klondike

I was a traveler for 22 years and loved it. I got to see the US from HI to AK and the USVI to PA. I just retired last year. I can give you four words of advise about traveling with this company. NO, NO and HELL NO. This is the old bait and switch technique used by disreputable companies that want to suck you in and then take all the advantage of you they can. Try to get recommendations from other travelers. Ask you facilitator to put you in contact with a nurse currently on assignment there. If they won't or say they can't just hang up and look for another agency. The travel nurse industry is getting tougher and some companies will say almost anything to get you on an assignment. Good Luck.

If you report her and it becomes known to the class you could become a pariah. While it may be right for you to report her, you could become 'dead right' if you do. Further, if you claim it you could be forced to prove it in court. The woman could be lying just to aggrandize herself. If you say something anonymously, she may figure out who "snitched" on her and make your life hell. " I have a friend who helps me with my grammar and spelling. She's just jealous and wants people to think I cheat. And I have a sick and disabled husband. I need this career to feed my children. Her husband makes lots of money. She's a liar." This situation will come around and bite her eventually. Don't let it bite you too.

Learn to pick your battles wisely. It does not good to win a skirmish and loose the war.

I sure agree with that. Here is SC they won't tell you your fired for advocating unions. But they might just find that they don't need you anymore. In all fairness, my hospital treats employees pretty well. But I still would pick any battles carefully. Telling me I had to work from home for two hours a day, off the clock would definitely be one of them.

Check out the website below. They cover conventional pharmacological issues and other interesting topics including many home remedies. The People's Pharmacy®

But before you do be sure you have a line on another job. Especially if you live in a " right to work/fire" state.

Tell the resident to take the probe off his finger and see how long it takes to register. That statement he made was ridiculous. What good would a monitor be if it were two minutes in arrears?

Thanx for the suggestions. I've amended my post. I long ago decided that battles worth fighting must be chosen carefully lest you win the battle and end up loosing the war. While I don't subscribe to the John Wayne philosophy of what it is to be a man I've never taken well to ultimatums or condescension. The staff members I've talked with aren't happy with the situation and one did imply that she would not refer to them except by their first names. At the time I decided to wait and make my decision after meeting her for myself. We'll see. I didn't want to seem to be stirring the pot. Thanx again.

The highest ranking RN in my hospital is MSN educated with a title of Chief Nursing Officer. She prefers to be called by her first name. In my thirty year nursing career and during my four years in nursing school I have referred to one RN as Mrs. She was the dean of my nursing program. I would do so today if I saw her. I work at my hospital in a PRN pool, primarily in the ICUs and occasionally in a psychiatric unit. The psych unit has just had an RN appointed as director. Her age and education level are unknown to me. She is from outside the organization with extensive psych experience. I'm told by coworkers who have met her the first thing she makes clear is that she is to be addressed as Ms. 'Newboss'. She went on to address them by their first names. While I enjoy working in the psych unit, I would feel condescended to and would be uncomfortable working for her. It might just be easier to refrain from working there. I would make it known to my boss and the CNO why I made the decision if that is what I decide. Any one with similar experiences or advise? I will take the opportunity to meet her and let her make clear her position. I would also give her the opportunity to refer to me as Mr. or RN before making my decision. That, while not preferable, would be acceptable.

On a breakfast date in the 80s. Elderly man at the table next to us stands up, clutches his chest and falls on the floor. Check A B Cs and start one person CPR. Somewhere around the third or fourth cycle as I'm positioning to give two breaths the man opts to share his breakfast with me. Nothing to do but spit, clear his airway and carry on. In a few minutes the PMs arrived and took over. The restaurant manager handed me a glass of water and I rinsed as discretely as I could. He asked, " Are you OK." I replied, " Well the pancakes were pretty good but the eggs were a bit under done." He kinda plunked down in a chair and I was afraid he was going to be sick. Later that night when I got to my ER job my date had sent me flowers with a sign that said MY HERO. At the time I was a CPR instructor. I went on to teach classes at that restaurant and others in the area. I guess we all should carry the masks. I wonder how many of us do.

I've been a traveler for twenty one years and will retire at age sixtyfive in five more years. I've traveled all around mainland United States, AK, HI, and USVI. I've been to Asia, Africa, Central and South America. I've SCUBA dived in some magnificent places thanks to the freedom I've enjoyed being a traveler. Sometimes I wish I could take out a full page add in the NY Times thanking all the foolish, short sighted, assanine hospital administrators, politicians and anyone else who has helped to perpetuate the nursing shortage. Unfortunately the shortage is serious and my tongue in cheek approach would not help. Most probably it would offend some of my collegues. Offending the perpertarators of the shortage would be OK with me. I guess I won't be taking out that advertisement in the NY times. I'm beginning to worry about who will take care of me in not too many more years.

