Indigomune

hi again, ive read responses to my post and I think perhaps some of you are getting the wrong idea.....I certainly am not arguing my position vs an RN, nor am I saying that I take on any RN responsibilities, I dont. I certainly dont 'run the or' in the evening (although we have no true charge nurse, we have three nurses who share the 'role' but whose hearts and behaviors are not into 'being in charge (a whole other issue) so, in effect, myself and whatever staff is scheduled 3-11p are more or less on their own. This means that we have to repull every case cart that is picked, because the posting people (who have been there for years) are not medical people, who the charge nurses do not care to oversee, post cases as THEY interpret them (most always wrong) Nobody up front asks the right questions when a case is posted. So, I get paged to get a case cart, but have learned to try to catch the post sheet BEFORE it gets pulled...so when I see an ortho case posted as an ex-fix vs an retrograde IM nail, and see who the attending is, I can determine what systems that surgeon prefers and pull it. Otherwise, the poster will post an ORIF of a femur and an IM nail (which defaults to antegrade), and the case cart will be pulled wrong. Its just how things go. Obviously, this is wasting our processing staffs time. Ive addressed the postings, but the issues actually run deeper. The case carts/posting is where it begins. We are a teaching hospital so we deal with residents....at all levels. Some are very good, others are still young and inexperienced, although they are thrust into making big decisions. Traumas that involve multiple services working together simultaneously, open the door for alot of confusion as far as facilitating how things are going to work....I dont take control, but I do communicate with everyone involved and try to steer them all towards each other so EVERYONE IS ON THE SAME PAGE. I dont call any shots, believe me, but I do recognize when one resident comes in and annonces four services are needed, that the charge nurse may not be aware (because WE WERENT TOLD THIS, we were only told of one service) so, in effect, I just try to be aware of miscommunications and troubleshoot. We have a core group of knowledgeable staff who DO KNOW these things, I just happen to be the only one on 3-11p. I have discussed the 'obstacles' with some staff. Its been said that in the OR, when you have people who have been running things a long time (20+yrs), they have a system. It doesnt have to make sense or be user friendly. The theory is, that by having a system that ISNT USER FRIENDLY (such as 'generic preference cards that arent accurate, keeping certain items a surgeon will ask for 'hidden' in different illogical areas, creates an environment where the people who KNOW these things....become essential / favorable to the surgeons! IT makes sense. I dont agree with it, and have tried to change it, but my requests were not met with enthusiasm :) So I had to learn (often the hard way) myself! What makes me different, is that I share this knowledge and never treat anyone who doesnt know as if they have two heads. As a result, I have an excellent repoire with all the RN's I work with....I attribute this to the fact that I am easy going and earn their respect by explaining things, and filling them in.....if they insist on doing something their way, I dont argue. Let me add, if I dont know something, I say 'I dont know'. And theres alot of things I DONT KNOW. Ive learned that by admitting when I dont know something, and sharing what I do know...I have earned alot of trust. And to clear up the salary question, our hospital pays RNs very well, and travelers, well, they do very well. I get paid a techs salary, which, from what Ive seen over the years, varies greatly. I know techs in the area that have exp and make $14, because they havent 'moved around'. Other techs in the area, with similar exp make $22! This is a big gap! Most nurses in our area pull in $28-$40. My point in all of this, is that I was offered $1 more an hour from another area hosital. Its not alot, but when I asked my hospital to recognize it, they put me through such a rigamarole....and when the HR OR recruiter initially told me that it would be no problem they do it all the time....how glad she was I came to her before taking another job, that retention was #1 priority, that NO TECH has ever come in to her (they just leave) blah, blah then, changed her story, confiding in me that 'her superior' the mystery person, didnt deem OR techs as important as say 'RN's'....then, compared my situation to that of a secretary who once asked for a raise (and got it) then, after a week, told me no.... that her superior denied my request for $1 more, but, she 'feels' that all techs may get a market adjustment after the new year...so if WANT to hang in.... this is all Im saying....Im not wanting a nurses salary, nor do I run the OR, I just feel that I am valuable, and if another hospital is willing to offer me more money (not even KNOWING if Im valuable or not!) then why isnt MY hosital willing to do the same KNOWING that Im valuable? I fear that they dont know Im valuable, and they dont care to know Some RN's have offered to write me a letter, as well as some of the surgeons I work with....so now Im facing do I take another job or do I get staff and surgeons to back me up and reapproach HR?

I am new and this is my first post. I have been a surgical tech for 4yrs now, and work 3-11p at a Level One Trauma Center. Taking the evening shift, I became the sole staff employee on this shift, for 3yrs. (only traveling RN's were with me) Suffice to say, I was thrown in daily to some of the most difficult cases surgeons face. And I learned ALOT, about ALOT, and learned QUICK. I had no choice. If I didnt know exactly what each surgeon (albeit ortho, vascular, transplant, neuro, thoracic, plastics, general, etc.) wanted and needed....my experience with the surgeon (my ability to keep up, anticipate, and 'feel in sync' with him/her) wasnt going to be there, leading to frustration on their part and feeling inadequate on my part. So I took notes, read online about surgeries, studied procedure guides, asked alot of questions, and after 4yrs, I have developed a repoire of respect, unprecedented, with ALL of our surgeons (we have 25 OR suites). I am somewhat of an anamoly, as 99% of our techs work the day shift (or are forced to take off-shifts as part of their requirements) and most are uncomfortable outside of their speciality. Our hospital has lost 30 OR techs/nurses over the last 2yrs, to other hospitals, creating such a crisis that management called a meeting last year and urged ANYONE who got another offer, to come to them so they could counteroffer. So now you have a background. I have been reviewed yearly and have gotten small raises (.25 here, .40 there) I am at a point, where I feel I am WORTH MORE because of my versatility, my excellent repoire, and the fact that my managers have witnessed even the most demanding surgeons request me in their room. I recently was 'approached' by another area hospital (whose employees work with us hourly and passed my name along), and was offered $2 more an hour. Now, I am COMFORTABLE working where I am and I dont WANT to leave. So I did what I remember management saying. I went to them. I spoke with our HR nurse recruiter....who, told me that she was THE PERSON who made salary decisions, and was SO GLAD that I was coming to her before taking another offer and leaving. By the end of the conversation, she told me that she had to get 'approval' from her supervisor (a mysterious person whos name HAS NEVER BEEN MENTIONED TO ANYONE, EVER) BUT, she assured, she forsaw no problem (as the mystery person is quick to respond to these situations) The next day, her story changed again. Now, she confided in me, that the 'mystery person' had a biased opinion of my position, (which she said she disagreed with) IF I were an RN....it would be a different story. IF AN RN GETS A BETTER OFFER SOMEWHERE ELSE, THEY REACT IMMEDIATELY WITH AN EQUAL OR BETTER OFFER. I was told that no 'TECH' had ever come to management with another offer. So, she compared my situation to a situation involving a Nurse Managers secretary, who asked for more money, and 'the mystery person' dragged it out for weeks, but eventually the secretary got her raise. Two days later, my OR director mentioned to me that he was getting alot of talk from 'suits and ties' about my plight, and that although what I was doing might help techs in the future, it probably wasnt going to help me. very strange. A week later, not hearing anything (but assured I would), I called the HR recruiter, who told me my answer was no. But that they were 'looking into an across the board' change. I was now told that giving me a raise would throw the 'internal whatever' off. Something they couldnt do. (Did she forget she told me they DO THIS EVERYDAY for RN's?) My plight here, is I was basically told flat out that because my position is not considered VALUABLE to administration, I can walk out the door. "But we hope you will stay" was my goodbye. Yes, I CAN walk and take another job, and might, but that isnt my POINT IS THIS A TRUE CASE OF DISCRIMINATION? It certainly FEELS like it? I know that to take it farther, will be my demise within the company. I know how politics work. They'd crush me, deny they ever said anything discriminatory, and Id end up blacklisted from the community. If anyone has experienced anything like this, or has any input, Id greatly appreciate it

