NS with Union Questions

Chico David, BSN, RN · Jul 4, 2011

It's good to know those forms are available. I hope I never have to use one.
Does anyone know any specifics on nursing unions in North Carolina?
Also, when job hunting after graduation what are good qualities to look for in a hospital? What kinds of hospitals are the best to work for, such as private and public?
I know little about what makes a "magnet" hospital, so what are the qualities that give a hospital "magnet status"? Would you have better working conditions in a magnet hospital?

Big questions! I'll toss in some partial answers anyway:

North Carolina is one of those states with very few unionized hospitals. It would not totally surprise me if there are none. But do a little hunting around on Google and see what turns up.

In the American health care system, the underlying logic is the logic of business, so even those hospitals that are non-profit and exist to serve a need often end up acting like for-profit businesses and putting the bottom line ahead of patient care. So there are pretty good and pretty bad hospitals in all categories. As a new grad, I'd look first for a hospital that will offer you a quality orientation program designed just for new grads. You need that more than anything and a hospital that offers that is likely to have a quality focus in other ways too.

Magnet status, in my opinion, (and you could definitely find other opinions) is largely a scam. It is first and foremost a marketing tool for hospitals and a money-maker for the agency that confers that status. It is also a way of giving nurses the illusion of participation and power so they won't do the one thing that gives them real power - join unions. I sometimes help out on organizing campaigns for my union - working to unionize a hospital, that is - and I've seen some of the most vicious and unprincipled anti-union campaigns from religious hospitals that loved to tout their magnet status - but had a lot of fearful and unhappy nurses.

Bottom line: like so many other things, the choice of a place to start your career defies easy generalizations. But try hard to look for a place that will give you time, support and room to grow into your skills.

GM2RN · Jul 4, 2011

To add to what has already been said, I'm a fan of doing a job shadow in the specific unit/floor and shift for any job you are offered.

Hospital management and recruiters NEVER tell you the whole truth about their work environment, even if they don't outright lie. Plus, the image you create in your head about a prospective job is always somewhat different than reality.

Shadowing for a few hours gives you a chance to see how the unit/floor flows, how problems are handled, how well (or not) everyone works together, and how they treat you. It also gives you a chance to ask questions of the other staff about things you may not have wanted to ask in an interview. If it doesn't feel right after that, I wouldn't accept it.

jesskidding, LPN · Jul 4, 2011

Thanks for all the responses. I know it's a lot of questions. I just want to make sure I can have the best career in nursing possible and be a great nurse.

MyGranniePanties · Jul 5, 2011

I am in Louisiana and have a few questions...

When you say "unionized hospital" does that mean there is a specific union for that hospital if you choose to join? Or can you "shop around" for different unions?

If you join a union and they go against the hospital (strike or whatever) do you "have" to join in on that?

Do you always have to consult the union on things you need/want or do you approach management first and if you feel it is not properly handled go to the union?

If a union does go on strike, do they offer any kind of financial assistance to worker that join in? Is it ok to work another job while on strike with your current employer?

miss81, BSN, RN · Jul 5, 2011

i am in louisiana and have a few questions...
when you say "unionized hospital" does that mean there is a specific union for that hospital if you choose to join? or can you "shop around" for different unions?
if you join a union and they go against the hospital (strike or whatever) do you "have" to join in on that?
do you always have to consult the union on things you need/want or do you approach management first and if you feel it is not properly handled go to the union?
if a union does go on strike, do they offer any kind of financial assistance to worker that join in? is it ok to work another job while on strike with your current employer?

from my experience with my union:

1) yes, the union is specific to the hospital. the hospital/employer has an agreement with that union and it usually is exclusive.

2) yes, that's the point of a "union." we act together. power in numbers. however, when we strike it is a "legal" strike and therefore we are not leaving the patients high and dry. our agreement outlines that number of nurses that are "essential." meaning that even though we are on strike there are still number of nurses that must work for public safety reasons (er, on-call for or for emergent surgeries, ect). however, all non-essential services grind to a halt! also, the numbers of us working decrease substantially and the nurse managers, don, adon must come to work and work as floor nurses. it really makes a point when docs can't operate, have gi services, non-emergent cardiac caths and get procedures on the floor done because the managers usually don't know what they are doing! :lol2:

3) that is up to you if you approach the union first. most people will consult a shop steward first to make sure what their rights are and what the contact says about a subject. then the shop steward will offer to attend the meeting if the nurse wants him/her to.

4) we do have a strike fund. it's not as much as our usual pay but you get it for your "shift" on the picket line. the essential nursing shifts are divided up evenly so that everyone still gets some shifts/pay. and yes, you can still work at another job as long as it is not under that union and doesn't interfere with your essential shifts and picket duty (which is very flexible).

hope that helps... but i cannot stress enough how different each union is and that you would have to look into their specific contracts and union rules.

Chico David, BSN, RN · Jul 6, 2011

I am in Louisiana and have a few questions...
When you say "unionized hospital" does that mean there is a specific union for that hospital if you choose to join? Or can you "shop around" for different unions?
If you join a union and they go against the hospital (strike or whatever) do you "have" to join in on that?
Do you always have to consult the union on things you need/want or do you approach management first and if you feel it is not properly handled go to the union?
If a union does go on strike, do they offer any kind of financial assistance to worker that join in? Is it ok to work another job while on strike with your current employer?

I might have somewhat different answers than the poster above - different unions, different experience.

1. A unionized hospital is one where the nurses at that hospital have chosen - usually by a secret ballot election - to be represented by a particular union. That union then acts as the agent for the nurses - hopefully, with intense participation by the nurses there to make their own decisions about what they want in their contract. There is never more than one union representing the same group of nurses - it's the unity that brings the strength.

2. No union can force anyone to go on strike. The strength of a strike comes from everyone being on board and there is strong social pressure to join in, but no compulsion. Union people feel strongly that a decision to strike - always made by vote of the affected workers - is something that everyone should respect. If the strike succeeds, everyone gets the benefits, so those who don't join in are getting those benefits by freeloading on the sacrifice of their co-workers. But there is no compulsion.

3. Every contract that my union has encourages nurses to try first to work out issues with their managers and only involve union machinery when things can't be solved any other way. Union staff and volunteers are busy - we have a lot to do. There's no reason for us to want to inject ourselves into every little disagreement on the floor. We're there if needed, but we'd really rather nurses work things out themselves.

4. Unions vary in this, as in many things. Our union rarely does open-ended strikes. Usually, we call a strike for 1 - 3 days as a tool to put pressure on management. So it's not usually a major financial hit for nurses. And, if you live in an area with multiple hospitals, we often facilitate helping nurses to find registry work for those who really can't afford to miss a couple of days.

Finally, I might add, that most contracts settle without a strike - about 95 percent of our new and renewal contracts get settled without a strike. We take a lot more strike votes - when the nurses vote to authorize a strike - but a lot of the time a strong strike vote is enough to encourage management to settle.