New national nurses union forms

PICUPNP · Dec 24, 2009

Where are the mighty unions to save us!!!

karenchad · Dec 24, 2009

Pediatrics doesn't seem to be having a problem with lack of hiring, or short staffing issues- the papers here in Philly are full of open positions for peds bedside nurses and PNP's( pediatric Nurse Practioners). It's us nurses with the hospitialized adults that are running around short handed, and treated like crap when we do. We get the crap from all angles- patients, doctors, families, management. The Nurse Practioners dont. I have nothing against nurse practioner's and have stated my support for them on other threads. I feel the reason the Nurse Practioner doesn't get the same disrespect that us bedside nurses do is probably the "white labcoat'. Many patients and families mistake them for doctors(who they would NEVER speak to the way we 'nurses' get spoken to) I think it would be interesting to see how the NP would get spoken to if they would were just scrubs and no lab coat. Some families, patients are just plain confused about the NP/APN role. If the NP would just wear scrubs, go into the patient and say Hi, I'mm ...., YOUR NURSE ( not as a nurse aztached to or belonging to a doctor) or ONE OF THE NURSES taking care of you- see what they get in terms of treatment. I, also, don't know of any Nurse Practioners who are not considered management . I don't see too many nurse practioners in the adult patient population doing bedside nursing either. I work with a bedside nurse who just left Texas- she was a ped's nurse and states the pay is very poor there. Texas always seems to have many travel nursing assignments when the rest of the country has little to none, and looking at the travel nursing rates, I can see why- I'm not going to Texas or anywhere else for $28.00/hr, even if we do have 2 feet of snow here in Philly!!

Jerry 75 · Dec 24, 2009

in response to karenchad's post about different responses towards rn vs np

btw in cali within kaiser hospital system rn, np and pa are all union members.

np's get $10-$15/hr more then staff rn's

unac represents approximately 4,900 kaiser permanente employees (registered nurses, registered nurse practitioners and some physician assistants) in kern, los angeles, san bernardino, riverside, ventura and san diego counties under several contracts, all of which are covered by the recent negotiations.

http://www.allbusiness.com/labor-employment/compensation-benefits-employee-leave-sick/7142917-1.html

karenchad is on the money with her observation of differences in how nurses are preceived and treated compared to np's. and i see pa and np as having so much freedom and independance that they are not in as much a subordinate role as the rn. i never hear md's acting out making a scene in patient care areas with the np/pa but that is a frequent occurence in md/ rn interactions.

pt's and or family would frequently express their anger and dump on the rn at long waits and complain about how long it was taken for a dr. to take care of them. once the doctor shows up the pt. or /family is all smiles and no complaints!

nicurn001 · Dec 24, 2009

What happenened to the two nurses in Texas , I believe Winkler county who were being prosecuted for reporting a doctors illegal activities to the TMB . Quite a good example of where advocacy for patients can get nurses in Texas and another example of the Tactics you seem to be unaware of .
Interesting PICUPNP you chose not to address the above point , Maybe it doesn't fit in with your portrayal of the nursing Utopia Texas is , or that it shows the potential folly of individual nursing action in Texas ?.
What are your feeling about Group1being used to blackball nurse who step out of line ?. Frankly I would be somewhat surpised if you address these points , but as it's Xmas you might surprise me .

allnurses Guide · Dec 24, 2009

Fired nurses protest at Mesquite hospital-ICU ratio debated - https://allnurses.com/nursing-news/fired-nurses-protest-230712.html

TX Nurses facing criminal charges for reporting doctor to Board of Medicine - https://allnurses.com/nursing-news/tx-nurses-facing-408891.html

PICUPNP · Dec 25, 2009

Pediatrics doesn't seem to be having a problem with lack of hiring, or short staffing issues- the papers here in Philly are full of open positions for peds bedside nurses and PNP's( pediatric Nurse Practioners). It's us nurses with the hospitialized adults that are running around short handed, and treated like crap when we do. We get the crap from all angles- patients, doctors, families, management. The Nurse Practioners dont. I have nothing against nurse practioner's and have stated my support for them on other threads. I feel the reason the Nurse Practioner doesn't get the same disrespect that us bedside nurses do is probably the "white labcoat'. Many patients and families mistake them for doctors(who they would NEVER speak to the way we 'nurses' get spoken to) I think it would be interesting to see how the NP would get spoken to if they would were just scrubs and no lab coat. Some families, patients are just plain confused about the NP/APN role. If the NP would just wear scrubs, go into the patient and say Hi, I'mm ...., YOUR NURSE ( not as a nurse aztached to or belonging to a doctor) or ONE OF THE NURSES taking care of you- see what they get in terms of treatment. I, also, don't know of any Nurse Practioners who are not considered management . I don't see too many nurse practioners in the adult patient population doing bedside nursing either. I work with a bedside nurse who just left Texas- she was a ped's nurse and states the pay is very poor there. Texas always seems to have many travel nursing assignments when the rest of the country has little to none, and looking at the travel nursing rates, I can see why- I'm not going to Texas or anywhere else for $28.00/hr, even if we do have 2 feet of snow here in Philly!!

