Labor and delivery differential

1. I'm looking for feedback from labor and delivery nurses to see how many make a specialty differential (like ICU or ER nurses make.) I work on a labor floor where we do between 70-85 deliveries a month, have a level 3 NICU at our hospital and are so short staffed that the 1-1 nursing for labor pts. usually goes right out the window. I'd like to know how many of you get a specialty differential, or is this wishful thinking?
   
   I think we should get a specialty premium, especially with the increasing numbers of sicker pts, increasing number of advanced maternal age pts, and with the numbers of pts. transferred to our level 3 facility that the level 1 or 2 hospitals can not manage.
   
   What do you think?

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2. 

   About packerfanrn

   Joined: Aug '03; Posts: 3
   rn

   12 Comments

   Topic Closed
3. 
   Aug 8, '03

   I agree but don't see it happening. The only differential we get is a 25 cent raise for our NRP certification.
4. 
   Aug 8, '03

   That's nice Debbie. NRP certification is mandatory for Maternal/Child Health at our hospital, no extra diff for that, L&D or level II nursery.
   
   We have 350 + deliveries a month, and a very busy nursery. Could use more staff, too.
5. 
   Aug 8, '03

   We get no extra diff for any area unless certified.
6. 
   Aug 8, '03

   NO DIFF WHATSOEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
   
   But then we are union and they would raise hell, I am sure if we tried. NO diff for NRP or ACLS either. Nope. But then JUST WHO IS a "specialty nurse" Really, think about it.
   
   WE all have "specialities" in our backgrounds. Med-surg nursing, included. So why just recognize certain nurses for what they do? I kinda think it's sending the wrong message, frankly.
   
   The only diff I think would be reasonable would be to those nurses willing to work "war zones" like chronically-short-of-staff ER's or ICU's and Med-surg units. But that would not be a speciality diff, it would be rewarding those who fill in chronic shortages that would not otherwise be filled. Sounds fair to me.
7. 
   Aug 9, '03

   I don't know anywhere around where I live that offers diff for any specialty, period.
   
   It sure would be nice though!
8. 
   Aug 9, '03

   Hey I'm missing out...I'm the charge nurse in a level one trauma center. My certs include: ACLS instructor, PALS, ENPC, BTLS, TNCC, PEPP, Trauma Nurse Specialist and CEN (national cert). I don't get anything - boooohoooo!!!
9. 
   Aug 9, '03

   No differential here, but there is a small plus. We are a self-contained unit, which means we don't float to other areas of the hospital. However, that does mean that we must self-staff. I must admit that I do like the security of staying in the area that I know the best.
10. 
    Aug 9, '03

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11. 
    Aug 9, '03

    ER and ICU nurses don't get a differential here....
12. 
    Aug 9, '03

    I am an ICU nurse that does not get a differential. None of our nurses at my hospital do - ER or ICU. I was in the OB search because I would like to change my "specialty" and will not get a differential in OB either. My hospital is Non Union????make a difference?
13. 
    Aug 9, '03

    No differentials for "specialty" areas (everything is its own specialty really) at my hopsital either, Union. There are no differentials for BSN, ACLS,PALS,NRP, or CCRN. There is a night shift differntial, and that is 4.00 an hour more. Our charge nurses do get 1.50 hr/more (i think) and new grad/new hire preceptors also get 1.00 more or something along those lines.
14. 
    Aug 15, '03

    where in wisconsin doyou live and what hospital has the shortage. i will graduate in may and would love to work in nicu or birthing center. thanks
    up here in superior

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