Nurse Staffing Costs

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When hospitals look to cut costs -- as many of them have in the last decade -- nurses are the hardest hit. How has your employer dealt with staffing costs? How has it impacted you?

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I had an employer who dealt with it by continuing to cut staffing to the bone, allowing higher patient to nurse ratios and lowering staff's ability to provide proper care.

How did I deal with it? I quit.

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I had an employer who dealt with it by continuing to cut staffing to the bone, allowing higher patient to nurse ratios and lowering staff's ability to provide proper care.

How did I deal with it? I quit.

Thanks RNsRWe -- just curious... the hospital that cut staff - they didn't consider other alternatives first? Other options might include -- reduce premium pay rates, reduce on-call utilization, etc.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

we cut out bonuses and most of the "extra" time you could earn for coming in during crisis or working weekends. Now everyone works every other weekend. No per diems. Just Overtime. We did raise ratios on one unit by one patient. We also cut out LVN's as our tracking and trending indicated we needed too many nurses to cover what the LVN could not do in an acute care setting in this state. If someone has to be cut, it is a CNA or Tech. No agency nurses allowed. We pay OT for those who want to work. So far it is working, although we have ups and downs in employee feedback. We also have a lot of prn people working full time during high census.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Thanks RNsRWe -- just curious... the hospital that cut staff - they didn't consider other alternatives first? Other options might include -- reduce premium pay rates, reduce on-call utilization, etc.

Is this for school? What semester are you in?

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Is this for school? What semester are you in?

No -- general interest in reducing health care costs (without harming nurses and without impacting patient care).

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Specializes in MICU, SICU, CICU.

Frankly your question is insulting and inappropriate. You listed your occupation as being a health care consultant. What exactly is it that you do?

If you want to increase your 2 % operating margin, decrease those absurd CEO and CFO salaries.

Do you really think that anyone in nursing is interested in helping you figure out how to take away more of our benefits and reduce our pitiful salaries that have not increased in a decade?

Devise a way to bill for nursing services instead of rolling us into the room rate like housekeeping dietary and a roll of toilet paper.

Devise a way for nurses to generate income.

I am not a staffing cost. I am one of the main reasons that people come to this facility.

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You listed your occupation as being a health care consultant. Frankly we need more bedside nurses and fewer consultants.

I agree wholeheartedly. But, to be fair, we wouldn't need health care consultants if hospitals were managed more efficiently/effectively.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Thanks RNsRWe -- just curious... the hospital that cut staff - they didn't consider other alternatives first? Other options might include -- reduce premium pay rates, reduce on-call utilization, etc.
Most on call is for emergency purposes...cath lab, OR, and nurses who are called off to be on stand by...nurse who were called off to save money.

Ways to cut costs? How about the CEO take a pay cut. I know what...what about their bonus every year? They could refuse that to cut costs. Most CEO's make in excess of a 7 figure salary with six figure bonus every year not to mention the perks in their contract/agreement.

Nurses are chosen because we are nothing but red on the fiscal budget. We bring no revenue and our time is not billable.

The CEO's could careless about the lowly nurses...we are low in the terms of the pecking order and billable hours. They continue to cut hours, benefits, 401K contributions...heck I remember non contributory retirement plans because that is what honorable employers do...I mean USED to do. I remember being "bought out" of unused sick time and time and one half plus another day off for working the holiday.

While we make less and less as prices go higher and higher....no raises and hiring freezes.

NUrses are he most abused in the food chaion in a facility. We are responsible for everything and have very little control.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
I agree wholeheartedly. But, to be fair, we wouldn't need health care consultants if hospitals were managed more efficiently/effectively.

What ideas do you have to cut costs?

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Frankly your question is insulting and inappropriate. You listed your occupation as being a health care consultant. What exactly is it that you do?

...

In what way was my question insulting and inappropriate? Here it is again for your reference:

When hospitals look to cut costs -- as many of them have in the last decade -- nurses are the hardest hit. How has your employer dealt with staffing costs? How has it impacted you?

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What ideas do you have to cut costs?

We don't always recommend cutting costs -- sometimes we recommend raising shift differentials or even base wages to align with market conditions.

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