You seem to be very uninformed. No nurse practitioner at our hospital wears the "white coat". Our new nurses are hired at that wage. Try again. As far as the nurses in the adult world, my wife is one and has been for 25yrs and doesn't have half the complaints that the nurses on this forum have issued. Glad your staying in philly with your union.

PICUPNP · Dec 25, 2009

What happenened to the two nurses in Texas , I believe Winkler county who were being prosecuted for reporting a doctors illegal activities to the TMB . Quite a good example of where advocacy for patients can get nurses in Texas and another example of the Tactics you seem to be unaware of .
Interesting PICUPNP you chose not to address the above point , Maybe it doesn't fit in with your portrayal of the nursing Utopia Texas is , or that it shows the potential folly of individual nursing action in Texas ?.
What are your feeling about Group1being used to blackball nurse who step out of line ?. Frankly I would be somewhat surpised if you address these points , but as it's Xmas you might surprise me .
Suprise. As far as the Texas nurses in Winkler, does the union have control over the district attorney? It was the DA who file the charges on behalf of the accusing physician. Wow, unions really are powerful if they can influence the criminal justice system. As far as Group 1 is concerned, the union has no authority over an outside company used to maintain employee files. I don't necessarily agree with the concept but there is nothing to be done. The union can't control institutions outside the hospital. You all are on a power kick!
Texas isn't a nursing utopia other than for the fact that unions aren't screwing people over here. No its not perfect, but we have made it this far without others talking for us. As far as addressing points, why hasn't anyone explained to me reason being only 5% of RNs being unionized? If you all have the corner on "Utopia", why isn't your group of nurses significantly larger and more widespread?? If unions are so wonderful, why are they having such a hard time gaining in membership? You would think that if everyone who is unionized has fabulous paychecks, wonderful benefits and protection form their scary supervisors that there would exponentially more of them, but that's not the case. I read about decertifications throughout the union community daily..why is this if they, unions, are so great?? It sounds like they just weren't what they were made out to be??
I hope to and will continue to be a thorn in the side of pro union nurses If there were a school for so-called "union busters", I would go. I will hopefully through some action cause Rns to turn away from their captors and step out on their own and speak for theirselves. For the life of me, I don't know how I've made it this far in my career without the unions!

karenchad · Dec 25, 2009

I must not only be misinformed but visually hallucinating also- all the Nurse Practioners ( male and female) I have come in contact with in 4 different hospitals 2 hospitals in the same healthsystem- have all worn white labcoats and street clothes- cardiovascular surgery, pulmonary medicine, cardiology. It's the PA's that don't. Maybe you should actually do some research and stop bad mouthing something you know nothing about- unions! Maybe your wife doen't mind taking on more patients than a safe assignment ratio and jepordizing her license- she has you to support her if she looses her license and can't work and pay the bills. Maybe your in a nursing or physican management or administrative position where your influence protects her from the unscruplious tactics of management that the rest of enjoy on our own.

allnurses Guide · Dec 25, 2009

Institute for Women's Policy Research

...The fraction of the nurse workforce that is covered by union contracts remained steady over the 1990s, at 19 percent. (During this period the unionization rate for workers as a whole fell from 18 percent to 15 percent.)

Nurses working in hospitals are especially likely to participate in unions, as 38 percent of hospitals have union contracts. Since nurse employment grew substantially from 1990 to 2000, the number of nurses benefiting from union representation increased over the decade....

...Joining a union means higher wages for hospital nurses...

...Nurse unionization also improves quality of patient care....

In the cities with the highest rates of nurse unionization, there are nearly 20 percent more nurses per patient (adjusting for patient acuity), as compared to staffi ng levels in the least-unionized cities ...

http://www.iwpr.org/pdf/C363.pdf

From page 18

PICUPNP · Dec 25, 2009

I must not only be misinformed but visually hallucinating also- all the Nurse Practioners ( male and female) I have come in contact with in 4 different hospitals 2 hospitals in the same healthsystem- have all worn white labcoats and street clothes- cardiovascular surgery, pulmonary medicine, cardiology. It's the PA's that don't. Maybe you should actually do some research and stop bad mouthing something you know nothing about- unions! Maybe your wife doen't mind taking on more patients than a safe assignment ratio and jepordizing her license- she has you to support her if she looses her license and can't work and pay the bills. Maybe your in a nursing or physican management or administrative position where your influence protects her from the unscruplious tactics of management that the rest of enjoy on our own.

