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Nursing in TX - Like it? Do we have any govt. support?



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May 29, 2007 01:03 PM

Nursing in TX - Like it? Do we have any govt. support?

by Pretty in Ink Premium Member

I am a nursing student and have been reading through almost every forum here!! I love this site, and alot has opened my eyes and mind to things I never knew about or thought I should care about, but it has. I was wondering what are the good factors of being a nurse in TX as opposed to other states? Do we have government support here such as laws about nurse to patient ratios, wages, breaks, benefits, etc.? Are there any unions for nurses in TX? I would appreciate any and all feedback!

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16 Comments
No. 1
from RN34TX
Old May 29, 2007, 07:04 PM

Default Re: Nursing in TX - Like it? Do we have any govt. support?
Originally Posted by TxLVNSTUDENT512 View Post
I am a nursing student and have been reading through almost every forum here!! I love this site, and alot has opened my eyes and mind to things I never knew about or thought I should care about, but it has. I was wondering what are the good factors of being a nurse in TX as opposed to other states? Do we have government support here such as laws about nurse to patient ratios, wages, breaks, benefits, etc.? Are there any unions for nurses in TX? I would appreciate any and all feedback!
In a nutshell with respect to your questions, Texas is a "right to work" state which basically means that the laws here are designed more to protect the employer rather than the employee. Unions, just like in other Southern states, are not a very popular idea and are often met with much resistance.

There is currently a bill that is in committee that addresses mandating nurse/patient ratios. Here is a link: http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillL...0R&Bill=HB1707

This bill is not supported by, and has been the subject of great criticism by the Texas Nurses Association.

"Government support" as you put it and Texas do not go hand in hand and are complete strangers to one another in many respects in addition to nursing practice. (For example the 2005 Hurricane Rita evacuation fiasco comes to my mind.)

If you are unattached and are able to be mobile in your job choices, I would do some research and steer away from "right to work" states if unions and laws protecting nursing practice are important to you.
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No. 2
from TheCommuter
Old May 29, 2007, 07:15 PM

Default Re: Nursing in TX - Like it? Do we have any govt. support?
California is the only state that has nurse-to-patient ratios. The other 49 states, including Texas, do not have any ratios whatsoever. Basically, the laws here are written in language that protects businesses, not workers. I am not aware of any powerful nurses unions here in Texas.

If workers' rights are very dear to you, it would be a good idea to earn an RN license and move to California. You'll only be assigned to 5 patients in the hospital setting, and will have the protection of the omnipotent California Nurses Association.
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No. 3
from Kiya
Old May 30, 2007, 04:14 PM

Default Re: Nursing in TX - Like it? Do we have any govt. support?
Is there a site for "right to work" states or nurse friendly states besides Cali?
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No. 4
from Pretty in Ink
Old May 30, 2007, 04:29 PM

Default Re: Nursing in TX - Like it? Do we have any govt. support?
Thanks for the info everyone, its crazy to me that the Texas Nurses Associate would not support that bill. I've heard good and bad about unions so I was just curious if we had any. What I basically wanted to find out is where is the best places in TX to work that really care about their staff and what to expect when I actually hit the floor.
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No. 5
from TheCommuter
Old May 30, 2007, 07:48 PM

Default Re: Nursing in TX - Like it? Do we have any govt. support?
Here's a map of the right-to-work states alongside the forced union states. You will notice that the unionized states tend to be on the West Coast and the Northeast part of the country, whereas the right-to-work states tend to be heavily concentrated in the South.

http://www.nrtw.org/rtws.htm
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No. 6
from Kiya
Old May 31, 2007, 04:10 PM

Default Re: Nursing in TX - Like it? Do we have any govt. support?
Thanks for posting that Commuter, very informative! Now the question remains.... Is it better to unionize or not to unionize?
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No. 7
from loricatus
Old May 31, 2007, 04:32 PM

Default Re: Nursing in TX - Like it? Do we have any govt. support?
Originally Posted by Kiya View Post
Thanks for posting that Commuter, very informative! Now the question remains.... Is it better to unionize or not to unionize?
That very much depends on the union and if the State allows a closed shop. If the union is only there to collect the funds and not really represent the nurses, you'd be better off without it. If it is a strong union that actively negotiates for better pay, working conditions, etc and has the members cohesive, you should do everything you can to get into that job. Now, if the State does not allow closed shops (like Texas), the union never has any strength because it was already 'busted'
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No. 8
from Kiya
Old Jun 01, 2007, 07:32 AM

Default Re: Nursing in TX - Like it? Do we have any govt. support?
I don't know much about unions even though I come from a hardcore blue collar UAW state and I remember my parents were apart of unions when I was a kid but I never paid attention.


Originally Posted by loricatus View Post
That very much depends on the union and if the State allows a closed shop. If the union is only there to collect the funds and not really represent the nurses, you'd be better off without it. If it is a strong union that actively negotiates for better pay, working conditions, etc and has the members cohesive, you should do everything you can to get into that job. Now, if the State does not allow closed shops (like Texas), the union never has any strength because it was already 'busted'
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No. 9
from txspadequeenRN
Old Jun 01, 2007, 11:53 PM

Default Re: Nursing in TX - Like it? Do we have any govt. support?
I see you are a LVN student and the best thing I can say about nursing in Texas is the scope for LVN's is wide open. There is only a handle full of things you are not allowed to do ,so you can get some great EX here compared to other states.

LVN No - No's

You are not allowed to pronounce death....you can shove heart medications into them all day but this state does not think you are smart enough to know if someone is dead.

You are not allowed to spike blood- you can monitor it but you cant initially hang it.

You are not allowed to re-insert a G-tube.... - Never understood this one either . In Texas LVN's are allowed to sink NG tubes so to me that is much more dangerous than replacing a tube in a existing hole that has been there forever.

There are certain IV drugs a LVN cannot push.

A lot of this will depend on your facility as well.


There is no patient to nurse ratios ...and it has been my experience that the benefits for nurses are expensive and the employers are getting greedier by the minute.
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