And when you do decide to advocate for your patient, on an issue that could cost your boss some real bucks, be sure you either have a new job lined up or an independent source of income. Remember the old saying " The squeaky wheel gets the grease."? Well, I'm afraid for the average nurse who doesn't have a powerful DC lobby or who's not the member of a union or profession organization that saying is superceded by a different one, " The squeaky wheel can be replaced." And the harsh reality, answer, reason or what ever we care to call it is. Because in the corporate world, "Money talks and BS walks." It's not right but it's the way it is. Without someone to advocate for us and if we will not join together and advocate for ourselves we are not free to really advocate for our patients. In many states we work at the mercy of an employeer who is allowed to fire us for no reason at all. However, in those states we do have the right not to join a union. In other words, " They have the right to throw you off the boat but you have the right not to wear the life preserver." Makes as much sense. Unqualified low paid individuals passing out meds increase the revenues of corporations whose bottom line is profit and not proper patient care. They have powerful lobbies which grease the palms of the people who write the laws, both at the state and and federal levels. In most cases, perhaps not all but most, they will pervail over the altruist. Pick your battles wisely. Live to fight another day.

The answer to so many of the issues debated here can be summed up simply. Because modern medicine is a profit driven enterprise.

I can tell you about Trinity. I've been with them sinse their beginning in 1999. I've been a traveler for almost twenty years now and Trinity is as good as any and far better than most. I've worked for them in SC, NC,HI and AK. They'll work to find you the assignment you want. If problems arise, as they sometimes will, Trinity will do what they can to make things right. They don't lie or deliberately mislead you. The pay is competative and the insurance seems OK. Ours is thru a PPO. When my fiance, also a nurse, and I came to Barrow AK and decided to get married here, Lanora, our coordinator, came out and helped with the wedding. As far as success, Trinity is the seventh fastest growing business in SC. Look for their web site or call them. If you want they can put you in touch with me and my wife and we'll be glad to tell you more. They are a good company!:) Klondike

I saw a sign in a shop one time that was appropriate for hospital staffing I believe. " LACK OF PLANNING ON YOUR PART DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN EMERGENCY ON MINE." And your absolutely correct, if one is willing to work straight time when they cry 'emergency' then it will set a precedent they will be glad to inforce later. I really believe that eventually this change in regulations will have an enormous impact on all American workers. And I don't see it being positive. What incentive does a business have to hire employees if the existing ones can be forced to pick up the slack for no increase in pay? Eventually supply and demand may get us some premium but it won't be time and one half if the employeers can avoid it. The old regulations were the only reason we have received it up until now. Without the protection we can see our OT pay eroded away.

The regulations concerning OT have been changed to allow employeers the option of declaring some employees as 'Professionals'. This will make them ineligible for OT pay if the employeer so chooses. There hasn't been a law passed that forbids paying OT. An employeer can do nothing and continue paying OT. The regulation is ambiguous and open to wide interpretation, as many new regulations are. I suspect many employeers will sit back and wait to see what others do. I predict that eventually employeers, I hesitate to say just hospitals, will come up with different ways of compensating nurses that will slowly chip away at the traditional concept of time and one half for OT. The changes won't be suddenly thrust upon us. Employeers realize that would be too much to shove on us at once. The changes will be gradual. But if we allow them they will come. At the expense of sounding trite. We're the frogs sitting in the pot and the heat will be turned up slowly. As long as not to many of us jump they will continue to slowly increase the heat. I think a few examples have been mentioned. No CEO worth his or her salt would allow this money grabbing opportunity pass. Unfortunately medicine, at the corporate level at least, has become a money making business. No opportunity to increase profits will be overlooked.

Thanx. Getting steamed about this issue helps keep me warm up here in Barrow AK. Not to mention a freebee T shirt for posing the question. Seriously. What can we do to start getting more nurses active in this and the other issues that we may be concerned with but seem to do little about as a group? I'm one of the many who don't belong to any nursing organizations. I'm ready to start. Here's a quiz. Name another profession that pays what nursing does that has a shortage of this magnitude. What does the pay vs shortage disparity say about this profession?

