Joy In Striking???

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Hello everyone. I would like to express my sadness towards the exuberence displayed at yesterday's vote. Upon the announcement of the collaborative bargaining rejection, several union members erupted in cheer and celebration, one even had the audacity to pass out cigars. As a relatively new RN, it is unfortunate to see such a lack of compassion and the ignorance displayed. Where is the victory? These people malign a profession which should be entrenched with empathy and care. As a PNA member, I am deeply offended and humiliated. Not only are several of our own out of work during the holidays, we are also inadvertently causing layoffs and compromising work hours for other employees? Should we be high-fiving each other and rejoicing? You all ought to be ashamed of yourselves.

Originally posted by caroladybelle

You would also be amazed at how poorly new grads/students treat vetaran nurses.

This is SO true. Not a great way to break into the profession either.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Geriatrics.
Originally posted by obgrn

Dear GingerZoe,

Considering the educational level of many staff nurses, they are well compensated. There are very few people with commeasurate levels of education who are paid as well as nurses with diploma and associate degrees. I fully understand after 25 years in this profession that the work is taxing and the hours are long, and nurses do earn their pay. In fact it is the financial opportunities that are luring the current influx of second career nursing students into the field of nursing.

However, as we all know there are some days on the job, when there simply is not enough money to compensate anyone for the job we do, but we do it because it is in our blood, it is who we are.

I must disagree:

#1: I don't think it is the financial opportunities which are luring people into nursing but the job security. To someone who has no job or has been laid off 2 or 3 times in a short period of time, a secure job with an average salary of ~$45,000 must sound attractive. That is not the same thing as going into nursing for financial opportunity which implies that people are entering nursing for the salary alone.

#2: As you well know, while the pay for nurses with associate or diploma might be higher than others with comparable education, the responsibility is also much higher and work conditions are atrocious. It's all relative.

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"If you didn't clue into that "generalization," well, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that the basics had to be explained."

Woo hoo, well slap me upside the head! :D

I know I recently read that CA has a 30% failure rate among students taking their boards but it isn't broken down into ages.

I do actually think our public schools and parents are not doing a good job educating students and that is showing up in college.

Had a conversation today with my co-workers and we all agreed that some of us are less apt to come in to work on our days off than the nurses who have been nurses for awhile. This may be part generational and part the fact that some of us are becoming nurses at an older age and don't have the same priorities.

I won't put my family second to my job, ever. I get guilt trips from other nurses who made work their first priority and don't understand why I won't do the same thing.

The diffrences have to do with more than age. That's all I meant.

steph

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Originally posted by stevielynn

"If you didn't clue into that "generalization," well, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that the basics had to be explained."

Woo hoo, well slap me upside the head! :D

I know I recently read that CA has a 30% failure rate among students taking their boards but it isn't broken down into ages.

I was recently at a conference and the one of the reasons for the poor NCLEX pass rates in CA was due to the increasing numbers of students with English as a second language- they have a hard time with multiple choice formats, and the fact that they make use a rating system that allows admission to "disadvantaged " students., who may not bring high GPA's with them. They are now considering the fact that these students need a little more educational and social support

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Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.
Originally posted by obgrn

I was recently at a conference and the one of the reasons for the poor NCLEX pass rates in CA was due to the increasing numbers of students with English as a second language- they have a hard time with multiple choice formats, and the fact that they make use a rating system that allows admission to "disadvantaged " students., who may not bring high GPA's with them. They are now considering the fact that these students need a little more educational and social support

No matter how "disadvantaged" that they are, they still need to be able to do the work and have the knowledge.

And if people are having trouble with English in Nursing school and test formats, what happens when they hit the "Real World" of nursing and have to cope "without social support".

Virtually every Southern/ border state has large numbers of students with English as a second language these days, and many "disadvantaged" admissions. This is nothing brand new/unique about California.

