In the wake of Covid. The times, they are a changing

Editorial Team / Admin · Dec 15, 2021

My facility just offered a lot of different types of staff huge raises. As in, $4-$7. Not me, but most others. Which is why I've chosen to leave them, as my new employer is giving me an $8/hour raise. Their loss, my gain. And they will continue to hemorrhage nurses in my role, because of overlooking us for raises. Added roles and responsibilities, but no added compensation.

JBMmom, MSN, NP · Dec 15, 2021

I'm glad that things worked out well with you getting a position that will better meet your personal needs. For nurses in certain situations I think that there are some potential positives, however, for those that aren't interested in traveling and aren't changing to new positions with the chance for a bonus of sorts, I think that very little will change.

For staff nurses in many positions, however, the situation is not improved. In fact, staff nurses that are working short staffed and haven't had an increase in pay are now sitting next to travelers making more than three times their wages (a traveler in my unit is making $5500 a week, while nurses in my hospital between 5-13 years have been adjusted to $42 an hour). I know for me, as charge in the unit, being staffed with more than 50% travelers on night shift brings its own challenges. I greatly appreciate travelers because they are partially alleviating the staffing issue, but when they are not familiar with the computer charting system, or they have chosen to travel with inadequate experience to work independently from the start, it makes more work for resident staff.

And we're still short staffed. We don't have enough techs. There aren't enough phlebotomists to draw stat labs. IV therapy isn't usually available, so they call us in the unit and ask us to go to the units and place IVs. COVID is still in full swing at my hospital. Any eventual positives aren't readily apparent in my daily work life, although I'm happy for any others that have a better situation because of it.

Guest 1152923 · Dec 16, 2021

14 minutes ago, JBMmom said:

I'm glad that things worked out well with you getting a position that will better meet your personal needs. For nurses in certain situations I think that there are some potential positives, however, for those that aren't interested in traveling and aren't changing to new positions with the chance for a bonus of sorts, I think that very little will change.

For staff nurses in many positions, however, the situation is not improved. In fact, staff nurses that are working short staffed and haven't had an increase in pay are now sitting next to travelers making more than three times their wages (a traveler in my unit is making $5500 a week, while nurses in my hospital between 5-13 years have been adjusted to $42 an hour). I know for me, as charge in the unit, being staffed with more than 50% travelers on night shift brings its own challenges. I greatly appreciate travelers because they are partially alleviating the staffing issue, but when they are not familiar with the computer charting system, or they have chosen to travel with inadequate experience to work independently from the start, it makes more work for resident staff.

And we're still short staffed. We don't have enough techs. There aren't enough phlebotomists to draw stat labs. IV therapy isn't usually available, so they call us in the unit and ask us to go to the units and place IVs. COVID is still in full swing at my hospital. Any eventual positives aren't readily apparent in my daily work life, although I'm happy for any others that have a better situation because of it.

Covid is in full swing in my area too and while I agree that some may benefit more (especially monetarily), I think we're on the cusp on a nursing shortage that will likely send shock waves through the industry and hopefully bring needed change for all nurses-I.e. more respect and better pay (supply vs demand).

RNperdiem, RN · Dec 16, 2021

I am generally an optimistic sort, but I see the corporate powers that are behind many hospitals also seeing this as an opportunity. An opportunity to replace nurses with lower paid staff.

What if these corporate systems cry that there aren't enough nurses, so we will just have to give some of the nursing duties to the unlicensed staff and make nurses responsible for supervising them? They have the power to lobby. A model kind of like long-term care where aides are supposed to do much of the hands-on work and nurses take on a large patient load while taking full responsibility.

It is not just nurses. When midsize rural hospital my brother works for was bought out by one of the big hospital corporations, they right away started to look at replacing doctors with midlevel practitioners who cost less.

ladedah1, BSN, RN · Dec 16, 2021

16 hours ago, JBMmom said:

I'm glad that things worked out well with you getting a position that will better meet your personal needs. For nurses in certain situations I think that there are some potential positives, however, for those that aren't interested in traveling and aren't changing to new positions with the chance for a bonus of sorts, I think that very little will change.

For staff nurses in many positions, however, the situation is not improved. In fact, staff nurses that are working short staffed and haven't had an increase in pay are now sitting next to travelers making more than three times their wages (a traveler in my unit is making $5500 a week, while nurses in my hospital between 5-13 years have been adjusted to $42 an hour). I know for me, as charge in the unit, being staffed with more than 50% travelers on night shift brings its own challenges. I greatly appreciate travelers because they are partially alleviating the staffing issue, but when they are not familiar with the computer charting system, or they have chosen to travel with inadequate experience to work independently from the start, it makes more work for resident staff.

And we're still short staffed. We don't have enough techs. There aren't enough phlebotomists to draw stat labs. IV therapy isn't usually available, so they call us in the unit and ask us to go to the units and place IVs. COVID is still in full swing at my hospital. Any eventual positives aren't readily apparent in my daily work life, although I'm happy for any others that have a better situation because of it.

My hospital has given out one or two occasional "appreciation bonuses" since the beginning of covid, but never once have they actually given out any raises. Smart on their end, I suppose, as you can't really take raises back once you've given them out (that is, unless you really want to make people mad). For us nurses, though, it (1) feels a little like an insulting half-hearted gesture (as we all know it's the cheap, ineffective "fix" to the current problem) and (2) does nothing to help advance the the perceived value of nurses or slow the relentless hemorrhaging of staff. It seems like some of the money they keep investing in so many high-paid travellers (and new constructions!) might be better used paying staff a wage decent enough to make them actually want to stay through the chaos.

