I have worked at the same hospital (excuse me, Medical Center) for nearly 15 years. I have been an RN for nearly 26 years. The Medical Center where I am employed charges us to park. As much as 500 dollars per year, depending on the area you are assigned/request to park in.
Does anyone else out there have to pay to park to go to work?
I mean the hospital built the parking deck(s) due to a lack of space in the area and they do provide a "free" parking area, but it requires a 5 min. walk to get from the free area to the hospital or a ride on a provided shuttle bus, if you work the "right" hours.
But really, do you think you should have to pay to park where you work?
I don't agree with it, but then, I'm not about to walk a half mile to the "free" lot when I get off work at 11pm.
As Sjoe (thanks for the title) points out, another place where nursing unions could make a difference (not to mention better lighting/security/etc in those parking garages).
Folks, there is a shortage of both nurses and CRNA's. The difference is that CRNA's have figured out how to negotiate, both individually and in groups. Generally, as a CRNA, if the hospital wants me bad enough, I get to park for free. If not, they don't want me bad enough and there are 5000 other hospitals waiting in line to "seduce" me. It's amazing what good, hard nosed negotiation skills in a market that is critically short of nurses will do for you.
Man, I just keep getting happier and happier about going on with school.
A $5.00 weekly fee automatically deducted from our pay for staff parking. Hospital parking is free in the wee hr of the morn. - no one patrols the boom gates at this time.
the real pisser is like, it's not even covered. It's just like a field we part in. So we had this huge snowfall lastnight. And they didn't even plow the freaken parking lot! I helped 2 cars get unstuck this morning by pushing them out!
The nurses here have to pay as well, but they've worked it out.
They all meet at the local Tim Horton's and drive to work together. When they get to the parking lot, the first in line grabs the ticket from the machine and when the gate goes up, they all follow each other so close that the gate has no chance to go down, and voila, 6 cars packed with 4 nurses a piece get in for the price of one!
The nurses here have to pay as well, but they've worked it out.
They all meet at the local Tim Horton's and drive to work together. When they get to the parking lot, the first in line grabs the ticket from the machine and when the gate goes up, they all follow each other so close that the gate has no chance to go down, and voila, 6 cars packed with 4 nurses a piece get in for the price of one!
The nurses here have to pay as well, but they've worked it out.
They all meet at the local Tim Horton's and drive to work together. When they get to the parking lot, the first in line grabs the ticket from the machine and when the gate goes up, they all follow each other so close that the gate has no chance to go down, and voila, 6 cars packed with 4 nurses a piece get in for the price of one!
Another example of applying those critical thinking skills.
$5 per day for day shift. $1 per night for night shift. The thinking that charging day shift more will encourage more drivers to find alternate means of transportation (bicycle, bus). They want us to take the bus so bad to work that they have worked out a deal with the transit district for employees to ride free. Wonder how much that incentive cost us?
No, actually it sends the correct and accurate message all too clearly: "We could care less about your safety or convenience. If you had a union, we would have to deal with them and probably not be able to charge you for parking, but you don't have one, so there! If you don't like it, leave."
As frequently happens on this BB, another opportunity to repeat myself:
I just resigned from a city hospital- very much union, city employee... We paid to park and to have unreliable shuttle buses to unsecure lots 3+ miles from the hospital.
I have several requirements for my next job- fair pay, reasonable hours, no shift rotation unless I choose to pick up extra hours, no mandatory OT, and the nurses' parking is no less convenient and no more expensive than the residents/PA's parking. (I'd love to say physician parking, but I want SOME chance of getting what I want. )
I pay $70 a month to park, on top of that, I drive 80 miles round trip to work so the gas is killing me! I need to find an apartment closer to my job. There is no street parking, and even if you are lucky enough to find a spot that isnt like 10 blocks away, you better pray you get out of work on time because of alternate side of the street parking.
We are a union hospital and we still pay for parking
Our MD's/DO's/NP's got free parking right out from the ER doors. I think ER got this one for us, just so they can look outside, see who's on-call and track us down.
$5 per day for day shift. $1 per night for night shift. The thinking that charging day shift more will encourage more drivers to find alternate means of transportation (bicycle, bus). They want us to take the bus so bad to work that they have worked out a deal with the transit district for employees to ride free. Wonder how much that incentive cost us?
kmchugh
801 Posts
As Sjoe (thanks for the title) points out, another place where nursing unions could make a difference (not to mention better lighting/security/etc in those parking garages).
Folks, there is a shortage of both nurses and CRNA's. The difference is that CRNA's have figured out how to negotiate, both individually and in groups. Generally, as a CRNA, if the hospital wants me bad enough, I get to park for free. If not, they don't want me bad enough and there are 5000 other hospitals waiting in line to "seduce" me. It's amazing what good, hard nosed negotiation skills in a market that is critically short of nurses will do for you.
Man, I just keep getting happier and happier about going on with school.
Kevin McHugh