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Originally posted by obgrn

I was recently at a conference and the one of the reasons for the poor NCLEX pass rates in CA was due to the increasing numbers of students with English as a second language- they have a hard time with multiple choice formats, and the fact that they make use a rating system that allows admission to "disadvantaged " students., who may not bring high GPA's with them. They are now considering the fact that these students need a little more educational and social support

Incidentally, I wasn't just talking about poor NCLEX pass rates. I was talking about students not making it through the basic, preliminary science courses necessary to get into nursing school. For most of these students, English is their first language so, I'm not sure that more "support" would help since even English speaking students have great difficulty.

Regarding the GPA issue: Most of the schools in my area have switched to GPA priority for nursing school admittance. Meaning, those with better grades get higher priority. The reason is: all of the schools have waiting lists. You usually have to wait at least one semester, often two, to get in.

With so few spots available, the schools have decided to give higher GPA students more priority since studies show they are more likely to succeed in nursing school. Otherwise, coveted spots are potentially wasted on students who are less likely to make it.

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Sorry but I am still on the new grad making $78,000/year :confused:

obgrn,

I am not disagreeing with you that nurses in Philly earn more than some areas around the country. But to state that new grads make $78,000/year? When your post is read, it seems like you would want one to believe that this is a true fact. In your attempts to taint this BB against MCP nurses and Unions, I believe once again you are going to fail as you have not succeeded in dividing your co-workers. :devil:

As you know, Tenet at MCP does not offer a $20,000 sign on bonus and never has. I have never seen a bonus that large in the years that I have been here. The largest I seen was $3,000. The original statement you made was new grads here in Philly make $78,000/year.

Please refer to your old contract.

*After one year, Tenet was to put an end to Mandation. They did not.

*Double time was entered into the contract (by the union) in attempts to curb Tenet from abusing involuntary mandation. (No longer in contract)

*Bonus time was entered into the contract (by the union) for the nurse that wished to sign up and be voluntarily mandated for holes in the schedule. (No longer in contract)

Even with these financial benefits that a nurse would receive, many still refused. As it should be their right to refuse. As you know, Mandation still ran ramped at MCP and many faced disciplinary actions including 3 day suspensions. If and when this contract is ratified, what is mandation going to be like at MCP if it is not removed? Especially, now that they do not have a financial burden? There are 60-75 open RN positions. Probably more now that many nurses have talked about resigning. Like myself and many others have said before, Tenet needs to invest in recruitment and retention vs. using mandation as a means of staffing. I presume it is cheaper for the "FOR Profit" giants to pay mandated nurses time and a half than hire more nurses and pay for more employee benefits. On Tenets own employee website, they state the facts. For the Eastern Division of Hospitals, in the third quarter, MCP was ranked 58 out of 59 for RN Vacancy Rate. Here is the link. Click on it, enter your employee ID and pass code and see for yourself.

https://secure.etenet.com/PublicSite/default.asp?URL=/dashboard/

If not please feel free to look at the print out in the RV across from the picket line as they are posted on the board.

But, to get back to the new grad earning $78,000/year. . . The last page of your old contract contains the hourly wage according to the amount of years one has been a nurse.

A new grad in the old contract made $23.38/hour. As you know, most nurses work 3/12 shifts. So when calculated:

$23.38

X 36 hours

$841.68 week

X 52 weeks

$43,767.36 year BEFORE taxes and other deductions.

That is a $34,232.64 difference from your $78,000

These are calculations based on the old contract with the financial benefits, of the extra hours a new grad would have to work to earn $78,000 BEFORE taxes. This is including if a nurses was receiving time and a half after 72 hours of a pay period. And you know we were not.

At MCP, a new grad would have to work an extra 976 hours or an extra 81 12 hour shifts at Time and a half.

He/she would have to be Involuntarily Mandated to work an extra 732 hours or an extra 61 12 hour shifts at Double time. (DT is no longer offered at MCP)

He/she would have to work a Voluntary extra 569 hours or an extra 47 12 hour shift at Bonus time PLUS time and a half. (Bonus is also no longer offered at MCP)

Now keep in mind obgrn, if you meant AFTER taxes these hours of work will increase greatly.