I am new and this is my first post. I have been a surgical tech for 4yrs now, and work 3-11p at a Level One Trauma Center. Taking the evening shift, I became the sole staff employee on this shift, for 3yrs. (only traveling RN's were with me) Suffice to say, I was thrown in daily to some of the most difficult cases surgeons face. And I learned ALOT, about ALOT, and learned QUICK. I had no choice. If I didnt know exactly what each surgeon (albeit ortho, vascular, transplant, neuro, thoracic, plastics, general, etc.) wanted and needed....my experience with the surgeon (my ability to keep up, anticipate, and 'feel in sync' with him/her) wasnt going to be there, leading to frustration on their part and feeling inadequate on my part. So I took notes, read online about surgeries, studied procedure guides, asked alot of questions, and after 4yrs, I have developed a repoire of respect, unprecedented, with ALL of our surgeons (we have 25 OR suites). I am somewhat of an anamoly, as 99% of our techs work the day shift (or are forced to take off-shifts as part of their requirements) and most are uncomfortable outside of their speciality. Our hospital has lost 30 OR techs/nurses over the last 2yrs, to other hospitals, creating such a crisis that management called a meeting last year and urged ANYONE who got another offer, to come to them so they could counteroffer. So now you have a background. I have been reviewed yearly and have gotten small raises (.25 here, .40 there) I am at a point, where I feel I am WORTH MORE because of my versatility, my excellent repoire, and the fact that my managers have witnessed even the most demanding surgeons request me in their room. I recently was 'approached' by another area hospital (whose employees work with us hourly and passed my name along), and was offered $2 more an hour. Now, I am COMFORTABLE working where I am and I dont WANT to leave. So I did what I remember management saying. I went to them. I spoke with our HR nurse recruiter....who, told me that she was THE PERSON who made salary decisions, and was SO GLAD that I was coming to her before taking another offer and leaving. By the end of the conversation, she told me that she had to get 'approval' from her supervisor (a mysterious person whos name HAS NEVER BEEN MENTIONED TO ANYONE, EVER) BUT, she assured, she forsaw no problem (as the mystery person is quick to respond to these situations) The next day, her story changed again. Now, she was telling me that the 'mystery person' had a biased opinion of my position, "SURGICAL TECH" That is I was an RN....it would be a different story. IF AN RN GETS A BETTER OFFER SOMEWHERE ELSE, THEY REACT IMMEDIATELY WITH A BETTER OFFER. That no 'TECH' has come to management with another offer. So, she compared my situation to a situation involving a Nurse Managers secretary, who asked for more money, and 'the mystery person' dragged it out for weeks, but eventually the secretary got her raise. Two days later, my OR director mentioned to me that he was getting alot of talk from 'suits and ties' about my plight, and that although what I was doing might help techs in the future, it probably wasnt going to help me. very strange. A week later, not hearing anything (but assured I would), I called the HR recruiter, who told me my answer was no. But that they were 'looking into an across the board' change. I was now told that giving me a raise would throw the 'internal whatever' off. Something they couldnt do. (Did she forget she told me they DO THIS EVERYDAY for RN's?) My plight here, is I was basically told flat out that because my position is not considered VALUABLE to administration, I can walk out the door. "But we hope you will stay" was my goodbye. Yes, I CAN walk and take another job, and might, but that isnt my POINT IS THIS A TRUE CASE OF DISCRIMINATION? It certainly FEELS like it? I know that to take it farther, will be my demise within the company. I know how politics work. They'd crush me, deny they ever said anything discriminatory, and Id end up blacklisted from the community. If anyone has experienced anything like this, or has any input, Id greatly appreciate it :)