and could certainly handle more than that. After all the nurses "back east" certainly do. Thankfully it didn't affect our floor too much but did some of the others in the hospital. And it irritates the living crap out of me when staffing says "Well we can't really take the number of CNA's on the floor into account when bedding patients." I've only been a nurse for 5 years but have seen the accuity climb quite a lot. Total care patients are the rule rather than the exception.
Having been in unions before, I've not been keen on getting involved again but have recently been checking out organizations involved in supporting nurses and working for change. Occasionally, when for some reason I've only have 4 patients, it's like a breath of heaven. I actually feel like I have time to care for my patients!
| | No. 3 |
Dec 19, 2007, 10:20 PM
Re: about CO nursing
This is why I would never come home to stay and work. I told my parents if anything happened to one of them, the other will come here to live. If I could, I would be the nurse to stand up and start a nurses union. Someone SHOULD DO it. and Do it with pride and strength. When one opens the door, other people will walk through it.
It's a big step, but it would be an amazing outcome. I hear a few nurses have been fired from hospitals out there for complaining about ratios, etc and one I believe was trying to collaborate to start a union. If there's a will, there's a way. A difficult statement, I know.
| | No. 4 |
Dec 20, 2007, 08:30 AM
Re: about CO nursing Originally Posted by StudentNurseBean  This is why I would never come home to stay and work. I told my parents if anything happened to one of them, the other will come here to live. If I could, I would be the nurse to stand up and start a nurses union. Someone SHOULD DO it. and Do it with pride and strength. When one opens the door, other people will walk through it.
It's a big step, but it would be an amazing outcome. I hear a few nurses have been fired from hospitals out there for complaining about ratios, etc and one I believe was trying to collaborate to start a union. If there's a will, there's a way. A difficult statement, I know.
Yeah, when I was still very new I worked with a nurse who was pretty involved with trying to get people into the union. About once every year or two there's a push again, we get a nominal raise and people move on. Very disappointing. I usually work weekends so spent the weekend trying to find the info and contacts. It's become a mission now. Some companies (Kaiser) are union but not nursing on the whole here.
I've told my parents the same thing! However, they're from KCMO which is still "right to work" I believe........ But when we have winter we just have snow - they have ICE.  | | No. 6 |
Dec 20, 2007, 12:28 PM
Re: about CO nursing
I wonder if I can help you from over here? I mean, I have enough time on my hands to do it right now. Do you know where we would start? I know a handful of nurses over in Colorado Springs and I know people in management positions. What about new graduate nurses who are excited like me, to start out in the field and make change? I would love to change the way things are over in Colorado. I am from there and miss it dearly, but cannot work there b/c they have little respect for the ones who care for their patients, the most.
Think about this, I'm seriously willing to help you from California if I can.
| | No. 7 |
Jan 07, 2008, 11:59 PM
Re: about CO nursing
I am a student in KCMO and that ICE comment cracked me up!
I was looking at Colorado and discussing moving there with my hubby in a few years, but now I am wondering. What are the ratios you all are dealing with, and does it depend on which hospital you are at? In Kansas City the ratios are all over, 7-1 (have heard higher at times) at some of the for-profit hospitals, down to 4-1 with a PCT at a non-profit I am considering. (those are med/surg/progressive care units)
I am sorry you all feel so unappreciated. Hopefully someone will stick to their guns and improve your conditions.
~BlueBug
| | No. 8 |
Jan 08, 2008, 12:02 AM
Re: about CO nursing
One more question, what does "right to work" mean?
~BlueBug
| | No. 9 |
Jan 08, 2008, 02:04 AM
Re: about CO nursing
"In the U.S., any state law forbidding various union-security measures, particularly the union shop, under which workers are required to join a union within a specified time after they begin employment. Supporters of such laws maintain that they are more equitable because they allow a person to choose whether or not to join a labour union.
Opponents contend that the name right-to-work law is misleading because such laws do not guarantee employment to anyone. On the contrary, they maintain that such laws tend to reduce workers' job security by weakening the bargaining power of unions."
Citation: http://www.answers.com/topic/right-t...ws?cat=biz-fin
Essentially, you do have a "right to work" without having to join a union shop but these laws more so help to suppress the "voice" of the employee collectively so that the employer can implement changes regardless of how the employee feels about its effectiveness or productivity.
Currently the states that I know of that have right to work laws are: - Alabama
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Wyoming
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