I've been a PNP for many years now and have never worn a white coat, even in clinicals. Not that it makes a difference. Nps that wear white coats are probably mandated to do so. As far as my wife is concerned, she works with adults in a different facility...try again. As far as bad mouthing unions, I will continue to do so as long as I live. They have NO place in healthcare!! You can see post after post regarding people's bad experiences with unions. My desire is to be a professional union buster so that I can prevent other nurses from making the mistake of unionizing. Enjoy!!!

allnurses Guide · Dec 25, 2009

Suprise. As far as the Texas nurses in Winkler, does the union have control over the district attorney? It was the DA who file the charges on behalf of the accusing physician. Wow, unions really are powerful if they can influence the criminal justice system. As far as Group 1 is concerned, the union has no authority over an outside company used to maintain employee files. I don't necessarily agree with the concept but there is nothing to be done. The union can't control institutions outside the hospital. You all are on a power kick!
Texas isn't a nursing utopia other than for the fact that unions aren't screwing people over here. No its not perfect, but we have made it this far without others talking for us. As far as addressing points, why hasn't anyone explained to me reason being only 5% of RNs being unionized? If you all have the corner on "Utopia", why isn't your group of nurses significantly larger and more widespread?? If unions are so wonderful, why are they having such a hard time gaining in membership? You would think that if everyone who is unionized has fabulous paychecks, wonderful benefits and protection form their scary supervisors that there would exponentially more of them, but that's not the case. I read about decertifications throughout the union community daily..why is this if they, unions, are so great?? It sounds like they just weren't what they were made out to be??
I hope to and will continue to be a thorn in the side of pro union nurses If there were a school for so-called "union busters", I would go. I will hopefully through some action cause Rns to turn away from their captors and step out on their own and speak for theirselves. For the life of me, I don't know how I've made it this far in my career without the unions!
I believe it IS possible to work together to STOP such an anti-caregiver organization as Group one. Of course one RN cannot do it alone. But together people can do good. Working for such honesty would be a worthwhile endeavor.
Regarding the percent of RNs in unions. It is 19% not 5%.
And 38% of hospital nurses have the benefit of a contract.
Group One DFW
https://allnurses.com/forums/f175/group-one-114340.html?highlight=Group
https://allnurses.com/forums/f175/group-one-background-checks-texas-108647.html?highlight=Group
https://allnurses.com/forums/f175/group-one-someone-please-help-me-146078.html?highlight=Group
https://allnurses.com/forums/f87/group-one-107377.html?highlight=Group
https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/non-group-one-hopsitals-108318.html?highlight=Group
https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/group-one-161914.html

nicurn001 · Dec 25, 2009

suprise. as far as the texas nurses in winkler, does the union have control over the district attorney? it was the da who file the charges on behalf of the accusing physician. wow, unions really are powerful if they can influence the criminal justice system. this was given as an example of what can happen to nurses who act by themselves . no i do not think ,nor have even inferred that unions ( or for that matter anyone ) can influence the legal system , i would be outraged as you if anyone could do so .as far as group 1 is concerned, the union has no authority over an outside company used to maintain employee files. i don't necessarily agree with the concept but there is nothing to be done rather a passive attitude , if it effected you would you be so blase . the union can't control institutions outside the hospital. you all are on a power kick!no i simply believe that both sides of labor relations should adhere to the law as it applies to them and the policies and procedures as printed by the facility , if necessarily by using a union contract to force my employer to do that . prior to unionization ,almost on a daily basis these things changed , now we have the ability to say without retribution ,wait a minute this isn't in accordance with law / policy and they have to corect the problem .
texas isn't a nursing utopia other than for the fact that unions aren't screwing people over here. no its not perfect, but we have made it this far without others talking for us. as far as addressing points, why hasn't anyone explained to me reason being only 5% of rns being unionized? if you all have the corner on "utopia", why isn't your group of nurses significantly larger and more widespread?? if unions are so wonderful, why are they having such a hard time gaining in membership? you would think that if everyone who is unionized has fabulous paychecks, wonderful benefits and protection form their scary supervisors that there would exponentially more of them, but that's not the case. i read about decertifications throughout the union community daily..why is this if they, unions, are so great?? it sounds like they just weren't what they were made out to be??i think i did address this earlier , and somebody else has made a contribution , so not falling in to the rehashing of the matter .
i hope to and will continue to be a thorn in the side of pro union nurses if there were a school for so-called "union busters", i would go. i will hopefully through some action cause rns to turn away from their captors and step out on their own and speak for theirselves. for the life of me, i don't know how i've made it this far in my career without the unions!
sheer bloody mindedness , i would guess .(hey i may not like your point of view , but i can respect it as your honestly held point of view ) in this and other things in life i can believe you hold what you believe firmly , good for you . i wish there was a tab we could click which lets us signify , we like the contributors input , but does not infer we agree with them .