Hospitals Lowered Nurses Pay Rates in Nevada

Going80INA55 · Jan 4, 2003

a. i signed the petition posted above. i encourage all to sign. it is obvious that the government is not going to do anything about patient:nurse ratios, so we have to go after all 50 states one at a time. hurry for california.

also, about the reduction in agency pay. they also did that last year around the chicago area. the hospitals were refusing to pay 65-85 an hour for a nurse (of which only 20-30 went to the nurse, anyway).

if they refuse to pay the higher fees for agency nurse, the agency of course passes that cut onto nurses. this makes that job less palpable, especially when you add in most dont get benefits. i think it is the hospitals way of tightening the noose on nurses ie. encouraging them to stay with in the hospital walls as a regular employee.

azgirl · Jan 4, 2003

I work for two agencies in AZ and both cut their rates this year. Only $2 an hour but I had hoped wages would go up this past year not down.

bagladyrn, RN · Jan 5, 2003

Originally posted by Nurse Nevada
Agencies are notifying their nurses of the rate decrease. I verified it with 3 different nursing agencies. There is no article that I know of. It's being done very quietly. I didn't believe it at first until I called some on the nursing agencies and asked them. The managers of the agencies are calling their nurses and telling them they have to take a drop in pay of $4.00 per hour.

Thanks,
Nurse Nevada

Again, could you please give some specific info? For instance, which agencies, or where to find this info? As I said, I'm currently on contract in NV, just executed a new contract and NOTHING was said by my company of any such thing. I'd like to know which agencies, etc. to avoid! No one here where I am has heard of such a thing, and all would like more info.

Nurse Nevada, RN · Jan 5, 2003

I was called by my nursing agency, Maxim Healthcare, who told me they have bad news and have to lower the nurses pay rates by $4.00 per hour. Their reason was that the hospitals notified them that they were dropping their rates. I did not believe them at first so I called Intellistaf and AMP (other agencies.) They both stated that the hospitals did indeed lower their agency rates which they have trickled down to the nurses. I thought there were contracts signed between the hospitals and agencies. In those contracts there must be clauses that the hospitals can lower their rates. I am going to look into this further, the first chance I get next week.

Thanks for all your feedback!

Nurse Nevada

LasVegasRN · Jan 5, 2003

I just started at one of the hospitals here, haven't heard anything about a pay cut. Maybe it's mostly agency rates getting cut?

Qwiigley, BSN, MSN, DNP, RN, CRNA · Jan 5, 2003

There is a nursing shortage!!

QUIT!!!! DO NNOT COME BACK until they pay accordingly!

Nurse Nevada, RN · Jan 5, 2003

They have us over a barrel right now...money, living expenses. Can't take travel assignments right now due to circumstances. My next step is to call the union here. They're not too strong in Southern Nevada yet but will be soon!

shodobe · Jan 5, 2003

What you are seeing now is hospitals are starting to raise their salaries to keep their nurses. This means agencies may find their services not needed in certain areas of the countries. To me making a few dollars more for working the registry over what i would make working full time at a hospital is not worth it. I would have to make at least 10-15 dollars more an hour to make it worth my time. Yes I do agree it is nice to travel around and see the country and this is great for certain people but not for me. I could stay close to home and work registry but the salaries are not enough, 30-35/hr. I have 25 years experience in the OR and I would have to get at least 45-50/hr, on a regular basis. Hospitals are finally getting the idea that maybe, just maybe if they pay their long term, experienced nurses a good competitive wage, they may just keep them around longer. The money the hospitals are paying agencies is rediculous and too much. Just wait and you'll see most of these agencies will be going belly up in the future due to lack of contracts from hospitals. Hospitals will find out they will not need agencies as much as they have in the past. They will be able to lure new grads and previous travelers in from the cold with god benefits and wages. I may be living in a fantasy world but I do believe this will be the trend in the future. Also, I would never work in Nevada because of that concept of "right to work". I had a friend who lost her job because of no recourse in that state, and still have MDs who come to SoCal just to do their surgeries! What a world we live in. Mike

bagladyrn, RN · Jan 6, 2003

shodobe - I'm all for staff nurses being paid what they're worth - a lot more than they are now in most cases! However, I don't see agency/contract nursing as a whole going belly up any time in the forseeable future. Individual companies,yes, but not the industry. There's a place for all of us, including those of us who are gypsies at heart and have no plans to "come in from the cold". I've been (and so have you with 25 yrs. of exp.) through enough of the cycles of nursing shortages to know that.

I really think all the talk of "no more agency nurses" is propaganda to try to induce nurses to accept less than we deserve and "be grateful that we have a job".

l.rae · Jan 6, 2003

seems l read somewhere that there was a subtle mevement to lower agency rates and therefore force nurses back into the hospitals....l bet this is what this is all about....if they are building new hospitals, they probably think nurses will come runniing from the agencies when they can no longer make the big bucks....