I started a few months ago at a much larger, well known hospital in NJ. I'm an ER tech. I took the job for a few reasons... They pay more then my previous job, they have tuition reimbursement... and I'm told having this establishment on my resume just looks good, and their goal is to hired their employees once they finish school.
This hospital is non union...
the past couple months I have learned just how different the pay is between people of the same title and even "lesser" titles.... I dont know a better way to put it...
I'm an ER tech, including the duties of a CNA, I draw blood, do EKG's, and hook up telemetry pt's. in this hospital the RN's are not allowed to do EKG's
So it's come to my attention that the new hire ER techs were being hired at 14.75/hr. The techs that have been here are make around 18/hr. Because I had experience they offered me 16.50/hr
The CNA's make the same I do as a tech....and security makes 17.50/hr
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
I guess I just thought with more responsibility comes more pay, maybe that's naive. But I do understand the points you have made, regardless of weather you have understood mine.
I didn't mean to come off as if I'm better then anyone else, I in no way feel that way.
As far as the whole EKG is concerned,(you all seem so offended) I was just stating a fact of how it is in this facility. But according to you all it was just my manager pretty much tapping the little tech on the head telling me to be a good little tech. yeah that's it right?
I wasn't being mean.....and I only pointed out and reacted to exactly what you said and how you said it.......What your post actually said was ranking other employees in some random hierarchy decided by whom? You projected yourself very clearly...as better than some others you work with and therefore you were angry that they got paid more. That may explain some of the passive aggressive behavior from that CNA you describe in another post. People see what we project which admittedly isn't always who we are......but it will show them how to treat you. Although you have greater responsibility that some of your peers, everyone has their job and need to perform those duties to the best of their ability. One skill does not increase or decrease someones value as a member of the team. Unfortunately, that is exactly what you said and how you were percieved.
It's true that education and experience as well as advanced skills but in a non union facility seniority count as well as merit. Raises are not just given as they are in a union facility...they are earned and rewarded for performance and loyalty. Comparing security to a clinical position is mixing apples to oranges and their salary is not even managed by nursing and what they "worth" is determined by training, schooling/education responsibilities involved as well as market value to remain competitive with surrounding security positions. You are no longer at a union shop and non-union shops that are hosptials are very different....so yes... a CNA with 5 years ED experience could make more than a newly hired ED Tech with ICU experience.
I am not down playing your performance of getting the 12 lead ECGs....but it does not require a license to perform one. I am very glad the facility has used their common sense to teach the techs to recognize some abnormalities so I may be alerted when you see something that can be ominous for the patient. You are right....I am sure it had to do with the placement of the EKG leads that this particular task was moved from the nurses to the techs to ensure more consistency in the placement therefor, increasing the consistency of the results... an EKG can change form on to the next, on the same patient, just by moving the leads. So, to assign the task to someone who has the time to ensure it's proper performance without interuption is the prudent thing to do.....and kudos to them for teaching you what to see to alert staff to ominous signs.
I am sure the nurses are perfectly capable of placing the leads but are often too rushed and called away that the quality of the testing and the consistancy as well as the lenght of time it took to get a EKG suffered....so the responsibility was passed to another team member. You weren't employed there when this decision was made and sometimes when responsibilities are moved for one to another.....there are rumblings about fairness and adding to another work load.....I have, on rare occasion, stretched the truth....just a little to emphasize how the new task will be a cherised contribution to the department because they are the ones that can carry out this task becasue we know how it was being done before. Therefore ensuring cooperation and completion of the tasks assigned.
You will find AN a place where you will get unbridled opinions and advice when you post here and admittedly it can be harsh at times...but it will be truthful. Allnurses will give you Allnurse opinions. Some you will like and some you will not.....but they will be given. There are those of us who have been nurse a LONG time and try to help.....I try to always to get everyone to see the others point of view so we can all play nice in the sandbox.....my middle child syndrome is showing:D and I really do hope you dog was ok:hug:
wow... you people took my question way-out of context and made be out to be some type of *****... thanks... esme
i used the would "lesser" for lack of a better one, i was tired when i wrote this and i guess wasn't thinking straight....
i never ment one title is more important then the next! how dare you question my team work and make be out to to be some self person who thinks i'm better then anybody based on one silly question??? who gives you the right to throw around accusations like that?
yes i know everyone is vital in the hospital and everyone has there job to do that is just as important as the next.... i guess my question just tiredness and frustration form a current situation i have going on in my life.
how "dare" she? you are the one who used the word "lesser." she was reacting to that and cannot be expected to know that you don't mean what you say when you choose your words or that you were simply tired and couldn't bother to be more precise.
less-er (lsr)adj. a comparative of little. 1. smaller in amount, value, or importance, especially in a comparison between two things: chose the lesser evil.
2. of a smaller size than other, similar forms: the lesser anteater.
adv. a comparative of little. less. used before a participle: a lesser-known writer.
n. one that is lower in importance, rank, magnitude, or degree: the lesser of two evils.
you referred to "lesser titles" in your post. esme took it the right way given the meaning of that word. rather than lashing out the way you did, you might have understood she was actually being reasonable with her response; then you could have admitted you chose your words poorly and then clarified just exactly what you were trying to express.
Actually, in my original post I used the term "lesser" for lack of a more appropriate one at the moment...which i stated in the original post.
and yes how dare she... From one silly question she implied I am not a team player, and have some idea that I'm better then others.
Your post came off that way...for some reason you don't want to admit that, but that's how it sounded based on what you said.
You know, the world really wouldn't end if you said, "Hey, I now see how that could have sounded, and I was wrong to use that word. " Instead you are in a rage over it.
