Coronavirus and Pay

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Hello Everybody,

I expect the working conditions to deteriorate soon. I do not feel we are compensated enough for what this epidemic will bring. My childcare cost will go up providing anybody wants to watch my kids knowing I take care of very sick people.

Please share your thoughts on this topic. Thank you.

Specializes in anesthesiology.

There are travel ICU nurse positions now offering 4k/week in heavily infected areas

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Specializes in Critical Care.

I wonder about this too. I’m a clinical nurse manager in an ICU. My staff will, at minimum, get overtime for any extra hours they work. No discussion of hazard pay/crisis pay yet, but my hospital system already has incentive pay that’s used if we’re really short staffed.

As a manager, I fully expect be at the hospital well over 40 hours a week, probably taking patient assignments if this goes the way I think it will. But since I’m salaried, it will all be part of my “normal job duties” for which I’m paid a set amount. Not that it’s all about the money, but...

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On 3/18/2020 at 12:14 AM, Cozy LifeRN said:

Greetings fellow nurses! I work for a large hospital in NC and they are utilizing "Pop-Up Daycares" to assist in caring for the children and older adult population of our essential bed-side nurses.

They have requested nurses who are willing to come back to the bedside to do so, from admissions/discharge assistance to NT's and RN's.

I work on the Pulmonary Progressive unit for a very large hospital. We have been short-staffed since we went Progressive, changed from "step-down" 3 pts per RN to 5 pts per RN. Unless you are an ICU RN, then you do not have to take more than 4 pt.s on our unit. I am just outside my first year of nursing and I am expected to care for 5 pts. It doesn't make sense when I get pt. report from a 17-year Cardiac ICU RN veteran who feels "unsafe" with 4 pts. yet the unit gives me 5 patients.

I definitely feel I am on the Front lines and in the Hot Zone. I am one of the lowest-paid employees with the least amount of experience expected to handle and care for more pt's who have the highest likely-hood of the very virus shutting down the country...really?

I am not even ACLS certified yet. The Residency Program messed up scheduling and never bothered to get me the education for a multitude of certifications usually attained during the program. I've been waiting for a class.

I know how to do the PPE and how to follow the CDC Guidelines. The virus is not my issue, it is the already existing nursing shortage that is about to become exponentially worse that will push me into taking on more than I can handle safely with no options. If coverage doesn't show up, I am still under a duty to care. How long do I have to stay, is there a limit? What if there are nurses call out and my pt load becomes 6 or even 7 progressive pts? Not to mention the NT shortage, so then I have to do the toileting, VS's, glucose checks, etc. It is simply not possible. I am not above any of it, I physically cannot do it all alone for that level of acuity. It is not just me either, we have more new RN's than experienced ones on our unit.

I need to know my rights and at what point can I say this is unsafe and I will not jeopardize my patients, myself or my license. I searched NCBON to no avail. Like most resources out there, I haven't had enough time to learn how to research and learn where to find things or even the right questions to ask.

Talk to your nurse manager or director, and advocate for your patients’ safety! Y’all to her just like you’re talking to a doc, and use your sbar.

”I feel unsafe”

“I am very concerned”

can you go in overtime and complete ACLS? what support can they provide you with to help you right now?

What are they gonna do? Fire you??? Stand up for your patients’ safety.

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Specializes in Cardiology.
On 3/18/2020 at 12:14 AM, Cozy LifeRN said:

Greetings fellow nurses! I work for a large hospital in NC and they are utilizing "Pop-Up Daycares" to assist in caring for the children and older adult population of our essential bed-side nurses.

They have requested nurses who are willing to come back to the bedside to do so, from admissions/discharge assistance to NT's and RN's.

I work on the Pulmonary Progressive unit for a very large hospital. We have been short-staffed since we went Progressive, changed from "step-down" 3 pts per RN to 5 pts per RN. Unless you are an ICU RN, then you do not have to take more than 4 pt.s on our unit. I am just outside my first year of nursing and I am expected to care for 5 pts. It doesn't make sense when I get pt. report from a 17-year Cardiac ICU RN veteran who feels "unsafe" with 4 pts. yet the unit gives me 5 patients.

I definitely feel I am on the Front lines and in the Hot Zone. I am one of the lowest-paid employees with the least amount of experience expected to handle and care for more pt's who have the highest likely-hood of the very virus shutting down the country...really?

I am not even ACLS certified yet. The Residency Program messed up scheduling and never bothered to get me the education for a multitude of certifications usually attained during the program. I've been waiting for a class.

I know how to do the PPE and how to follow the CDC Guidelines. The virus is not my issue, it is the already existing nursing shortage that is about to become exponentially worse that will push me into taking on more than I can handle safely with no options. If coverage doesn't show up, I am still under a duty to care. How long do I have to stay, is there a limit? What if there are nurses call out and my pt load becomes 6 or even 7 progressive pts? Not to mention the NT shortage, so then I have to do the toileting, VS's, glucose checks, etc. It is simply not possible. I am not above any of it, I physically cannot do it all alone for that level of acuity. It is not just me either, we have more new RN's than experienced ones on our unit.

I need to know my rights and at what point can I say this is unsafe and I will not jeopardize my patients, myself or my license. I searched NCBON to no avail. Like most resources out there, I haven't had enough time to learn how to research and learn where to find things or even the right questions to ask.