On to the weekender that made $39/hour and made $100,000.

$39

X24 hours

$48,672 yearly BEFORE taxes

That is a $51,328 difference.

Stay with me everyone. I am almost done!

A weekender would have to work an extra 877 hours or an extra 73 12 hour shifts at time and a half

He/she would have to be Involuntarily Mandated to work an extra 658 hours or an extra 54 12 hour shifts at Double time.

He/she would have to work a Voluntary extra 614 hours or an extra 51 12 hour shifts of Bonus PLUS time and a half.

Not that it cannot be done but boy is that dedication!

Whew! Now that everyone on this BB including myself has a headache!

God Bless the New Grad! Oh, don't let me forget that weekender too! I am proud that our new grads/weekenders have all this energy and dedication to devote to our profession. I hope all of you invest and spend this money wisely. Oh, and please tell me you all had a decent pair of shoes to run around in. If not I am sure the tread is now gone.

Congratulations on having 614 - 1000 hours of extra time to take advantage of Tenet a corporate monster!!! :balloons:

obgrn, as said before by your co-workers at MCP, if you wish to cross the picket line, just cross. No one is stopping you. But PLEASE, do not attempt to break our spirits and crush our morale in the meantime. You will fail, as we are all strong and united in fighting our cause to stop mandatory overtime.

:nono:

And if you have not noticed, the members of this BB are also strong, united and support the nurses at MCP as they also want an end to mandatory overtime around this country.

Sorry about this post everyone!

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It's obvious that the nursing profession does not get the respect that it deserves. Obvious, also, is that major change is needed within the profession. Nurses must take a united stand in order to effect the changes we need for ourselves and our patients. The working environment in all healthcare facilities is unsafe at this point in time, with nurses and their licenses being placed in jeopardy at the front lines. It takes all of us to unite together to get the point across, and if striking gets the attention, so be it! It's just unfortunate that the pioneers willing to put themselves out to effect change will pave the way for a brighter future for all nurses, even those who sit on the sidelines afraid to make a move! It's time for nurses to "think outside the box".

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As evidenced in the posts on this forum in just the past couple of days, that aint never gonna happen.

For some reason, maybe ignorance, some nurses have the impression that nurses being organized in unions is a new, recent concept... and is "unprofessional". But nurses have been unionized & gaining workplace improvements for 100 years. If they werent, we'd all still be washing the unit's windows in between med passes. And where exactly do they think the benefits they automatically expect and now take for granted actually came from? Unionized nurses made those things the standard nationwide -- some after having to go on strike to do so. And in doing so, they raised the bar for all nurses.

Too many nurses today dont have a clue as to where this profession came from or how it got there. They have no idea of the history of nursing or the fact that it was born out of nurse activism & nurses taking on the giants of the times - employers, city halls, and federal govt. They should read about the kinds of stands that nurses over the last 100 yrs stood up & took together - starting with nurses like Lillian Wald and Lavinia Dock -- and then try to tell us again that striking for pt safety, as well as our own is "unprofessional". They have no idea what theyre talking about.

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I'm curious. With those of us who believe in unions, and those who are not so sure, would you cross a picket line and do some strike busting? I'll wait to see what others say before i answer for myself. :)

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No. Because of these reasons:

American Journal of Nursing:

A Decision that Defies Logic -

in the face of nurses' efforts to ensure a safe care environment

http://www.needlestick.org/AJN/2001/apr/Issues.htm

The American Nurse 2000:

As I See It -

Scabs Betray Nurses and Profession http://www.nursingworld.org/tan/sepoct00/asiseeit.htm

There are other threads here on this topic. If you do a search on your question, you'll get back a lot of previous responses to view.

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No, I would not cross a picket line.

I have no intention of dishonoring those who have struggled to make gains in the profession that benefit my practice.

There isn't enough money in the world that can make up for a clean conscience.

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