Lately I've been concerned with the way things are going at my facility. It seems that management tries to find fault with the older nurse, looking for every little mistake and making a big deal out of it in hopes that she/he resigns/retires. Maybe I just never noticed before, but in the last few years it seems that at my facility, if you're still there after retriremnet age, this is the way you just might be leaving. One older nurse was accused of something that was done supposedly by her on a certain day. She wasn't even on duty the day of this incident. She actually had to hire a lawyer, pay him $2k to prove the fact she was on a day off. Can you imagine??? She resigned soon after. Another near retirement nurse was asked to log onto the computer and look something up in front of mock surveyors. This nurse became alittle nervous due to the fact she had a bunch of people plus the director hanging over her shoulders and just couldn't log into the computer. The director of the nursing home humiliated her so badly in front of these people, telling her she was incompetent and shouldn't be working. She decided that rather than to fight this attack of verbal abuse, she just resigned because it wasn't worth the fight. They are in the process of trying to "nail" to the wall yet another dedicated, excellent nurse for an incident that had she done 20 years ago, would have been no big deal, but probably would have received a verbal counseling. All of these nurses have never been in trouble their entire time at this facility, never written up for any thing, always had very good time and leave and then towards the end TPTB try to force them to resign/retire whether or not they want to leave. I'm confused here. Does this happen often at other facilities? Does it happen to those who feel they aren't ready for retirement, but want to continue to work as long as they are willing and able? Is it because the employer doesn't want to pay these well seasoned nurses the top salaries they deserve? Who forces out TPTB when they're ready for retirement??? And last, I'd like to work as long as I'm willing and able. Should I prepare myself for the big boot in the bootie in about 15 or so years down the road? What a way to leave. It's a gosh darn shame.
I have seen this happen over and over in my area and have posted about it. Many do not believe it really happens. Its easy to think 'no way' until we see it with our own eyes.
Management has so many ways to target nurses...too many are drunk with power and for any reason (age is an only one of their targets) they start a paper trail and then work their discrediting campaign until the nurse slinks off. Too many nurses won't fight this kind of thing...its expensive and by the time we're old the fight has gone out of us after so many hard years at the bedside.
I've been in management. When things got tight financially one of the things we were ordered to do is try to force the old nurses into early retirement (especially if they had ever been injured or had health problems). The older nurses were the most expensive and most risk laden, according to the CFO. We were to target them...dig up old writeups, and add to the list.
I just didn't have it in me to stay in management. Lots of folks here just think I'm jaded against management, but I've heard their scheming and been ordered to participate, so I'm not imagining anything.
If they think you are jaded against management, just wait until their turn comes around.
I think that the nurses who are targeted at this facility need to contact a lawyer who is very good at these types of cases. This is age discrimination, and it's not legal. If someone can find a pattern of older nurses losing their jobs, they might be able to win a discrimination suit.
I have seen this happen over and over in my area and have posted about it. Many do not believe it really happens. Its easy to think 'no way' until we see it with our own eyes.
Management has so many ways to target nurses...too many are drunk with power and for any reason (age is an only one of their targets) they start a paper trail and then work their discrediting campaign until the nurse slinks off. Too many nurses won't fight this kind of thing...its expensive and by the time we're old the fight has gone out of us after so many hard years at the bedside.
I've been in management. When things got tight financially one of the things we were ordered to do is try to force the old nurses into early retirement (especially if they had ever been injured or had health problems). The older nurses were the most expensive and most risk laden, according to the CFO. We were to target them...dig up old writeups, and add to the list.
I just didn't have it in me to stay in management. Lots of folks here just think I'm jaded against management, but I've heard their scheming and been ordered to participate, so I'm not imagining anything.
Yes, thank you again mattsmom for being honest about the goings on with managerial schemes and a great big thank you from the bottom of my heart for not participating in scheme of things. These nurses more than likely needed their jobs or I'm sure they'd been out of there. Every dog has their day and I do believe that these greedy, power-filled rat bags will have theirs as well. :)
Once they started hasseling them and putting on the pressure, these nurses decided to just leave because they knew it would only get worse. At this point in their lives they decided it wasn't worth fighting over so they retired with full pension, which is exactly what TPTB wanted. Bottom line: It really is all about the money and they could give a rat's butt about the 30+ years, dedicated employee. How do these people sleep at night? Probably better than you and I with their big fat paychecks and bonuses, not having to worry about paying the next mortgage payment or the taxes while some are forced to sell their homes. Yeah, it's a darn shame.
It's alllllllll about the bucks...say you've got an RN with 20 years under his/her belt-that nurse will make more $$$$ ,as she should...but if they get rid of the older nurse and hire a "fresh" one , the same RN position is covered at a lower cost.....they don't seem to think about the experience the older nurse has, and what he/she has to offer the younger less experienced nurses.....I've also seen them drive out a lot of regular staff, and fill in with PRN so they don't have to pay the insurance on them...you can bet your buttocks they always find ways to FILL THEIR OWN WALLETS ...to hell with the nurses and pts...allllllllll about the bucks
Driving out the older worker is a fact throughout industry in the US. But it's going on even in Health care where there are vacancies. Interesting thing happened to me this week. New to the area, I stopped in at a lovely non profit LTC campus to inquire about open positions. when I said I was an RN, I was practically pulled in the door. Don wasnt in, Administrator had just been fired, but I was able to post an application and get some information. The nurses in this facility were almost ALL in their 60's and 70's, many with 40 years tenure with that facility. In my book, thats really impressive. Some just starting to reduce hours due to physical limitations etc. The Don never called and several days later, I called her as the part time openings they had were now in the paper. I have 30 years experience and impeccable references, so I was puzzled by the lack of followup. The Don invites me in for interview, proceeds to tell me that since I had been there last, a matter of several days prior, a management company had come in, cut 12 office positions, reduced salaries across the board by 5.5%(ouch!) and morale was a disaster. She then proceeded to turf me to other LTCs where she had friends, which I really appreciated. However, the part time positions remain open. I was very puzzled by this until I figured out that she was going to give her own nurses overtime hours by leaving those positions open to get their incomes up again. She stuck her neck out for her staff, I cant fault her. But if the management companies ever figures this out, her job will be at risk.
I've been in management. When things got tight financially one of the things we were ordered to do is try to force the old nurses into early retirement (especially if they had ever been injured or had health problems). The older nurses were the most expensive and most risk laden, according to the CFO. We were to target them...dig up old writeups, and add to the list.
I just didn't have it in me to stay in management. Lots of folks here just think I'm jaded against management, but I've heard their scheming and been ordered to participate, so I'm not imagining anything.
I guess that explains the general railroading and kangaroo-court scenarios that I witnessed.
Thanks for confirming my suspicions.
But actually, the laugh's on the managements that do this. Almost without exception, the nurses that I saw forced out wound up with more satisfying jobs and better pay somewhere else.
I also witnessed one admin who was pulling this stuff himself get canned, so what goes around does indeed come around.
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ZZTopRN, BSN, RN
483 Posts
If they think you are jaded against management, just wait until their turn comes around.