Congratulations to California Nurses!

renerian, BSN, RN · Sep 7, 2002

I need to move out there. LOL

renerian

Youda · Sep 7, 2002

Yep. I think California just put a HUGE dent in their nursing shortage. If I could, I'd start packing up to move to California this very day!

Peeps Mcarthur · Sep 7, 2002

Somewhere in the near future

This just in:

Kaiser hires record number of LPN's

:chuckle

sjoe · Sep 7, 2002

Well, having worked for Kaiser (and as a CNA member, for that matter) and consistently learned not to trust either of them, I automatically think:

1) an end to mandatory overtime might not mean a lot if there is not a simultaneous, and strictly enforced, reasonable nurse/patient staffing ratio. When a fellow nurse refuses to work an extra shift, that just may mean increasing another nurse's patient load from 10 to 15, say.

2) an increasing percentage of LVNs and CNAs being hired to perform work previously done by RNs, for the RNs to supervise.

3) an increasing number of unlicensed medical workers of whatever titles being hired to perform work previously done by RNs, for the RNs to supervise.

4) forcing RNs to work unwanted shifts and days.

5) reconfiguring shift hours and days and forcing all RNs to rebid on them in order to keep their jobs (as they did with my unit).

6) forcing more floating, whether the RN is trained/experienced on the new ward or not.

7) who knows what else.

Hopefully my skepticism will prove to be misplaced.

And pigs may fly.

renerian, BSN, RN · Sep 7, 2002

When I worked at the hospital on an oncology unit, we had no PCAs no LPNS and sometimes there was only two of us for 15 patients with clinic overflow in the halls and we rotated and did all the off the floor chemo in the whole hospitals. Oh yes we did all our own errands........................was really hard.

renerian

I would welcome a PCA..........

pickledpepperRN · Sep 8, 2002

No more nurses leaving because they need to get home to their children. No more who quit because they are too tired to think straight but are threatened with discipline if they go home after eight or twelve hours.

Hurray for the Kaiser nurses!

PS: In Los Angeles where I live and work Kaiser RNs do not have a CNA contract. They are members of different unions.

-jt · Sep 8, 2002

So they were doing it to their regular staff too??? Unbelievable! I thought that kaiser policy of cancelling shifts was just aimed at travelers. That place really has some nerve! I gather this cancellations practice is common over there, so that piece of the contract prohibiting it is a very good thing. The article says the new no-cacncellation policy is 'unprecedented in the industry' but our hospitals in NYC have never been allowed to cancel our regular shifts. I never even heard of "low census calls offs" cancellations until I went to California a few years ago. I couldnt believe they could do such a thing. Glad to see RNs in CA got the upper hand on that one. Congratulations.

pickledpepperRN · Sep 8, 2002

Low census call offs are common here.

Often one discharge or death will trigger a nurse being sent home. Then they claim 'SHORTAGE' when admissions come in from the ER or OR.

They do nor keep an extra nurse or bed available in the ICU in case of a code.

GOOD FOR THE KAISER NURSES!

Youda · Sep 8, 2002

Shift cancellations are very common in Missouri. They usually send home based on seniority. So, a new hire, hired as a ful-time employee, could actually get no hours . . .ever, until the winter flu season hit. :/

OC_An Khe · Sep 8, 2002

Have to agree with -jt, on our first Union contract many years ago we banned shift cancelation for any reason. This is in a small community hospital. I am still surprised at the number of institutions that follow this grossly unprofessional and counter productive policy.

Not all contracts are perfect and its up to themembership to enforce the provisions. This is a step in right direction.

JailRN · Sep 8, 2002

:nono: Wouldn't work at Kaiser again-they call it killer kaiser. In years past, seems like a lifetime ago, we had a pt pt in the unit, MD made him no DNR, then wanted us to stop nourishment and fluids, nurses refused, told him to move the pt out of the unti, he refused, we refused, media was called, things blew up, a few resigned, to the delight of the mgmt, :nono: :nono:

I'm hiding rather than work there ever again :chair:

Anybody who wants to come to LA, PLEASE!! COME, we need nurses, badly,

and yes, Kaiser has separate unions for RN's and everybody else, also, used to be you had VERY set days off, mine were every other weekend, then Thurs, followed by Tues, didn't matter what else you had going on in your life, switching days was virtuallly impossible, I hope for all the ones who stayed, things got better. Hope for improvements.

Another reason I left hospital nursing.