hca ????

I haven't heard of them, but to answer your poll question-- if I never got lunch breaks and had trouble getting paid for my 1/2 hour, I'd probably sooner get a different job than participate in the lawsuit. I don't work for free and claim my 1/2 hour if I don't get a lunch break, but feel that my energy would be better spent on another job than on a class-action suit. Besides, a company that feels it's ok to give nurses 18 pts AND allow them to work for free is probably not going to magically become a great company after settling or losing a suit.

Speaking of those ratios... If that's true, I can't see that being anywhere close to reasonable unless you're talking LTC. I worked in an LTACH for a couple yrs and had 4-5 pts, and can't tell you how many times I cried in the bathroom. Now I am not weak, but if you've ever worked in an LTACH you'll know that these are people who have had long courses, are very medically complex, and can be psychologically/emotionally needy. And their families have been SO stressed for so many weeks/months that they can become difficult too. So anyway, I'd feel so horrible about not being able to provide the care I wanted, plus knowing the pt and family felt their care was not good, I'd just lose it. 18-19:1 in a hospital sounds like a recipe for time on the evening news. "Hospital staff discovers body in rigor mortis..."

Columbia HCA facilities have a notoriously bad rep for being extremely stingy, poor ratios, etc. the company paid back the largest fine in history of Medicare/Medicaid for overbilling. Rick Scott, notoriously bad governor of FL, was one of the COs at the time, and took the fifth amendment against self incrimination numerous times during associated hearings.

As far as being traveler, again poor ratios, poor supplies, barcoded everything that has to be scanned, and use of PBDS testing for travelers, makes them less desirable than many not for profit facilities.

Let me clarify my poll question... it is more to just see if there are people out there that are SO upset by their experience or so unhappy that they would be wiling to put the time and effort into a law suit. I mean people leave jobs all the time and they come and go for many reasons but those willing to actually participate in action explains a lot about their just how upset or unhappy they were. @ caroladybelle... many of these cases are the ones that I looked up and have been seeing horror stories on. I just left a nightmare assignment and don't want to get into another one.

Hey everyone. I am a traveling nurse looking for some feedback in order to help make decisions going forward. I am wondering what everyones experience with HCA (HOSPITAL CORPORATIONS OF AMERICA) has been. I have heard of issues like class action lawsuits for no lunch hours or staffing ratios that far exceed anything that is safe i.e. ED 18:1 AND 19:1, while other blogsm chats or searches reveal "QUALITY LEADERS" and positives. I assume that they are like any employer and there is good and bad out there but let's help each other out with honest feedback. Not trying to throw any one facility under the bus or point fingers at managers, etc. What could be improved if you are currently working for them? What do you wish you could change? Do you see yourself working for them in the next year, 5 years? Would you take a travel assignment with them?[/quote']

Run, run far away. I worked for a HCA for 4 months and ended up running as fast as I could before I ended up getting sued. I seen 5 patients die (yes, died) because of nurse screw ups. In fact I have had to deal with an attorney over 1 of the deaths a good 5 months after leaving HCA.

Why the government has not shut them down yet is totally beyond me..

JannockRN, perhaps you should have posted it as a poll question.

Having adequate reasons to dislike a facility group and have adequate LEGAL reasons to sue them are two completely different things. There are plenty of crappy conditions that do not equal illegal actions.

Add in that ANY LAWSUIT on hospital issues, will often ruin an nurse's chance at a job at any (even good) facility. Witness that the nurses in the well documented Winkler, Texas case, despite being right about the issues affecting their facility, have had extreme difficulty getting replacement jobs. The minor amount of money that they won, will not pay their bills for very long. Most of us need our income.

Let me clarify my poll question... it is more to just see if there are people out there that are SO upset by their experience or so unhappy that they would be wiling to put the time and effort into a law suit.

I guess what I meant was, if conditions were that bad I wouldn't be there long enough to make the lawsuit worth it. They wouldn't be owing me thousands of dollars...even hundreds of dollars by the time I'd be gone.

Like any very large corporation, HCA is divided into several regions. There may be dramatic differences between regions when it comes to the issues that are being discussed.