Please explain how union hospitals do it.

Published

Taking Kaiser, for example, California mandated ratios, some of the highest wages, patient/insured receiving respectable care, insurance policies comparable to commercial competitors.

Am I missing something? How do they do it? Why haven't more followed suit?

If companies were willing to pay salaries,, that would be an incentive to nurses to go and work in inner cities, there would be more American nurses, who would step up and fill these unpopular job placements.

My guess, is that companies, or whoever was doing the hiring, still paid Filipino nurses less than they would pay American Nurses, including the cost to recruit, and bring over these nurses, and I can tell you, every family member, from spouse and children to fourth cousins and in laws.

JMHO and my NY $0.02

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN, (ret)

Somewhere in the PACNW

Up Vote Up Vote ×

If companies were willing to pay salaries,, that would be an incentive to nurses to go and work in inner cities, there would be more American nurses, who would step up and fill these unpopular job placements.

My guess, is that companies, or whoever was doing the hiring, still paid Filipino nurses less than they would pay American Nurses, including the cost to recruit, and bring over these nurses, and I can tell you, every family member, from spouse and children to fourth cousins and in laws

JMHO and my NY $0.02

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN, (ret)

Somewhere in the PACNW

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.

Most of the Philippine educated nurses who work in my city are now U.S. citizens who vote. Our excellent inner city hospitals have similar salaries to suburban ones.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I work at a union hospital but the the union is fairly ineffective in many ways.

On my unit of 44 beds Dayshift is 5 pt. max and 6 max on Nightshift. We need more CNA's (1-2 on days and 0-1 nights) and basic standard technology like barcode medication scanning and a way to communicate with each other in a professional, privacy-inclined way using a phone rather than yelling up and down the halls when some calls us or we need to get a hold of each other.

The few dollars more an hour isn't worth it. AT ALL.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Management, Med/Surg, Clinical Trainer.
Kaiser is not losing money:

Fitch Affirms Kaiser's IFS Ratings at 'A+'; Outlook Stable - MarketWatch

With decreased CMS compensation for readmission within 30 days, ventilator associated pneumonia, bloodstream and other nosocomial infections, and other complications safe staffing ratios save lives and are cost effective:

This is the effect of the low patient to nurse staffing ratio.

Yes, this would further support Kaiser's ability to acquire more insurance members and keep the cost of their premiums above average; but this is a long term plan. It is not how initially they were able to have lower staffing ratios.

Before they had data to back up these facts they had to jump in, spend the money and hope that lower ratios would show rewards for them. I would imagine their margins for profit were lean until this data showed up.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care,Recovery, ED.

Unions are can be either effective or ineffective depending on many factors. However unions do give you the legal ability to influence the priorities the employer sets in their decision making with regards to certain mandated subjects of bargaining.

The membership must be willing to takes the steps necessary to assure the employer listens.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Could no agree more.

Until nursing unionizes en masse, we will NEVER have control of our profession.

Spare me the, "martyr mary, its not professional to belong to a union". Really? Is that why teachers are almost 100% unionized, they ALL have far more education than nurses to, most having at least a Bachelors Degre, most have at least a Masters Degree in something.

Join up folks- the NNOC is waiting for you to finally make a stand.

JMHO and my NY $0.02

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN (ret)

Somewhere in the PACNW

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I said in my above post that I work at a union hospital but it's not effective. They lead initiatives that the other large academic/teaching hospital system across the city have done without a union. I really don't see the benefits of the union. I was a teacher and in a strong, effective union where we saw very clearly what they did to protect us. They had excellent communication with us and I didn't feel like my monthly dues were just a waste of money like I do now.

The other non-union hospital system is much more effective in the realm of technology (barcode scanning and individual phones for all RN's and CNA's), number of CNA's per shift, shared governance/unit-based councils, valuing, encouraging and helping with continuing education in the form of certificates/degrees as well as CEUs and keeping up with evidenced based practices for nurses. The patient:RN ratios are similar too. Really anything with nursing there is better except the hourly wage which is lower.

Oh, I know so much about the other system since I did all of my clinicals there and worked at one the hospitals as a CNA for 3 years. I chose to work for the other system as I just needed a change but yes, once I get more experience under my belt, I will probably go to work for them again this time as an RN. I'm buying a new-to-me car and moving soon but doing it based on a lower salary than I'm making now so when I switch I'll be ready financially.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hospital unions are all very well for nurses when everyone is on the same page. However at least here in New York that is not the case as two powerful healthcare unions see mandatory staffing in different ways.

Health union split complicates nurses' jobs push | Capital New York

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.

All unions are not the same. Some partner with management. Here are a couple more examples:

Union leaders in flap over nurse-to-patient ratios - Sacramento Business Journal

Are Nurses Headed to War with SEIU? - Working In These Times

Up Vote Up Vote ×

OMG! This explains a ton! My union is SEIUHealthcare. I am going to send these articles to my co-workers. Thanks!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

1199-SEIU does not seem to be helping at all in NYS. This is going to get interesting if not scary.

Source: Hospitals offer nurses raise but no staffing minimum | Capital New York

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion