nurses on strike

[Moetess]

I am currently on strike for better working conditions and higher pay. The Hospital I work for offers nurses up to $5000 a week, hotel and meals. Apparently the Hospital has hired 500-600 "replacement workers", and I wanted to know what other nurses think about this. I don't understand if there is a nursing shortage across the country, due to low pay and poor working conditions, why would other nurses cross a picket line? Is there really a nursing shortage or are most nurses in travel agencies waiting for a higher buck. I've been a nurse over 20 years, so I'm close to the retirement stage. I feel sorry for the younger nurses starting out. Florence Nightengale is turning over in her grave.

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Check out my post "Put on your walking,running shoes" below re the Millennium Nurses March held THIS YEAR, May 5th, 2001 in Philadelphia. Come join us to demonstrate your concerns.

[Mijourney]

Originally posted by spacenurse:

Let's not confuse travel nurses with strikebreakers. I have worked with 'Travelers" most of whom are clinically skilled, fast learning, kind nurses with great flexibility. Just who you want on your unit.At least one hospital is now hiring travel nurses to prepare for the comming flu season.

These strikebreakers are NOT doing it for the patients! When they are brought in the regular nurses who held a one day strike with plenty notice are LOCKED OUT FOR 5 DAYS!

These facilities that hire scabs and "consultants" for the purpose of increasing profit prefer the mentality of the strikebreakers. They don't want nurses who advocate for patients because it makes their profit driven staffing (and unsafe care) difficult.

How dare NURSES think they have a right to an opinion on nursing care? An MBA qualifies an administrator to determine staffing levels!( I hope you realize this is sarcasm.) The nurse who wants safe patient care is a troublemaker. Who else out there is a "troublemaker".

You know, you're right spacenurse. Anytime a nurse gets wise to the game, he or she somehow becomes politically unpopular with his/her employer. He/she becomes a liability, and therefore highly dispensable at the drop of a hat. The employer's motto: it's the profits, stupid!

This is the reason I believe that nurses can ill afford to continue to invest all of our eggs in one basket by sticking with one type of setting or knowledge and skill set. I think that when it comes to job security or employment, nurses need to have a diversified portfolio of experience, knowledge, skills, educational backgrounds, and especially flexibility. I feel that these ingredients may help cushion any nurse against feeling the need to stick it out with any one employer or type of employment.