Anyone Else with Pay/Benefits Cuts?

Specialties NP

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I work for a hospital system but don't want to be more specific than that.

Tough financial times at my workplace - some paid time off was frozen for a few months of the year, meaning employees did not earn time off for weeks. Jobs have been cut, departments downsized. It's become a very stressful environment due to morale, rather than due to the actual work.

Recently the the providers were informed we will no longer accrue time off to use for vacation, sick days, etc., and we will no longer have time off set aside for CME purposes.

This equates to a pay cut of several thousand dollars for me since our time off used to accrue and could be cashed out annually (with restrictions, of course).

It seems like a no-brainer to say - Go get a new job! I get that.

But what I want to know is whether you are seeing things like this in your workplaces or geographic areas. Are you being told that cuts are being made so others' jobs can be saved? And how would you feel about all this when your hospital continues to build and expand?

I feel like I need some perspective on this from others.

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Specializes in ER, HH, CTICU, corrections, cardiology, hospice.

The hospice I work for in coastal NC did this for RN's, NP's and MD's were spared for now. As I'm leaving, meh.

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Is this happening elsewhere or is it just NC? We are one of the states that did not expand MCAID under O-care.

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Specializes in ER, HH, CTICU, corrections, cardiology, hospice.

No, in our case it's CMS jerking us around looking for rake back. "Oh you weren't wearing purple when you saw the Pt. And it was a Wednesday, so we want 2% back." I exaggerate but that scenario may not be too far off. They are drowning us in paperwork.

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Specializes in Med/surg, Tele, educator, FNP.

In Southern California a hospital system I know cut out education department, and laid off many nurses who had been there 20 or more years. I would try to look for something better at a company that is better off financially.

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Specializes in ER, HH, CTICU, corrections, cardiology, hospice.

Not to be argumentative, but have you ever requested a companies P&L statement? I just take it for granted that if they are hiring, they are good, financially speaking.

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I am taking a few days to think things through, vis a vis my options and whether or not I have any. I'm trying to put any ego I may have aside to make solid, fact-based decisions rather than bad moves based on emotion.

Although I know the grass is not always greener on the other side, a loss of several thousands dollars does not sit well.

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Specializes in Family Practice/Urgent Care.

I'm in the midwest and our small hospital is going through the same thing. It hasn't hit NPs yet but the doctors all had to take a 10% pay cut and there have been massive layoffs of hospital staff. I'm out on maternity leave and I've barely been able to enjoy it as I'm always worried about work!

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Specializes in ER, HH, CTICU, corrections, cardiology, hospice.

When I was in Sioux Falls, there was a massive blood letting, a lot of managers got the axe. The doctors lounge used to have hot food and a plethora of snacks. They did away with most all of it. It hit me hardest when they did away with the Bacon. Anyway, when this happened, I knew that my time with them was coming to an end. I was doing pre-procedure H&Ps so the MDs doing caths and ppms could whiz through more rather than to see the Pt. I was a luxury they no longer could afford.

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Our wages were frozen for 3 yrs and still counting.

Our education weeks and funding may be on the block which is equivalent to several thousand dollars a yr.

We work many uncompensated overtime hours too.

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I am in midwest at a community hospital. Just found out today that my 36 hour weekly is no longer full time. They want to pay me 90% of my current salary to keep my hours

Use do to also get bonus based off quality measures - ranging from 5k -15k

those were eliminated last year. My 2% annual raise is nothing.

The 401k match was also eliminated

What is next.???

i have 10yrs experience and feel like I'm going backwards!

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Specializes in FNP, ONP.

In the NE we have decided to cut some of the specialities loose from our group and redirect the entire company more toward the patient centered medical home. MDs in the affected specialities (cardiology, women's health & urology) are just being bought out and they will have no trouble getting work elsewhere. FNPs and CNMs in those areas were given the opportunity to sell their interest in the company and move on or to transfer to Primary Care or Internal Med. There were 3 MDs affected, about a dozen FNPs and CNMs and 4 PAs.

The PAs are not owners in the company and unfortunately were just laid off since their practice model and experience made them less flexible, and none of the MDs really want to deal with the collaboration contracts anyway.

We have phased out RNs completely. The last one quit in July and we will not hire any more. We have one LPN per 2-3 offices (depending on volume) and they divide their time between them. We are expanding MA positions. We cut back on administrators so like the LPNs, one practice manager will handle 2 or 3 sites. We have 19 offices, but we are closing one at the end of the year.

Our P&L numbers are healthy, we just see the writing on the wall and we all want to keep the company viable. Expensive specialty providers that are duplicating services that FM and IM can provide while failing to cover their overhead is not a good idea for the long haul!

None of the remaining staff are taking any pay cuts and there will be no change in benefit structure next year. We are anticipating raises in the 6% range across the board. We wouldn't be able to do that if we hadn't realigned services.

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