Frustrated with Leadership!!!

[BRK97]

I work in a great community hospital. I truly love my job and what I do, but of course, I sometimes get frustrated. But in general I really do love my job.

In recent times, many changes have occurred. Almost all of our nursing leadership has changed hands. Because of the changes that they have implemented, many people are frustrated. Many nurses have left, and I mean really a large portion of our seasoned nurses with 20+ years experience have left.

I think that alot of the ideas and initiatives are good, but the communication doesn't filter down well and the way they implement things is not the best.

Some of the big problems--benefits!!!!! They reconfigured the way our benefits are covered and it leaves a lot of people in a bind. I am a nurse and make a decent wage, but I really feel sorry for our housekeeper who spends almost 1/2(not kidding) of her paycheck to pay for benefits and then still has to pay a rediculous amount for meds and treatments for her dying husband. I also feel sorry for the LPN who still has to pay $400/month for oxygen for her asthmatic child. And the child really needs it sometimes. She had to buy a pulse ox (who knows how much that cost) and check her frequently. It is nothing for her kid to be in the 80's just because her lungs are crappy.

Another big problem---bonuses!!!!They don't want to pay nurses what they are worth. They just completely cut out agency (at least in our department). Mind you this facility had nearly half of their staff accounted for by agency about 1 1/2 years ago. I could understand if they cut back and tried to fill holes with staff and what not, but they just cold turkey stopped agency.

So a couple of years ago they started bonus contracts. They would pay staff nurses extra money to guarantee so many hours of OT each week for about 13 weeks. They worked well because the bonuses were worth it.

But about 6 months ago or so they decided to do this e-bay bidding on shifts in the computer (a % bonus per shift). The contracts stated that the program could be stopped at any time. However, they cut off people in the middle of their contracts, which really upset some of my co-workers. And you know if the employees didn't honor the contracts from their end there would be hell to pay. So now if I bid on a shift for say 20%, a co-worker can bid and say that they will do it for 15% and so on. To me, that is like cutting the legs out from under each other.

I know that there is a budget that has to be adhered to. I really do understand that, but it seems like this facility is willing to sacrifice nurses, really good nurses, to save a few pennies.

About a year ago, they decided to not let weekend option work OT. Our weekend option staff make a higher wage for working 3/4 weekends. Most W/E options in surrounding hospitals make a good wage during the week as well, even if it isn't as high. At our institution, if you are a W/E option and work during the week, you get paid whatever your regular base rate would be. At our facility they decided that W/E couldn't work OT because they didn't want to pay the OT on the W/E rate. There were and are still so many holes in the schedule because as noted above we went cold turkey without agency. So many of our W/E people sought jobs per diem during the week elsewhere. So they were perfectly willing to let well able capable people to go fill the holes in somebody else's facility rather than their own.

Meanwhile, leadership pushes and pushes professionalism and meeting hospital goals and forcing the clinical ladder. They want everyone to be on a committee or council or whatever. Trust you me, I am all for that I truly am. I consider myself a professional and I am looking to enrich myself with a rewarding career, etc. I encourage growth in others to the best of my ability. I know that everything as far as that goes is to implement a better patient experience and that's why I became a nurse. So that I could take care of people.

It just seems like they want you to do all of this work and be penny pinching at the same time. Of course, people want to know what the economic reward will be for moving up the clinical ladder or for other job performance issues will be. Whenever we ask about the rewards to be given or complain about all the underhanded above changes, the generalized response is "if you are chasing the dollar, this isn't the place for you!" I am sorry, but I am truly offended by that statement and what it implies. If I was "chasing the dollar", I wouldn't be here any longer because trust me there are more dollars to be had elsewhere. And it is a lot of work to meet the professional goals, etc, so of course with the history we have had over the past 2 years, people are leary of doing all that work to get nothing for it.

I really hope that leadership is buying new scrubs because at the rate that they are going, they are going to be working the front lines soon enough.

[suanna]

Sounds like it's time to look for another job. Your hospital is showing all the signs of a terminal financial crisis. Your 20+ years experienced staff bailed out with that much seniority, what are you waiting for? I wouldn't be at all shocked to show up to work some morning to find a "sorry, we're closed" sign on the door. Some things cannot be fixed- your hospital may be one of them.

[BRK97]

I really don't feel that they are in the financial crisis that they are presenting outwardly.

The real slap in the face is that they give away all this stuff with their logo on it and have fairs and giveaway litlle appliances, etc. At every staff meeting we have a ton of food. For different events, they have raffled off Plasma TV's.

I would just rather have them keep their toaster and pay me more money for the work that I do.

+ I really love my job and my co-workers. It's almost like having another family.

But then again if everyone leaves, I guess we will just be one of those dysfunctional families...

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

I believe you need to print out your post and mail it to a member of the Board of Directors. Hospitals cannot function without nurses and your facility is hemorrhaging nurses. I agree there may be a financial crisis on the horizon.

[flygirl43]

Alot of corporations dont have a clue about retention! Do as Im doing. Quit until you find a decent job! We are far to educated and valuable for crap like this!!!!!