Benefits

[RN97MSN10]

I think in general I have it pretty good... but just wondering about vacation time. I work full-time in a Internal Med office for a university clinic. I feel frustrated because I have earned STO. I get 22 days per year (176 hours). However, I get 6.77 hours per pay period (bi-weekly) and I find it hard to build the time up. This is also our sick time- so I would prefer to go in on my death bed than use up my vacation time. Our doc's get 22 days per year (right from the bat- don't have to earn it) and they also get 22 days of sick pay- which roles over if they don't use it. To boot- our staff (RN's and MA's) get 15 days per year of vacation (PTO) but then they also get 4 hours of sick time per 2 week pay period- so about another 10-11 days per year- which also roles over. So us NP's are just kind of screwed I think. We do get great CME money- 2k per year, and health insurance is good and as a NP of 18 months I make about 80k per year (not fab, but not horrible). I have no on call, no weekends and paid holidays. What do you think about the vacation/sick time? Am I being a whiner? Call me out.... I can take it.

[Tinabeanrn]

Im wondering why its different between NPs, MAs and Physicians... Do they say why that is? I dont think your whinning. Your just stating the facts as they are. I wouldn't be too happy about that either. I think your compensation is fine, its just weird that they dont offer you all sick time as well. Can you speak to someone in Human Resources about it?

[BCgradnurse, MSN, RN, NP]

I don't think you're a whiner at all. Any idea about why you're being treated differently? It seems to me you should have the same or similar benefits as the other providers. I'd ask about this.

[TX RN]

In my practice the docs and NP's/PA's get the same amount of vacation time and sick leave.

The break down is kind of like this:

1. Sick leave = 7 days/year

2. Vacation = 3 weeks/year

3. CME = 1 week + $2500/year (Physicians get double the CME allowance in $ only, not time)

I don't think you're whining. I would ask your employer to match benefits they extend to physicians.

When is your contract up for renewal? That would be an ideal time to negotiate for that.

As a side note I am leaving my current practice and starting with a new practice next week. In that practice I was told everyone "cuts their own deal." Verbatim.

So in the initial contract they offered 2 weeks vaca, 3 days of CME, no sick leave and a $500 CME expense allowance.

I turned that down and had them match my current benefits. The CFO said, "our docs don't even get that kind of deal!!" I shrugged my shoulders and said, "well I'm not a doc."

They matched my current benefits package. Now I just have to keep it from the other providers. :-/