employment conditions

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Aug 22, 2011

Howdy!

I'm very glad to welcome another Brit to H-town -- you'll find a lot of fellow ex-pats here.

Unfortunately, it's impossible to answer your questions with any degree of specificity because there is no single employment scheme for hospitals in the US. Other than the rules outlined in the (Federal) Fair Labor Standards ACt (FLSA), each employer can pretty much do what they want.

In Texas, there is no such thing as a "contract" for full time employees unless you are an independent contractor (not an employee). Although there are a very few hospitals in which nursing unions operate, we are a 'right to work' state, which means that participation in a labor union is always voluntary - you don't have to join even if there is a union presence at your facility. The downside is that all employment is "at will", which means that you can be terminated whenever the employer wishes to - as long as they do not violate FLSA. Reality? It's fairly easy to sue for arbitrary or unjust termination, so employers are very judicious in this area.

Full Time work is defined (FLSA) as 40 hours a week, but in organizations that use 12-hour scheduling, Full-Time may mean 36 hours a week. Although it is not required by FLSA, most employers provide benefits for people that work at least 32 hours a week.

Benefit time off is also the perogative of the employer. Many in the Houston area use a "Paid Time Off" scheme, whereby PTO accrues in proportion to the amount of time worked... and this usually comes out to about 80 hours a year. Rules may vary about when you can PTO or vacation - you'll have to ask the employer.

Hope your transition is smooth. Make sure you are prepared for our climate -- tropical (very hot & humid) summers which last well into October.

krissyj7 · Aug 24, 2011

Hey!

Thank you so much for your very helpful information!! I am unsure whether I want to take on a fulltime position or try some agency work initially!

Do you know where I could book onto a life support course? I figure I should get a certificate relevant to Texas? Do any of the hospitals run courses that I could pay to join onto?

I can't wait to see the lovely Texas Sunshine! Very excited!!! :-)

stash11 · Aug 27, 2011

Hi Krissy

Just wanted to welcome you to Houston. I'm originally from London myself just came out here few years ago. you'll like it here, houses are huge :-)

Sorry, I'm still a student (just about to start second degree BSN) so not much info, but I'm sure you'll receive more replies soon as people on this board are very nice and helpful.

All the best

krissyj7 · Aug 28, 2011

Thank you very much! I am very much looking forward to the move. What area of Houston do you live in?

Good luck with the rest of your nursing degree!

:-)

stash11 · Aug 30, 2011

Thank you very much! I am very much looking forward to the move. What area of Houston do you live in?
Good luck with the rest of your nursing degree!
:-)

Hi

I live in the Sugar Land area :-)

Best of luck to you too

keep us posted!!

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Sep 1, 2011

krissy,

When is your arrival date? I hope you don't have to cope with more sunshine than you're prepared for. August was an all-time record setting month... only one day with less than triple-digit temperatures. Hopefully, we'll get a tropical storm or two to cool us down in September.

Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of prep (classes and such) that are available until you become employed. Other than formal (academic) education, everything is very employer-centric here. I would encourage you to join the Texas Nurses Association (http://texasnurses.org/) in order to gain better insight into professional issues and ongoing opportunities for continuing education. There is also a very informative 1-day workshop coming up. It's sponsored by the Texas Board of Nursing, with two Houston sessions; September 28 or 29. Info at http://bon.state.tx.us/about/ce-offers.html.

Keep us informed of your progress & 'holler' if you need help.