NURSING...the to die for career...hmm

elkpark · Mar 6, 2013

Simple -- all the other occupations you list are public (local/state/federal) employees. Nurses tend to be employed primarily by private entities. For that matter, nurses who work for state hospitals, the public health service, the military, etc. do have the same kind of benefits that their fellow workers have, and teachers employed by private schools have the same lousy benefits other private employees have.

lkulmann · Mar 6, 2013

Isn't it more of a union contract-type issue? Honestly I don't know that much about it, but the last facility only 'some' of the staff was unionized...why couldn't nurses be their own entity?

elkpark · Mar 6, 2013

A union contract is certainly one way to ensure better benefits, but I wouldn't say it's "more" of a union issue. The military isn't unionized, is it? And I've spent most of my career in a Southern state where none of the state employees were unionized, but they still had v. generous benefits and retirement packages.

lkulmann · Mar 6, 2013

I have never had a benefit package that wasn't generous. The piece I'm referring to is the early retirement package. Our career is comperable to the careers mentioned as far as stress and high risk situations ie...infection, physical injury etc...

SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN · Mar 6, 2013

The military isn't unionized, is it?

Sure isn't, and we're about to lose a lot of our retirement benefits, too.

martymoose, BSN, RN · Mar 7, 2013

Maybe the Hospital CEO's hope you die so they don't have to pay any retirement..... :banghead:

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Mar 7, 2013

Isn't it more of a union contract-type issue? Honestly I don't know that much about it, but the last facility only 'some' of the staff was unionized...why couldn't nurses be their own entity?

No. Those kinds of benefits are, as elkpark points out, for public employees. My mother is a teacher in a public school system. She is employed by the town. She gets a pension that will be 80% of her salary. It is true that teachers are represented by the teachers' union but town benefits are to all town employees who are not all represented by the same union. Even the town employees who are not represented by any union get these benefits.

lkulmann · Mar 7, 2013

So how do nurses become their own entity OR State employees OR employed through an Agency in each State for all nursing positions in that State. Trying to think outside the box a little. I feel like we need some unity and protection. Doctors have organizations that are functional. I know that there are nurses organizations but I'm not sure that they are functional. Anyone?

Violach · Mar 7, 2013

The people you mentioned all have great benefits because they are public employees and taxpayers foot the bill. Not all unionized employees receive pensions, ie. private industry employees. My husband is an airline pilot, unionized - no pension. We save/invest on our own. His union negotiates work rules, hourly pay, rest periods, etc. It depends on the industry and whether it is in the public/private sector. Personally, I have an issue with government employees being unionized, but I'll save that for another day.

elkpark · Mar 7, 2013

So how do nurses become their own entity OR State employees OR employed through an Agency in each State for all nursing positions in that State. Trying to think outside the box a little. I feel like we need some unity and protection. Doctors have organizations that are functional. I know that there are nurses organizations but I'm not sure that they are functional. Anyone?

Unfortunately, the current trend is away from traditional pension and retirement plans, even for public/municipal employees. I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but I doubt there is anything nursing could do, even organized, to get traditional pensions and early retirement programs at this point in time. Even many states and municipalities (and the military, as SoldierNurse noted) are doing away with their traditional pension/retirement programs; long-time employees still have them, but newer hires are getting 403b-type voluntary contribution programs.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Mar 7, 2013

There are national nursing groups, the NNU (National Nurses United) that are beginning to try to join together the nursing unions across the country. Hospitals/administrators HATE unions and will go to great lengths to prevent them....as well as punish those who try.