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Actually, in my original post I used the term "lesser" for lack of a more appropriate one at the moment...which i stated in the original post.
and yes how dare she... From one silly question she implied I am not a team player, and have some idea that I'm better then others.
Than others, than others, not then others. (sorry I couldn't help myself:lol2:)
I am sorry you feel this way......I was trying to help you see how you were being perceived. I have no idea whether or not you are a team player. I usually read someones old posts to see where they are coming from so I don't assume as much.....I was only interpreting your post as it was being seen by others and hopefully helping you see that maybe you needed to rethink how you were perceiving the whole money thing. I wish you nothing but the best and I hope it all works out for you.....Peace:loveya:
With all this feedback, perhaps you would consider going back to your original post and rewrite it, if only to make it sound like what you really wanted to say, instead of what it said. Regardless of what you meant to say, it came across much differently.
Twenty-one years ago, I took a per diem job at the place where I still work, for $24.00 an hour. Ten years later, I was still working for $24/hr. Other nurses, in part time and full time positions, got step raises, not based on merit, but on hours worked. This didn't apply to per diems. Our union finally stepped in and during the next contract negotiations, we got a raise.....to $24.10. I kid you not. I was on the negotiating team.
Then came the practice of hiring brand new employees (not new grads) into the wage level based on their years of experience at other facilities. Now we had the problem of nurses who had 20, 25, 30 years at that hospital making less per hour than nurses just hired. Again, our union stepped in and all nurses, including the per diems got a wage adjustment based on their years of experience, so that the new hires (who, let's face it, are unknowns until they are there a while) weren't being given huge hourly wages, while those loyal to the facility got far less. The first year that happened, I got almost a 100% pay increase, because I had 20 years of total experience, but was still getting that $24.10 an hour.
Thus, experience does count. And it counted for you also, because, as you stated, you were given a bigger hourly wage than those with no experience.
i guess i just thought with more responsibility comes more pay, maybe thats naive. but i do understand the points you have made, regardless of weather you have understood mine.
i didn't mean to come off as if i'm better then anyone else, i in no way feel that way.
as far as the whole ekg is concerned,(you all seem so offended) i was just stating a fact of how it is in this facility. but according to you all it was just my manager pretty much tapping the little tech on the head telling me to be a good little tech. yeah thats it right?
actually i did... and i admitted it was wrong to use the word if you had read my previous posts...
Why do you feel it's unfair that a security guard would make more than you?
Given all of the crap that security guards have to put up working in the ER, IMO most definitely earn their pay.
OP: I don't understand why you feel it's unfair--you didn't get the new tech rate, but a higher amount based on your experience. Doesn't sound unfair to me. Salaries vary based on different positions as well as at different hospitals so if you wanted more than that, then you should have applied to another facility. Or taken a job with security.
Op I think I understand your feelings on this. What do RNs make where you work? More responsibility does not always mean more pay, far from it in nursing.
s
r)adj. a comparative of 
Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN
20,908 Posts
I wasn't being mean.....and I only pointed out and reacted to exactly what you said and how you said it.......What your post actually said was ranking other employees in some random hierarchy decided by whom? You projected yourself very clearly...as better than some others you work with and therefore you were angry that they got paid more. That may explain some of the passive aggressive behavior from that CNA you describe in another post. People see what we project which admittedly isn't always who we are......but it will show them how to treat you. Although you have greater responsibility that some of your peers, everyone has their job and need to perform those duties to the best of their ability. One skill does not increase or decrease someones value as a member of the team. Unfortunately, that is exactly what you said and how you were percieved.
It's true that education and experience as well as advanced skills but in a non union facility seniority count as well as merit. Raises are not just given as they are in a union facility...they are earned and rewarded for performance and loyalty. Comparing security to a clinical position is mixing apples to oranges and their salary is not even managed by nursing and what they "worth" is determined by training, schooling/education responsibilities involved as well as market value to remain competitive with surrounding security positions. You are no longer at a union shop and non-union shops that are hosptials are very different....so yes... a CNA with 5 years ED experience could make more than a newly hired ED Tech with ICU experience.
I am not down playing your performance of getting the 12 lead ECGs....but it does not require a license to perform one. I am very glad the facility has used their common sense to teach the techs to recognize some abnormalities so I may be alerted when you see something that can be ominous for the patient. You are right....I am sure it had to do with the placement of the EKG leads that this particular task was moved from the nurses to the techs to ensure more consistency in the placement therefor, increasing the consistency of the results... an EKG can change form on to the next, on the same patient, just by moving the leads. So, to assign the task to someone who has the time to ensure it's proper performance without interuption is the prudent thing to do.....and kudos to them for teaching you what to see to alert staff to ominous signs.
I am sure the nurses are perfectly capable of placing the leads but are often too rushed and called away that the quality of the testing and the consistancy as well as the lenght of time it took to get a EKG suffered....so the responsibility was passed to another team member. You weren't employed there when this decision was made and sometimes when responsibilities are moved for one to another.....there are rumblings about fairness and adding to another work load.....I have, on rare occasion,
stretched the truth....just a little to emphasize how the new task will be a cherised contribution to the department because they are the ones that can carry out this task becasue we know how it was being done before. Therefore ensuring cooperation and completion of the tasks assigned.
You will find AN a place where you will get unbridled opinions and advice when you post here and admittedly it can be harsh at times...but it will be truthful. Allnurses will give you Allnurse opinions. Some you will like and some you will not.....but they will be given. There are those of us who have been nurse a LONG time and try to help.....I try to always to get everyone to see the others point of view so we can all play nice in the sandbox.....my middle child syndrome is showing:D and I really do hope you dog was ok:hug: