a few workplace woes that I need some help with

[hapeewendy]

*sigh* just when I was thinking things were not so bad it seems all heck broke loose at work........

our hospital f'd up its budget so bad that despite being short staffed ALL THE TIME 87 nurses are going to lose their jobs, I will most likely be one of them - I'm not too overly concerned about it but a lil nervous, anyway thats just issue #1 - as some of you know I'm doing my BSCN part time at school and have been given permanent night shift, well the "manager" has informed us that she will be removing one of us from permanent nights (five of us presently do this shift), despite the fact that we are always short on nights and no one wants to work nights so we are fufilling a unit need by doing this ,she figures she can change things at will. She says things like "it was a trial and error thing , not definite that you all would be doing night shifts, I can change the schedule" yadda yadda ... its so frustrating because with the switch from nights to days I tend to get really run down and more apt to being sick... which brings me to the next woe, sick time .. she says the rationale for changing some of us back to day night rotations is that there are too many sick calls for night, but she just doesnt have her facts straight on this one!!! all shifts battle with sick calls....... besides if youre sick youre sick, and a lot of people call in sick to avoid all the nonsense going on at work right now.. I always come in, press forward, try to do my best , but I'm getting so tired of never knowing whats going on , whats being said behind my back , or where I stand...

I like the unit I work on and most of the nurses I work with, and really feel as though I'm making a difference- which is probably why I am still there, but I just dont know what to do, people have suggested trying to bring my concerns to the "higher powers" in management or nursing practice but I just dont know ..........*sigh*

merry freakin christmas ...

its such a shame really because I get so much positive feedback from coworkers,patients and families........

[Love-A-Nurse]

(((((wendy)))))

[mother/babyRN, RN]

You know, this MUST be happening for a reason...Maybe a job (life) change, will do you good, especially if it involves even a few less stressors..Life has a way of opening doors when one closes, right???

[adrienurse, LPN]

WTF??!!!Laying off nurses during a nursing shortage??

Are they mad?

OO OO OO! Come move to Winnipeg. Plenty of jobs here. Much cheaper than TO as well.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

It all will backfire in their face.

We had a layoff about five years ago during tough financial times at our hospital. They got all cocky and did whatever they wanted to the nurses that were not laid off. Then a mass exodus occurred of some of those that remainded. So on top of their layoffs, more staff quit. They began having to use agency for the first time and then really went broke. Within a few months they were calling back the people they laid off begging them to come back. Most didn't.

Five years later they are still feeling the repercussions of their poor planning. It was interesting to watch.

Good luck to you!

[mattsmom81]

Wendy I'm sorry you are having to go through this. It really sucks.

So little respect for nurses out there....hospitals switch us around shifts, work us short, then lay us off...it doesn't make any sense does it?

I agree it's about $$$...are they planning to hire brand new nurses at cheaper rates?? Some facilities like using agency...'reduced infrastructure costs' etc.

Do you have unemployment benes in Canada? If so you can get a paid vacation for awhile!! One nice thought! :)

[Little One2]

Hey Wendy,

I think you need to think hard about your options. I know exactly what you are going through since I work with you. You don't need the added stress of the manager making changes. We both know she doesn't listen, and she only does what she wants to do.

I recommend you dust off your resume and look for another position which will support you going to school and doing nights.

It feels great to be starting a new job with in the next few weeks. I no longer have to deal with the hassles and the politics in that hospital.

It is better to do something now before the layoffs come. Be proactive if you think you will be one of the ones being layed. OR see if the manager will indicate to you your chances of being layed off.

Keep in touch,

Your friend,

[Flo1216]

I just heard the same thing in my hospital...that nurses might be laid off. Interesting considering that half of my class has a contract with this hospital since they paid our tuition and we graduate in June. We'll see what happens. And we are always short-staffed as well. But I also heard that we are bringing a bunch of nurses in from Puerto Rico so who knows what to believe?

[mattsmom81]

Now they're laying off US nurses to bring in cheaper imports?? Let us know what happens Flo...if this happens there oughta be a law ..

Administrators are so low....I've worked in hospitals where they tried to fire or 'buy off' old nurses near retirement so they wouldn't have to pay those retirement benes either. Plus us 'old' nurses are too expensive as well...salary wise and in insurance payouts as health problems develop as we age. Grr..

Look out for number one Wendy and all other nurses...nobody else will.

I know I'm old and jaded...hehe.

[JNJ]

Actually, mattsmom81, the foreign nurses being brought in are, in general, not a cheaper option. What is happening is that the very large nursing agencies are recruiting hard overseas and bringing those nurses over here, helping them prepare for NCLEX and then hiring them out as traveling nurses or agency nurses. (Imagine the pressure on these foreign RNs!) So facilities are paying agency rates for them. Don't blame the nurses themselves, they are subject to heavy advertising and many of us would do the same in their shoes. (I was recruited for a senior post in this type of preparation, so I have some insights about what is going on.)

And don't presume they are all underqualified; some have awesome ICU type skills and BSNs, but they do not 'hit the floor running' and seem unskilled at the start because they require some degree of 'Americanizing' to truly be useful to the units.

Let's keep an open mind and try and support the worth of nurses in general; dividing us is not going to help our cause.

But this use of agency nurses will actually help the cause of remaining staff in facilites. RNs can then go to HR with an independent contract of your own - asking agency rates of $65-$85 per hour. Facilities will pay it - they are already paying this rate to agencies - to retain skilled, known staff. Develop this angle and all nurses will benefit. Empower yourselves. This is being done all over the USA. See the nurse entrepreneur area of this web site or independentrn.com

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

Wendy- I also know of several hospitals that would hire a good night nurse such as yourself in a New York minute. This is an opportunity for you...any specialty you want, any area of North America you want...wow.

Why not travel a little and meet some young, hunky, beach bum, make money and sample the night life? Have fun. It's hard leaving places and people you know, but making the jump is good for building confidence in yourself. Imagine- you might find a hospital that staffs well and values their nursing dept.

[hapeewendy]

way to read my mind there canoehead (get outta my brain already! hehe)

I was thinking that 2003 would be a good year to start to figure out this life of mine, I've been stuck in a rut for awhile , change can be scary , but it can also be exciting , I've started making changes in my life already and so far am doing okay , changes will take time but I'm definitely in a change kind of mode these days...

cheers friend

[Mkue]

Cheers Wendy,

Good Luck

Marie:)