Another reason unions suck!

[Ruger8mm]

Trying to get a vacation as a new RN under a union regime is challenging at best. It's all seniority based. So the senior RNs can basically come and go as they choose. But that means the rest of us cannot be off (even though we don't cover each other or know each other's job). Also the silly union made a rule that managers cannot approve vacations to far out. So if someone knows they want a certain week 2 years from now, they cannot secure it and start booking flights or whatever. It's irritating at best.

[NurseDiane]

For me the last straw on working in a non union hospital was being ordered to lie to Magnet surveyors on threat of termination.

I decided that I simply wasn't going to do it, even if it cost me my job. I just lucked out and didn't get asked anything by surveyors that week.

I am willing to risk my job based on my performance and behavior, but being threated with being fired for NOT lying? That was too much for me.

It's too bad you weren't wearing a wire to record being told to lie or lose your job. That would have gone over really well in the media.

[ufaalu]

I can reduce my labor costs by replacing the more expensive/experienced nurses with newer RNs (

Spoken like a true Supervisor ufaalu… Are you out on the floor getting patients out of bed, feeding them, cleaning them, passing out beds and helping out with admissions and discharges? If so, then maybe you can make an informed decision about upping your ratios by 50%. If not, then you are being another bean counter. The union is making your job harder by having working standards. I am sure that your staff would consider upping their ratios if they are guaranteed ancillary assistance and improved workflow. The only way to guarantee this is by contract, hence the union… Oh yeah, your unit is not a Farm! Your unit consist of human beings with emotions and limits, you treat them with respect you may be able to pursue your agenda.

to answer your first question...NO! that is why they are called "floor" nurses/line staff.

to answer your second question...there is no total PT care..each floor nurse gets to share a CNA with another floor nurse; which helps with work flow.

[Farawyn]

Spoken like a true Supervisor ufaalu… Are you out on the floor getting patients out of bed, feeding them, cleaning them, passing out beds and helping out with admissions and discharges? If so, then maybe you can make an informed decision about upping your ratios by 50%. If not, then you are being another bean counter. The union is making your job harder by having working standards. I am sure that your staff would consider upping their ratios if they are guaranteed ancillary assistance and improved workflow. The only way to guarantee this is by contract, hence the union… Oh yeah, your unit is not a Farm! Your unit consist of human beings with emotions and limits, you treat them with respect you may be able to pursue your agenda.

to answer your first question...NO! that is why they are called "floor" nurses/line staff.

to answer your second question...there is no total PT care..each floor nurse gets to share a CNA with another floor nurse; which helps with work flow.

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[Adele_Michal7, ASN, RN]

Not Union and I have trouble getting one DAY off. Then management wonders why people call off (when they're denied a time off request.)

[Dogen]

Isn't this a nursing blog? Where else should one be able to rant free of judgement?

No where? If you post vitriolic, inane, unethical, or unprofessional things then you should be called to the mat for them. Regardless of where you post them. We're social beings, and social reactions are one of the ways we learn what's appropriate and what's inappropriate behavior. I wouldn't expect or particularly want a place totally free from judgement. Someone's got to keep an eye on me.

[pggrn]

I have worked union and I have worked non-union. I can say, without qualification, that union is better. I represent the RN's at my facility and have done this for years. To those of you who are whining about unions I would first ask all of you, how many union meetings have you been to in the past year? What have you done to help your union? Let me guess, the answer is "not a damned thing." What I think many fail to realize is that a union is only as good as the members want it to be. After all it is not "the" union it is "your" union. Step up and take some responsibility. The next time you get the time and a half for working overtime you can thank a union for that. For people that say they are anti-union, that level of naiveté drives me crazy. I can guarantee you that your salary and benefits did not rise like a Phoenix out of the ashes from the inspirational benevolence of the owners of your hospital. These salaries and benefits were fought by union members that came and fought way before you.

[cbob]

These are educated, professional human beings ufaalu. " Line Staff", what do you mean by that? Farm Team? Floor nurses are the glue in Hospital Nursing. You can't admit patients without a functional Med-Surg or PCU. Get to know your staff and their concerns. Respect your veteran nurses, they are your educators for the floor. Become engaged with your staff. You will find out the real issues of your floor and they will work harder for you. Now thats a win, win.

