to staff (scab)

RNPD · Apr 11, 2001

UAN IS taking charge to solve our problems from within nursing. It needs to be done collectively; it is nearly impossible for an indivdual to effect widespread change, especially when that individual is as powerless as a staff nurse. And our profession is dying-we need to effect change FAST-not wait until each individual nurse is able to effect his or her small change in each workplace. Only by uniting, will we have any power, and without power, we are dead. Unionization is the only answer now, whether or not you like unions. We have to come together as one, and once you form a group you essentially have a union. It is impossible to negotiate with a group-the individual members must make their wishes known to people they have chosen to represent them in bargaining, and those reps must be faithful to the wishes of their membership and bargain in good faith with those in power. If we do not unite, we have NO power-and powerful individuals have no incentive to bargain with the powerless.

Yes in a perfect world, we might not need unions. But we all know that this is as imperfect a world as you can get and those with power do not give it up w/o a struggle. Individually, we are powerless; together we are over 2.5 MILLION strong! We must unite ALL nurses for one common goal-to save the profession of nursing and to preserve its mission to care for those who are unable to care for themselves-and to do it in the very best way that it can be done.

pickledpepperRN · Apr 11, 2001

Originally posted by wildtime88:
Evidently you have not read my posts where I ask nurses to take charge and solve our problems own our own from within nursing.

Solving our problems from within nursing IS a union. If you get a group of nurses together to unite on any action that is a union!

NurseMark · Apr 11, 2001

Wildtimes 88. Good job! Spoken like a true manager/administrator. Nursing solving its problems from within! I'm laughing my butt off right now. Get with the program... almost all professions have either a union or an informal union to meet demands of the workers. Doctors stick together thus they have excellent wages, excellent benefits, and excellent working conditions. Nobody argues that they don't deserve a good salary like people do about nurses. Lawyers are paid well because they have an informal union that demands that law professionals get paid well. Now that I think of it, most doctors and lawyers are men, right? Most nurses are women, which gives all the more reason to unionize. Please. One woman complaining about working conditions and salaries is nothing more than that... "a woman PMSing". Almost an entire profession unionizing and, uh oh, maybe it's more than PMS, maybe there is a problem. This profession is a joke. Nurses backstab each other. They gripe, complain, and take no action whatsoever. People view nurses as mere maids, not the professionals that they are. They b-tch and moan to each other, but when faced with a supervisor, they say nothing. I can hear your thoughts now... this nurse is ignorant, not all nurses are that way, he generalizes too much, he's arrogant, he has no idea about unions. Allow me to defend myself. I am not ignorant, I am realistic. While not all nurses are the way I described, enough of them are to stop the profession in its tracks from the goals it needs to reach. I'm not arrogant, I'm saying it the way that it is. I have been in a union for another profession, and I was paid well, had great benefits, had a great working environment, and management knew they couldn't shove us around because the union reps would be down their throats so fast their heads would spin. Nurses need to put these business people that run our profession in check. Either they give us what we want, or we'll strike. That means they'll have to pay absurd amounts of money to bring in nurses to keep the hospital running, and they can't do that forever. It's not like we're asking too much. Don't give us so many patients that it's unsafe. Don't force us to work mandatory overtime. Pay us the same as other professionals... $50,000 a year and up, like those business people make. Don't come into our work environment and treat us like crap, like we're unimportant to this hospital. Give us incentives to work excessively hard, don't just expect it. Ladies and gentlemen, we need to come into the world of business with our profession. Don't come into the profession because of this romantic notion of "caring" is more important than anything else. Caring is what we do, but it is also what we are compensated for. Doctors are very business minded... nurses can be too. We can be great nurses and professionals too. For those nurses that don't agree, ask yourself this,"Why don't I deserve all those things that he's talking about? Am I not valuable? Are my services not important to this company making money?". I can't wait to hear from the nurses who will bite off my head and spit down my throat for this entry. But I also can't wait to hear from nurses who feel the same way that I do.

Louie18 · Apr 11, 2001

Nurse Mark & RNPD,

RNLOUIE Here.

Could not have said it better, especially about the constant rivalry among nurses.

I as a male am honored that these ladies (remember my post of the single mother with 5 kids going full time with no support) have let me hang with them for as long as they did.'

I have had 43 jobs as an RN and why that is, is because when I first got out of school I was orienting with a lady much my senior and asked for advice. Don't settle in any one job until you have seen many jobs then decide.

She worked 25 years in a nursing home.

I never finished looking at all the areas a nurse covers. I am presently working the streets. Can't talk the talk l'est you've walked the walk.

visit my web page at http://retirednitenurse.homestead.com/index.html

Louie

RNPD · Apr 12, 2001

Hey Louie-checked out your site for just a min. Will go back soon. But anyone who likes Yorkies is OK in my book!

Louie18 · Apr 13, 2001

Wildthing,

You have just lost a ee bit of maturity with your last post.

In an IDEAL world you are correct, however if you read what Mark said it will be impossible to change within our generation.

What we can do is keep posting and as elders to the new nurses coming up (and I don't care if they are your supervisor and shouldn't be) QUIT YER BITCHIN' people.

THAT is precisely how they (meaning management) intimidate. And what do we do ***** , complain, gossip, more than any other specialized or professional group of working bodies in the world.

I MUST say this, when schooled, we were ALL indoctorinated to the "TEAM" approach to nursing.

As previously posted, they put us behind closed doors, among giving promotions to whomever will create the most resentment.

Forget everyone else, think of the team on the floor and remember you are part of it.

Don't get caught up in the "Keeping Score" syndrome. (I did more for her/him)

And smile, smile, smile.

I remember whenever passing another nurse on the floor it was automatic, "Need any Help?" EVERY NURSE PASSED!

No, it's sad but you ladies have truly been served an injustice, why . . .

Because they know WE CARE!

Lets care about each other.

Louie