Is Being Loyal Worth It?

whodunit · Jan 17, 2009

Yes, very interesting...What is the book ?

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Jan 17, 2009

I went on the CCAC web site and looked up the course to find the book. No luck there. It might be the Peter Conrad one I found on google. Not sure though. I think I might email the instructor (its the same one so........) and ask her though.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jan 17, 2009

In my particular case being a loyal hard worker has paid off. I get five weeks off a year, am nearly maxed out salary wise (definitely making much more than new grads hired off the streets, and more than some deadbeats who stick around year after year as well), and have taken advantage of other perks.

That said, part of the reason I am a loyal hard worker is because I am loyal to myself. It helps me out to have this longevity with this organization and they get my hard work. It's a win win.

The reason I've stuck through some hard times is that I know the grass isn't any greener anywhere else. I'm not sure how long I'll stay, and I know that I'm expendable and just a body to them, but it works for me right now.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Jan 17, 2009

It is insulting to me to offer a penny an hour and expect for any hard working nurse to be grateful. In fact, it is a slap in my face to be offered slave wages for my education and effort. So, I guess I am not loyal to anyone but myself.

One of the things that we have to keep in mind is that while most nurses try to be as compassionate and proficient as possible, we have to remind ourselves that we do not work for approval, we work for money just like anyone else. It does not make us bad people to admit that.

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Jan 17, 2009

Well, I am very loyal to my current boss, who would go through fire for us. However, there are lay-offs coming Monday and the managers are being TOLD who they are letting go.

I stay here because it benefits me. The minute it doesn't I will be gone.

RN1982 · Jan 17, 2009

Hello Everyone,
Our hospital has recently started this new thing of nurses being ranked as top, middle or low performers,with the understanding/expectation that the middle and low move up or out. No info was provided on how these nurses were supposed to acheive this and when asked,the nsg manager said not to worry about it ! :(I am in the top ranking{whoopee for me} and only got a $00.50/hr raise last year.Some very good nurses that work with me only got a penny an hr raise. In the monthly nsg meeting yesterday , we were informed the standard 3% raise was not going to be given next eval unless you contributed extra to the unit by doing PI projects etc.I think that is crazy and unfair for many reasons.What about young mom nurses who are working to raise their family and its all they can do just to come work 12 hrs shifts, or nurses like me who have elderly parents and or sick children living with them?I've been a nurse a long time and have been where I work now for 11 years and the new hires are started out at what it took me years to earn. It seems to me that a nurse is better off leaving an employer and then coming back after a while just to make what new hires are making . The only problem with that is my friends are telling me its hard to get hired with a lot of years of experience because hospitals don't want to pay for the years of experience.Is this a catch 22 or what?

The only person you should be loyal to is yourself. I've learned this from my last job. They started something similar to what is occuring at your workplace. They evaluate you and based on that evaluation you get a raise. I was on that unit for 5 years, two were as a nurse and nurses that got hired a year after me had a better evaluation than I did. I didn't get it. I rarely called in, I worked overtime because they were short all the time and management would beg me to. But apparently that wasn't enough, they want you to participate in the unit council which was not an option for me because I went to school and having previously went to those council meetings, it was a joke. Nothing was ever accomplished and it was always a cry/moan fest. After I got my eval, I decided to get the hell out of there. It wasn't worth the aggravation to stay and put up with that crap.

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Jan 17, 2009

Traumanurse said: "After I got my eval, I decided to get the hell out of there. It was worth the aggravation to stay and put up with that crap. "

I dont get it, did you stay or "get the hell out of there"?

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Jan 17, 2009

Traumanurse said: "After I got my eval, I decided to get the hell out of there. It was worth the aggravation to stay and put up with that crap. "
I dont get it, did you stay or "get the hell out of there"?

I'm sure she meant, After I got my eval, I decided to get the hell out of there. It was NOT worth the aggravation to stay and put up with that crap.

RN1982 · Jan 17, 2009

Sorry, I meant to say wasn't. I was typing too fast. I got the hell out. I got my eval in July and took my time looking around at other area hospitals. I didn't leave until the beginning of the next year but it was worth the wait. At first, I turned down the offer from my current employer because I felt guilty for wanting to leave. Some things happened to one of my co-workers that I didn't like and that did it for me, I left and she transferred to another unit. The only problem is, she still works at my previous employer and still hates it. She'd leave but she's pregnant and needs the benefits.

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Jan 17, 2009

I think, like you did trauma, taking your time finding the next facility to work for, is essential. Another poster said and I agree 100%, dont go from frying pan to fire.

RN1982 · Jan 18, 2009

I like the place where I work now. It may be in downtown Detroit but I love it. Benefits are so much better. I make the same wage though as I did at my previous employer but I didn't care too much about that.

Kymmi · Jan 18, 2009

In my particular case being a loyal hard worker has paid off. I get five weeks off a year, am nearly maxed out salary wise (definitely making much more than new grads hired off the streets, and more than some deadbeats who stick around year after year as well), and have taken advantage of other perks.
That said, part of the reason I am a loyal hard worker is because I am loyal to myself. It helps me out to have this longevity with this organization and they get my hard work. It's a win win.
The reason I've stuck through some hard times is that I know the grass isn't any greener anywhere else. I'm not sure how long I'll stay, and I know that I'm expendable and just a body to them, but it works for me right now.

Agree with Tweety! I have been at my current employer for almost 8 years total however 3 of those years were as a traveler. I came in with alot of CVICU experience so therefore was bumped up to a higher pay level. I've gotten 3.5 % raise each year with a cost of living raise also added 2 of the past 5 years. I know I make alot more than the newer nurses and I earn every penny of it. It seems as I read thru this not alot of people are happy with their employer which proves the grass isnt greener on the other side. I agree that not all aspects of the way adminstration thinks is the way we think however they look at things differently than we do.

I also look at the benefits I receive in addition to pay which also includes 5 weeks of PTO per year, very flexible schedule, 100% match up to 9% of my 401K but bottom line is in this day and time there are alot of people out there without jobs. Some of those people have been in the profession for many many years and now they have no job and alot of people out there with a college degree and unable to find work so I think it important to remember that there are alot of people worse off than us and those people also have college educations. Times are tough right now but at least I know that I can pay my bills and also know that if I so desire I have the opportunity to work overtime to gain even more $$$. Alot of people just arent that lucky.