I mean, something is always better than nothing... but continuing to operate with fewer and fewer staff (not to mention, fewer resources) does make our work exponentially harder and - obviously - more stressful. You would think that those of us who continue to show up and endure would be worth a little more than we were pre-pandemic ?

JKL33 · Dec 16, 2021

6 hours ago, RNperdiem said:

What if these corporate systems cry that there aren't enough nurses, so we will just have to give some of the nursing duties to the unlicensed staff and make nurses responsible for supervising them?

I expect this as well. I’ve suspected they’ll drive the train in that direction since before Covid. Why wouldn’t they? I’ve seen places put a new FNP as their sole hospitalist and have them cover not only that facility but a few others along with it. They basically have to call 911 (the ED) if they are concerned about a patient’s condition. What kind of mess is that?

Pretty easy to imagine one RN per floor/unit who has to cosign whatever all the techs are running around doing. I would hope not many RNs would go for that but with the savings from decreasing their need for RNs they would be able to entice people to do it.

JBMmom, MSN, NP · Dec 16, 2021

2 hours ago, JKL33 said:

I would hope not many RNs would go for that but with the savings from decreasing their need for RNs they would be able to entice people to do it.

Part of the problem is if they create such positions they will always be able to sell someone on it. I remember coming out of nursing school with ZERO experience, my nursing wanted to train me as a supervisor, because I had a RN. I refused until I had one year of floor experience and even then I had concerns. A coworker of mine was hired in as a supervisor without one day of actual clinical experience. Working with her was a trainwreck most evenings, but the DON assured her when she was hired that she was more than capable of doing the job. And I know some RNs are successful as supervisors without clinical experience, but it's a big gamble that you're going to get someone incompetent. However, just another example of "it's a body" and administrators don't really care about competence or the quality of patient care.

dream'n, BSN, RN · Dec 18, 2021

I've lost hope that nurses will ever unite to demand the ratios and treatment we deserve. Nurses unfortunately can't seem to ever agree when enough is enough and stand strong with other nurses. Perhaps it's the nature of some that are drawn into the nursing field. There is a portion of nurses that seem to find standing up for themselves as distasteful and that as nurses we should be completely altruistic. If many nurses walk away from low-paying, abusive employers, it always happens that some 'Angels of Mercy' step in, if you know what I mean.

PMFB-RN, RN · Dec 22, 2021

On 12/15/2021 at 5:10 PM, morelostthanfound said:

While I fully realize and mourn the enormous degree of loss, devastation, and tragedy that Covid has brought, I do see one positive beginning to emerge for many nurses.

When I became an RN in 1992, it was at the height of the nursing shortage and nurses everywhere could literally dictate the terms of their employment; pay, working wherever/whenever they chose, and as much or as little. Fast forward to today; hospitals in my geographical area (West Coast, large metropolitan area) are hemorrhaging nurses who are quitting permanent positions; 1) To travel or, 2) Because they do not want to contract Covid and possibly infect family members (especially young children) or, 3) Even more dangerous and unrealistic nurse/patient ratios and demands or, 4) A refusal to comply with vaccine mandates for health care workers. I'm now noticing that these same facilities are offering never before heard of sign-on bonuses ($15,000-20,000), retention bonuses, and perks, as well as all time high travel pay packages ($5,000-6,000/week net).

On a personal note, I requested a lesser FTE at my job and my NM didn't balk as I anticipated and which he has done before. I see administrators and managers scrambling and starting to sweat as nurses suddenly gain back lost ground and are beginning to have currency and autonomy that they haven't had in a very long time. This supply and demand shortage seems to be putting us in the driver's seat for a change. Do you agree/disagree? What are your thoughts and observations in your area?

I too started as a new nurse in the early 90's. As a graduate of a tiny, middle of nowhere Wisconsin technical college ADN program I got $5k (1990's money!) signing bonus, $5K relocation bonus, and a spot in a superb 9 month nurse residency program for new grads going directly into critical care.

I was also working as a nurse after the 2008 crash when one of several gluts of nurses occurred and management's attitude quickly became "it's our way or the highway".

Our wages have been stagnant for decades. Benefits have eroded to the point of being a joke. Just try to find a good non-contributory pension program being offered today. I have one but I moved across the country to get it.

I hope we can use this time to make up some of the ground we have lost. Hopefully get more unions in place and empower the existing ones.

One benefit I've already seen. "BSN required" was recently dropped from the local state university flagship hospital's job postings.

ladedah1, BSN, RN · Dec 22, 2021

1 hour ago, PMFB-RN said:

Benefits have eroded to the point of being a joke.

For the longest time, I've wondered why on earth people who work in Healthcare are offered such crappy medical and RX coverage. Sure seems a bit hypocritical if you ask me ?

Guest 1152923 · Dec 22, 2021

11 minutes ago, ladedah1 said:

For the longest time, I've wondered why on earth people who work in Healthcare are offered such crappy medical and RX coverage. Sure seems a bit hypocritical if you ask me ?

I have been saying this for a long time! Both my parents were nurses and I have been one for almost 30 years. Over the years, not only has the healthcare offered to hospital employees become crap, but so have all the benefits. In my opinion, there are no incentives anymore (other than personal ones) to accept permanent employment at a hospital. Instead you can do local/remote travel assignments and still have bad benefits, but make much more money.