[pggrn]

ambobam:I think you are very naive and what you need to realize is that we fight daily to keep these 40-year old rights you speak of.

[gailp104]

I, too was anti-union (nurse for 40+ years ). Never saw the good in them. Now I am an educator and the union assisted me when students were determined to make life bad in my first semester as faculty. Since then I have seen the difference unions make in the life of nurses (faculty) as well as the support they provide . I have many examples buy then I'd be violating FERPA...that's education's answer to HIPPA!!! Same rules different name. Any faculty in my institution who do not belong to the union must abide by union rules and contract. Our teaching selection is union regulated and fair to all whether an oldie or a newbie! Our time off is union regulated. Maybe too much regulation you might think, but we have our time off and administration cannot take that time away from us nor make us work. The union helped me greatly, I admire the tenacity of the folks in union management and leadership. I am now a union rep, and I see more and more the benefit. Now if nursing unions actually allowed strikes, I wouldn't have to think about union membership. Patients first and all else including the union take back seat to patients. But the unions in our area hospitals are anti-strike.

[Luna Nightingale]

We have a union where I work, and it is very appreciated! Addressing vacation time, we have a scheduling committee for the unit I work. And I believe all the other units in the hospital do too. And it is conducted with fairness as its primary goal. We have developed and continue to improve upon, our vacation guidelines (we recently tested and approved two nurses requesting the same day off, as opposed to our prior rule of one nurse per requested day). By January 31, staff is to submit requests for the more popular days (summertime, holidays) from May 31st to June 1st of the next year. At the beginning of February, our committee sits down with the request slips, the scheduler, and our manager, and we go over each slip. Staff is to mark their turned in requests with their first choice, second choice, and so on. For example, I requested Labor Day weekend this year because my niece is getting married. So I put that down as my first choice. Yes, seniority plays a part in the decision making. However, if a less senior nurse requests Thanksgiving, and a more senior nurse requested it off last year, the less senior nurse gets Thanksgiving.

Our guidelines also allow for requesting at least two weeks off. So if a senior nurse gets his or her two weeks off (using the 1st choice, etc. and the "did they have it off last year" rules), then other nurses who have not reached their two week off time frame have priority. Example: Senior Nurse has her two weeks off granted, and also wants Christmas off (which is her fourth choice. She didn't have it off last year). Less Senior Nurse has asked for Christmas off, it is her first and only choice. Less Senior Nurse would get Christmas.

We also started a "wish" calendar a few months ago where people put down their potential choices. This gave everyone an idea of where everyone stood when it came time to write out ETO (earned time off) slips. This is a simplistic response, as our process has more to it, but it has worked very well for us. I travel a lot on my time off, so as for booking flights two years in advance, I would imagine 6 months to a year would do just as well. Our Unit Scheduling guidelines are objective regulations directing unit based scheduling. It addresses ETO Committee obligations and supplements the RNs' union contract and the hospital's policies. Safe Patient Handling is the number one priority when determining staffing needs on the unit. I would suggest looking into developing a unit scheduling committee....

As for unions themselves, our union has done very well by us, and I have many examples. But this post is about vacation time. I hope my post can help in that regard...

[PMFB-RN, RN]

Not sure how you guys can say there isn't a shortage when data indicates there will be an excessive shortage in a number of years. Not to mention major facilities out there have hundreds of open positions.

Quite obviously plentiful jobs tells you absolutely nothing about the number of nurses available.

There have periods in our recent past where hospitals were desperate to fill positions and had a hard time doing it. But it's wasn't because there weren't enough nurses. Just a shortage of nurses willing to work for pay and working conditions being offered.

The California Department of Corrections case demonstrates this perfectly.

[Luna Nightingale]

I saw that in the news. How terrifying. To think we could end up with that fool in office. I guess it could be worse. We have that stupid woman in office.

Au contraire. The terrifying thing is the thought of having a misogynistic, narcissistic, fascist/racist as POTUS...