I didn't know the shortage was THIS bad

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Just visited a unit today in preparation for my students taking clinicals there. On this particular unit, ONE HALF of the nurses are travelers. The unit only houses 6 pods (4-pt module) and one pod was closed down simply because a nurse had called in sick and there was no one available to replace her (plenty of patients, no where to put them). The most interesting fact was something one of the travelers said.... one company is now offering $35,000 COLD HARD CASH for just a SIX WEEK CONTRACT!!!! WOW!!! With money like this being shelled out by the agencies and travel companies, it is little wonder that the hospitals cannot keep staff.

Justwanted to say that the nursing shortage is even worse in Canada, Ontario specifically. Here the government pays for health care so wages in comparison with cost of living is outrageous. I am talking $20/hr for full time new grad, and this is Cdn $. I love nursing and would never give it up, but the politics are everywhere, poking their nose where it does not belong. Health care is about getting the sick better and keeping the healthy healthy! We also appear to have a shortage of funding in every aspect of health care, like supplies. I was just wondering what the RN to patient ratio is for any of you?:o

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Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.

Howdy yall

from deep in the heat of texas

Well VickyRN, That being a little over hundred k, that I earn. Used to be because I hired to do specific jobs, aside from staff. Took training and instructor classes, in TNCC,ACLS,CPR etc. I also trained in policy and procedure writing, quality assurance, process improvement,lower level management. And I would go in and help solve problems and such. I was good at it and I marketed it in my resumes. However with more and more nurse achieving these skills, Ive backed off on that this last 5 or 6 yrs or so.Not totally but. Ive been a RN for 2.5 decades now. But I still market a top of the line base pay for myself.Then include specialty diffs, night shift diffs and weekend diffs. Its only a mild to moderate amt of overtime and I stll do a 100 k gross income.

And as you put it I have BIG BRASS ONES in negotiating.

While I have on occasion done a little strike breaking work that does not go into my annual salary. That goes into a special account in my ledger. And I dont include it in my gross income. Except I do pay my taxes appropiately on it.

And yes I will probably do about 100 to 105 k this year. and thats mostly due to years of experience and getting older. And Ive never known what it is to be sick from overwork. I always managed to get my family time and golf time in. And that is the secret. Keeping a balance.

Good work, good family, good golf, and good sex and I will probably be around anither 30 years.

doo wah ditty

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

NO one is blowing smoke here...we are speaking of our experiences and no one is knocking agency/traveler nurses, we are just wanting equal pay for equal education/certification/experience/work. not too much to ask. not all o us CAN travel or want to.

It is the hospitals who upset me when they are willing to pay an agency 2 to 3 times what we make to staff. make it WORTH my while to come in on a SCHEDULED DAY OFF; pay me just what an agency would get, and I just might come in! And, if they PAID us that in the FIRST place, I think our staffing situations might improve considerably.

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_"----While I have on occasion done a little strike breaking work--" teeituptom--

Is this anything like being a 'little pregnant"? a scab is a scab my friend and one of the reasons, Smilinblueyes, that we do not get the benefits, the respect, PAY we SHOULD.

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Specializes in Corrections, Psych, Med-Surg.

Rather than trashing RNs who might occasionally scab, remember that the villain in this piece is the hospitals who create the market, not the RNs who do it. If the market were not created, there would be no scabbing.

Bashing fellow RNs is exactly what the hospitals hope we will do--divide and conquer is the name of the game. (And no, I have never strike-broken, but I can't say this is because of any supposed high principle, it is just something that never happened.)

It is not as though nurses made up a tightly-organized and mutually supportive team, whose "glue" was threatened by strike-breaking, after all.

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Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.

howdy yall

from deep in the heat of texas

That was very nicely put sjoe. Yes I do a little strikebusting, because it suits me onve in a while to build up my everpresent golf fund. That might seem simple to some, but my golf fund is important to me anyway. You are right if the market wasnt there, then we wouldnt feel the need to do it.

Ryan Rn, I have always admitted to who and what I am, and believe in. If you are not getting the benefits and the pay and the respect you feel you should be getting. I say look unto yourself. Nursing as a way of life has supported me. my wife and my seven kids, and my enormous golf habit. I am quite content in that aspect of my life. If you are not content with the way things are, then you may need to consider making some changes in your life. But do not blame me for it.

doo wah ditty

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Specializes in Corrections, Psych, Med-Surg.

I've got the solution!

All of us across the country go on a very long term strike--all on the same day. Then we can all get a lot more money working as strikebreakers at each others' facilities!

A win-win for nurses, a lose-lose for facilities.

All it would take would be a little cooperation. Organize!

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What bugs me the most are the nurse administrators that have forgotten (or never knew) what goes on on the nursing units. They sit back and do nothing when administration wants to make nursing cuts or decrease the staffing ratio. They seem to run the good nurse managers that stand up for the staff out of their positions. They hope that eventually they will find a "yes" person that will take a hatchet to the staffing matrix. Eventually, they succeed in finding the right person for the job. Then things really begin to go down hill in a hurry. When I say that nurses need to stick together, I'm talking loudest to the nurses that are at the top of the management ladder. We troopers will always stand together, but without the backing of the people in power, it is difficult to make a significant difference.

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Specializes in burn, geriatric, rehab, wound care, ER.
Originally posted by sjoe

I've got the solution!

All of us across the country go on a very long term strike--all on the same day. Then we can all get a lot more money working as strikebreakers at each others' facilities!

A win-win for nurses, a lose-lose for facilities.

All it would take would be a little cooperation. Organize!

Good thinking batman!

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SJOE, I am not 'trashing' anyone here, merely stating the facts. "Bashing fellow RNs is exactly what the hospitals hope we will do--divide and conquer is the name of the game." SJoe , my friend, that is EXACTLY was a scab perpetuates, like it or not. Whom do you think benefits from keeping the nurses profession from uniting and becoming that "tightly organized team"? The hospital, certainly not the nurse. What are you saying, that is isn't worth the fight so every man for himself!

For example ,one issue that striking nurses have made is for better nurse'/patient ratio. This decreases complications and SAVES lives . There are now studies to back this up, something nurses have been saying for years (nobody listened to that either) but the brave nurses who did strike to make the point. Scabbing nurses who lay in wait exploit their hard earned progress. Scabbing is a million dollar business. How many other professions or businesses have entire companies built on just that premise, It's appalling.. And it's all in the name of MONEY. I don't for a minute believe the altruisic hype they pitch.

'Benefits, pay and respect' are not easily earned and someone has to be willing to stick their neck out of their comfort zone. Some just take. And if is 'suits you' teeituptom, well by all means justify on. I'll stick to my 'high principals'. And I know I am right, very comfortable with that too.

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I have to agree with smiling blueeyes...if staff nurses were paid as much as agency nurses to begin with, we'd more than likely come in and work on our days off.

Personally, I would love to work agency... just can't work it in right now....

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Originally posted by SmilingBluEyes

NO one is blowing smoke here...we are speaking of our experiences and no one is knocking agency/traveler nurses, we are just wanting equal pay for equal education/certification/experience/work. not too much to ask. not all o us CAN travel or want to.

It is the hospitals who upset me when they are willing to pay an agency 2 to 3 times what we make to staff. make it WORTH my while to come in on a SCHEDULED DAY OFF; pay me just what an agency would get, and I just might come in! And, if they PAID us that in the FIRST place, I think our staffing situations might improve considerably.

Good Post SmilingBlueEyes! :wink2:

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