slb53

Thank you for your reply. No reputable agency would offer orientation of only 6 hours to any nurse. Our program is 8 weeks with continued support after the 8 weeks. Our agency provides skilled services.

We are looking at making changes to our orientation. Please share your experiences both good and bad. I also welcome suggestions. Thanks Sandy

What is the expected nurse productivity at your agency ? How do they measure productivity ? I've been reading this forum and am interested in your answers. I work for an agency that is constantly complaining about the nurses not making productivity. We are computerized but still do a lot of paperwork. If I'm lucky I can get through an admission visit in an hour and then take another two hours to complete documentation. The acuity of the patient continues to rise. Hospitals discharge patients without making sure they understand discharge medications. Scripts aren't given or pharmacy isn't open. Referals have very little information and clients are often not homebound. The list goes on but suffice to say I waste a lot of time everyday doing things that don't contribute to productivity. Its very frustrating. I've been doing this for 7 years. I love the patient contact but am sick of the endless documentation and phone calls. They want to tie our raises to productivity but make it impossible to consistantly make productivity. It can't be that my coworkers and I are all too slow and dumb to be efficient.

Very interesting reading these posts. I worked in a nonunion hospital for 10 years and am currently working in homecare with a union. I'll take the union any day. The thing that both places have in common is the whining about working conditions but few people willing to stand up for themselves. Myself and one other coworker were pretty much the only ones to speak up. There were multiple issues. We were thanked for our opinions and management made an attempt to work with us. The problem was the lack of interest by most of our coworkers. Very frustrating. Nothing changed. Benefits continued to decrease, raises were minimal and staffing usually poor. Even when they were hiring no one was applying. There was always money to remodel and they even built a new hospital. I never understood how they could find that money but not for staffing. When I found myself in homecare I just took the union for granted. After working there for 4 years I found myself union secretary. I volunteered. More apathy from my coworkers except to complain. Seeing how my union works has been a real eye opener. I participated in contract negotiations. I represent my coworkers who I wish took more interest. Money was not an issue. Salaries are fair for everyone. Seniority does not determine who gets the job. The nursing shortage takes care of that. We're just glad nurses apply. The union protects you from being fired unfairly but it does not protect you from being fired if you merit such a course of action. The union gives me a voice. Management listens. There are always issues. When examining those issues the financial impact on the company is important. We don't want to put them out of business. Some issues include weekend assignments. The policy is we work till all the work is completed. This can mean 12+ hours. During the week being given an assignment that will exceed an 8 hour work day. You aren't asked just given the assignment. We are expected to meet productivity and can be disciplined if we don't. These are just some of the issues. At labor management meetings both sides present their issues and we all give input and work towards mutual solutions. Everything is a compromise. My personal goal has been to bring a coworker to each meeting so they can see what is happening and hopefully take an interest. I think if everyone took an interest in improving their working conditions we would all have an increased feeling of professional satisfaction. Do I need a union to do that ? I think so.