CEO compensation

[dzadzey]

The other day, our CNO and VP of Human Resources came to our unit to discuss issues and concerns we have regarding our unit, the hospital and our jobs. I brought up the topic of CEO compensation.

Over a six year period, our wages have been flat with inflation taken into account. Over a similar six the CEO of our health system saw a nearly 23% increase in compensation which is anywhere from 65 to 9% above the rate of inflation, depending on how it is calculated. Initially, the answer I got simply left me gobsmacked.

In regards to the issue raised regarding CEO compensation and flat associate wages, she stated, in effect, that "The organization has done well financially," and that the "CEO is driving that ship". She further stated that "the CEO has got to be rewarded". Now, if the organization has done so well, why have the benefits of this not been seen in the form of higher wages...beyond mere cost-of-living increases...and a better health insurance plan?

What really gave me pause though, was what she said about the work of the CEO being a "high stakes game". Initially, I was stunned, then angry, but now it's just a lingering sadness about how distorted the system has become. After all, on a daily basis we deal deal with the suffering of patients and their families in acute and critical care settings. Our every action is fraught with consequences to the lives of our patients and their families. How much higher can the stakes be than the lives of our patients and their families?

[SHGR, MSN, RN, CNS]

Anyone of you complaining of CEO compensation could have chosen that career path, but instead you choose nursing. You could have been the one making the big salary. So in reality, why are you getting mad at the CEO, when they were smart enough to choose that path?

So by your logic, none of the patients in my clinic who did not choose the path to becoming an RN have a right to expect fair, ethical nursing care. They should have become RN's themselves, rather than complaining.

[kcmylorn]

The CEO is not responsible for anything! If I or any other RN make a mistake- that chump doesn't get sued, the RN does. If a doctor makes a mistake in the hospital- the CEO doesn't get sued- the doctor does. That CEO has no license to practice medicine or nursing. That's the criminal offense of all this. That CEO is making money decisions (one$ for you, $3 million for me)that are effecting peoples lives and my nursing license, and that CEO doesn't know the first thing about what I do nor does he really care, just as long a he gets paid according to his "contract". He has no license other than a driver's license and probably doesn't have one of those either, but he is going to make selfish greedy decisions that that are in his best interest. Our government needs to take over these healthcare facilites. healthcare costs would go down and hospitals would not close their doors and staff would be hired because the millions of dollars that are being throw away and wasted on CEO's salaries would be non existent. The money would be dumped back into the facility where it belongs - to take care of patients and not into 'lifestyles of the rich and famous'. I wouldn't trust any CEO with $5.00 to go to the corner store to buy me a gal. of milk. They'd pocket it and you'd never see them again.

[Mulan]

Wow, it took a lot of cahones to bring that subject up. You're braver than I am.

They couldn't run a hospital without nurses. They pay the nurse to use the nurse's license.

Who has all the responsibility and liability? The one with a license.

Nurses are akin to indentured servants.

People make their way to the top on the back of bedside nurses.

A few years ago, the CEO of one of the major health care corporations got fired and he got a 6 million dollar severance package.

What does a bedside nurse get when they get fired?

[elprup, BSN, RN]

Wow is right

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Our CEO is a reservist. He got called up to active duty a year or two ago. And they still paid him his multimillion dollar salary! We get an annual report telling us how much these folks were compensated. The CNO, we calculated, gets a paycheck every two weeks that equals a new grad's annual salary! And we're counting our blessings if our annual merit raise is more than a nickel.

[kcmylorn]

That reservist CEO was also very "well" compensated for his call to active duty- they make 'Hazard' pay- pay that is above their base rate depending on their rank and other compensated(money) perks pay as well, Some of these guys/gals come home with $60,000 or more( tax free), free and clear deposited in their bank accounts. They come home and buy BMW's, Volvo's, Mercedes, Jaguar's 'in cash' or buy new homes' in cash'. This buzzard has a CEO pay on top of this.

In addition to being well paid by our US government"for his service"( aka our tax dollars), he is enrolled in TRICARE for the length of time they are "active duty reserve" it's called LOD - line of duty. His medical benifits( and I believe so is his family's) are 100% paid for ( NO out of pocket, NO co-pay)through TRICARE and are free to him but on your and my dime. I know this for a fact- I work in a military treatment facility as a civilian contractor nurse and I see these guys/gals all day long. They try to get every bit of medical care they want squeezed into their LOD active orders time. I have had them come in and ask me for Dermatology referrals to treat their acne!! Asking for Lazer eye surgery. That is how abused this system is. Their" Over The Counter medications are free in the military treatment facilities- they refuse to go to a CVS, rite aide or any other off base pharmacy to get their ASA, Motrin, robitussin, mucinex, etc. They ask their assigned Military treatment facility provider at the base for a prescription for these remedies and it is put in electronically which goes to the MTF pharmacy across the hall./ For their requests for referrals and specialits visit requests- as a nurse I have to look at their complaint, see if the injury happened when they were called to active duty and figure out if it is in the time line with when their orders expire. They want Physical Therapy referrals, referrals for DME- Orthotics, Orthopedic referral, neuology referrals, neurosurgery referral for conditions they have had for years and years. They want referrals to be seen at internal medicine for a cold- This is crap they did not get in Afghanistan. This is pure Fraud Waste and Abuse. This is why our country is in the economic crisis it is.

Alot of these miltary, including reserves will "volunteer" for these deployments because of the money it brings in for them!!These are out of sequence deployments. I believe it is a called a "bucket"- its a deployment rotation sequence they are assigned to. If some one is given orders for deployment and doesn't want to go and can find some one to take their place, that is allowed also. That too I know for a fact- it happened at the MTF I work at. With these reservists,if they work in the civilian world,the civilian world HAS to hold their jobs by law for when they return.

That CEO is making money hand over fist and part of it is from out tax payer money( the military budge that congress has to vote on every year) As a civilian nurse- my pay (nor is any of the other civilian nurses I work with) is not even close to what I woud make in my area in the civilain hospitals- It is approx $20,000/yr less. As a GS my pay was even lower!! with 32 yrs as an RN. This is a boot in the backside!!

[kcmylorn]

To answer the question -what does a bedside nurse get when they get fired- ANSWER: NOTHING, luck if they can collect unemployment. and in this job market- if a new grad or an older nurse with over 20 yrs experience- lucky if they can find another position and it will be a long dry spell befor some comes up!!

There used to be a name for people who made money off of wars- 'war profiteers' But only us oldies would remeber that- which is another reason why they are anxious to get rid of all of us. We know too much!!

[kcmylorn]

Don't get me wrong- I am not against the active duty little enlisted who this is their only job in life being compensated money and health beneifits for their enlistment- The US governemnt/military IS their employer. The life of active duty military is very stressful and especially if they have a family

What I am against is those like the CEO mentioned above. He is a war profiteer. He is making money off the war, he's greedy doesn't think his CEO pay is enough. Any reservist has another job inaddition to their reserve duty, which if not called to active duty, is only 1 weekend per month. This guy is a CEO- most assuridly has a Business degree or he would not be a CEO. He is not over in where ever he was- toting a gun looking for insurgents or hunting down burried bombs in a hummer- an IED hunter, that role is designated to the highly trained career military, which he is not. He is in some office on a military instilation shuffling papers for daily supplies and workforce assignments( administrative duty- he's the cpl Klinger or Radar and probably dressed up as such with his stockings and teddy bear) with the fan blowing on his greedy face. His most challenging task for the day is remembering to take his doxycycline for his malaria prophylaxis. This money monger is not getting shot at!! Although he deserves to be!!