That's where they get you. Simply changing the name from "step-down" to "Progressive Care" and it results as an increase in pts even though they are the exact same pts. My hospital (much like many) have screwed this up from the get go and I'm curious to see what they will do going forward.

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Specializes in SCRN.

I wonder how safe are these "pop-up daycares"? Who is caring for children? How do I know if they are any good, have child CPR? How do they keep track of them? I feel like I would be worried if my kid is even accounted for while there. Unfamiliar faces, total chaos. No, thank you. I rather call in.

My school district allowed to have a temporary daycare run in their preschool building until 03/27 for my hospital and another one in the area, we received just a general info via email of max capacity, meals offered, temperature and symptoms check of kids and parents upon arrival. But the questions above went unanswered. THAT information is a big deal to me. I am not going to leave my kid with who knows what kind of caretaker and go to work. Thank goodness my regular, payed daycare is still open.

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Specializes in Educator.
38 minutes ago, RN-to- BSN said:

I wonder how safe are these "pop-up daycares"? Who is caring for children? How do I know if they are any good, have child CPR? How do they keep track of them? I feel like I would be worried if my kid is even accounted for while there. Unfamiliar faces, total chaos. No, thank you. I rather call in.

My school district allowed to have a temporary daycare run in their preschool building until 03/27 for my hospital and another one in the area, we received just a general info via email of max capacity, meals offered, temperature and symptoms check of kids and parents upon arrival. But the questions above went unanswered. THAT information is a big deal to me. I am not going to leave my kid with who knows what kind of caretaker and go to work. Thank goodness my regular, payed daycare is still open.

This is a rapidly evolving situation and we are in uncharted waters for the most part. Not everyone is able to 'call in' and each parent has to decide what type of child care situation is palatable to them. Just because it is a 'pop up' daycare does not mean that it will be chaotic. there is nothing to stop you from asking further questions regarding the staff credentialing and experience.

If this situation continues for the foreseeable future (which it looks like it will) parents will need to make decisions that work for them and their family situation.

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Specializes in SCRN.
53 minutes ago, KCMnurse said:

Just because it is a 'pop up' daycare does not mean that it will be chaotic. there is nothing to stop you from asking further questions regarding the staff credentialing and experience.

Thank you! I did ask them these questions, and so far they have no answers.

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The OP is dead on with their concerns related to the potential personal cost of working during this epidemic. Personally, I'm waiting in the wings as crisis pay continues to rise. 5k/week might seem like a lot for an assignment, and in normal circumstances that is certainly the case.

However, the COVID-19 outbreak brings with it hidden costs for anyone on the frontlines - especially nurses.

After taxes, travel costs, and unknown complications of being infected, the reality is that RNs should be making 10k/week to account for the risks.

If you as a HCW become infected, and there's a good chance of that happening (see italy & china), you'll be out of work for up to one month even if you only have mild symptoms. If you're one of the 20% of patients who are hospitalized, then you're looking at a 20-30 day clinical course to an outcome.

Do the math, does the take home of 5k/week rate seem like fair compensation?

Airlines, hotels, cruise lines, banks, and fortune 500 companies will get billions in bailouts.

Nurses can and should demand more for themselves and their families.

If I was a f/t floor nurse I'd sure as sh*t be demanding a raise to at least 60/hour and would head for next job if not entertained.

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Thank you. I tried to discuss with coworkers about our pay if we get sick, lack of PPE, etc. It was not received well, I was told it is a part of the job and I knew what I was getting into when choosing nursing. I see a lot of cavalier attitudes among nurses right now. The reality is healthcare is a business like any other. There will be some unlucky ones who get very sick.

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Good for you. There is no shortage of need right now, just about every hospital is offering a signing bonus between 10 and 30,000 USD.

When we go to war, the military does what it can to recruit more soldiers with financial incentives. Joining the military is also a calling, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't get what they deserve.

Heroes can get paid, too.

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On 3/17/2020 at 12:05 PM, pixierose said:

I typed a few responses ... erased. Typed again.

I’m going to respond in that you are stressed. I get it. However, we work in hurricanes. Snow storms. Flu outbreaks. I don’t do this as a calling; it’s a job. But it’s a job that I knew the risks. A flu pandemic (or contagious illness) isn’t something unexpected.

Take the necessary precautions. Wear your PPE. I trust my employer and hence, I’m still here. I don’t expect to be overly compensated; just protect me and I’ll protect and care for my patients (as I do everyday).

OK...except many are NOT being protected. I'm not trying to be argumentative with you, but I am just so tired of hearing what HCWs signed up for. I will repeat myself, and I'm sure not for the last time. NOBODY knew we would be asked to wear flippin bandanas as protection from a virus we know very little about. This is a rich country, and I'm supposed to believe that it's acceptable to not have been prepared with the most basic supplies. I don't think higher pay from work should be expected. But something needs to be done for our colleagues putting themselves at such high risk.

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On 3/17/2020 at 2:30 PM, toomuchbaloney said:

Trump is going to Yang the population...expect some cash

I made a grave error and trusted my husband to get the taxes done in 2018...?‍♀️ Never did. We screwed ourselves so it looks like we won't be getting anything, understandably.

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