Being proactive at work

[Ann4]

We've all been discussing our shared frustrations with our jobs, the profession of nursing, and our unwillingness to stand up for ourselves, so what can we do to start making a difference?? I'm talking about on the local level at our own facilities. How do we rally the support of our coworkers who sit around day in and day out complaining but never doing anything?

I for one am not the most assertive person, but I want to do something and am not sure where to start. I'd like to try to organize the nursing staff without freaking everybody out and having them think this is union activity. What about approaching our CEO and upper level management regarding meeting with a group of staff nurses to discuss our concerns? A new CEO has been recently hired at our hospital who is from out of state, doesn't know any of us, and I doubt has any idea what's going on with the nursing staff. Anyone have any suggestions or tips on what's worked for them or am I way off base here?? Could something like this really be done?

[jan56ice]

Two nurses who are standing up for themselves are two nurses who were unlawfully terminated in retaliation from the employer for reporting the DON to the Ohio Board Of Nursing for two separate issues. Suddenly in January 2001 both nurses were removed from the schedule without notice and never scheduled again to work. We have filed a complaint with the NLRB and will file one with the Civil Rights Commission next week. The employer has lied in his statement of posityion to the NLRB stating the two nurses were informed in 2000 that their jobs were being phased out. This is a lie. Any suggestions what our other options might be? Someone suggested complaining to the Ohio HCFA. Would that do any good? The Board Of Nursing says this is not a board problem. We reported the DON for allowing a LPN to audit nursing documentation and for having another nurse forge my co workers signature on a medication error form! The employer denies retaliation yet we two nurses no longer work there but the employer says we do work there! We are both black. No other nurses were removed from the schedule. We have not worked since December of 2000 at this facility! This has been a lengthy process with the NLRB and it is very frustrating. Thanks for listening.

[ May 10, 2001: Message edited by: jan56ice ]

[natalie]

It's messages like jan56ice's that make me say UNIONIZE. Sure it would be nice to not believe this is necessary, but I've heard too many stories like jan's.

What is it about unions that "freaks" everybody out down south? For me, it means UNITY.

[Ann4]

To jan56ice: I am so sorry this has happened to you. Our hospital has this Integrity Compliance Committee and hotline where employees can supposedly call a 1-800 number and file a complaint or report a violation anonymously. They harp on this stuff every year and say it's a state regulation. I almost filed a complaint on my former nurse manager for several issues but didn't. Fortunately she's been demoted, as her actions caught up with her. Sorry I don't have any suggestions for you. I'm sure the lengthy investigation process is very frustrating.

I was raised in Indiana and the whole fear of unions here in the South baffles me too. We had a big union scare at our facility about 2 years ago when they bought another hospital which is unionized. Management immediately "required" us to watch these videotapes talking about the evils of unions, blah, blah, blah, and what to do should we called at home by union representatives. I personally think our hospital could benefit from labor oranization, but the coworkers I have talked to who are pro-union are afraid to do anything for fear of losing their jobs. I like where I work and want to make a difference but I'm at a loss due to the anti-union frenzy.