Is this happening in anyone else's place of employment? Since the beginning of 2012 our 240 bed acute care hospital has fired at least a dozen nurses and a few PCTs (nursing assistants). Many of them have been over 50 years old and had worked there for many years. Those of us who remain don't have any info on reasons for these abrupt terminations. The nurses involved will usually be working as usual when they're suddenly pulled off the floor into the office and told to empty their lockers and be escorted out by security.
Needless to say those of us who remain have stress levels that are through the roof. Most if not all of the nurses terminated seemed to be "good" nurses. It seems odd that someone could perform acceptably for 30 years and then suddenly become incompetent...
Could this be because new Medicare reimbursement policies factor in patient satisfaction scores and young attractive nurses get higher ratings from patients? As an older nurse, naturally I'm worried.
Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.
Mmmm....if the conditions are right they can. The hospital I left not too long ago had a union, but the nursing staff was not in it. The maintenance, aids, housekeeping and dietary staff were a union. They voted not to let the hospital withhold their annual raises one year and the hospital admin responded in kind with layoffs/firings.
The maintenance staff were targeted with many layoffs that were politically motivated. They did not follow the guidelines for layoffs (seniority). They got rid of the highest paid workers first, then got rid of the ones they thought may have influenced the union to vote the way they did.
When the union complained, they practically dared them to strike. There was no strike, and the hospital was free to do w/e it chose to.
We all float down here.
We have a very strong union and yeah, they do protect the nurses. I have seen nurses being fired, but it was just cause. No random acts of termination.
Yes, I guess they could get around it by laying off personel for cost reasons, but we run skeletal as it is. No float pool, etc..so they would be shooting themselves in the foot..big time.
I would still choose a union facility over a non union facility.
tokmom, BSN, RN
4,568 Posts
We have a very strong union and yeah, they do protect the nurses. I have seen nurses being fired, but it was just cause. No random acts of termination.
Yes, I guess they could get around it by laying off personel for cost reasons, but we run skeletal as it is. No float pool, etc..so they would be shooting themselves in the foot..big time.
I would still choose a union facility over a non union facility.