Change is inevitable. The direction of that change will be determined by the efforts of all involved. If nurses stand by and simply watch as the changes slowly take effect around us we can all expect, eventually, to work more hours for less pay. I sincerely believe this issue will have a more profound effect on nursing, either positive or negative, than any other issue in modern times.

An unconfirmed rumor has is that a couple of senators in DC are going to propose legislation that would maintain OT for some professional workers, nurses included. Wouldn't it be great if this becomes a nonissue. Your right, nurses need to be heard (and not just herded.) I wouldn't want to us abuse our potential power but it is about time we stood up and were counted. What an incredible block vote we and our coworkers could be. We could truly effect patient care. Not just on the job but through our votes. I'm going to put my money where my mouth is and start joining some professional organizations. Talk is cheap as they say. I'm open to suggestions. Which organizations do you think have the potential to be the most effective?

And we can only hope that the same attitudes, on both sides, that have created this shortage will not allow this new factor to make it worse. Time will tell. Human Resourses. Human = people. Resources = Something to be used, discarded and replaced with what you hope is a never ending supply.

Since the U.S. Department of Labor announced the proposed changes in OT legislation it has begun to advise employers how to get around those changes thus avoiding the payment of overtime to low paid workers who might become eligibile under the new rules. One suggestion ; if anticipated regular and OT pay will exceed the minimum for eligibility simply raise the regular pay to just above that amount and thus avoid the OT. Another was to cut the pay to a rate that when combined with OT will more nearly equal the original pre OT rate. A spokesperson for the DOL said essentially, 'we are not saying an employeer should do these things, were only pointing out options'. I'm not trying to be a doom sayer but this new legislation is opening the door to one gigantic opportunity for employeers to bamboozle the American worker. The rules of the game have been drastically changed. Nurses, by and large, don't organize, and don't stand together in a united front. Employeers, for most of us the hospitals, are forming state wide organizations, in part to curtail the rising tide of increased wages and benefits to their employees. Increased pay and benefits equals decreased profits and the converse is also true. The old economic rule of supply and demand has been slowly pushing our wages up, as well it should. This move will be counter productive, when applied to the medical industry, to hospital employees in general, nurses in particular, and ultimately to the welfare of the patients. It will allow, however, for increased corporate profits in the medical industry.

Malenursingstudent. You need to reread the information below I have printed form the dept. of labor website you refer to. The term "Exempt" means we are now exempted from mandatory OT pay. Read the criteria for being a " Learned Professional". We meet them all and are therefore exempted from mandatory OT pay. All they have to do is declare us as salaried employees and there will be no more mandatory OT pay. As others have said the changes will not come about quickly. But you can be assured the changes will come as the waters are tested. If we are to resist we must resist from the beginning and not wait until we suddenly find that the standard is no further overtime pay. Read the below. It would appear LPNs and some other hospital workers will not be exempted and will continue to qualify for OT protection. What a great way to divide and conquer. RNs can expect to see our OT benefits chipped away. Remember the story of the frog and the pot of water on the stove.Nurses To qualify for the learned professional employee exemption, all of the following tests must be met: The employee must be compensated on a salary or fee basis (as defined in the regulations) at a rate not less than $455 per week; The employee's primary duty must be the performance of work requiring advanced knowledge, defined as work which is predominantly intellectual in character and which includes work requiring the consistent exercise of discretion and judgment; The advanced knowledge must be in a field of science or learning; and The advanced knowledge must be customarily acquired by a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction. Registered nurses who are paid on an hourly basis should receive overtime pay. However, registered nurses who are registered by the appropriate State examining board generally meet the duties requirements for the learned professional exemption, and if paid on a salary basis of at least $455 per week, may be classified as exempt. Licensed practical nurses and other similar health care employees, however, generally do not qualify as exempt learned professionals, regardless of work experience and training, because possession of a specialized advanced academic degree is not a standard prerequisite for entry into such occupations, and are not (not exempted from OT Pay)

I hope your right Bob. But I don't count on it. The OT laws were a gigantic protection for all of us. Not only nurses but all who labor for an hourly wage. The push to take money out of nurses wallets won't come all at once, of course not. But it will happen. Medicine at the corporate level is no longer considered a healing art. It has become a profit oriented enterprise designed to put money into the pockets of the share holders. If profits are to be increased then expenses have to be decreased. This is a new way for the medicine for profit group to decrease expenses. Most assuredly they will. The extent to which they are willing to reach into all of our wallets will depend on just how much we are willing to let them.

Of course hospitals may offer an incentive to work more than 40 hours but it sure won't be the time and one half it is now. An extra couple of bucks an hour will never add up to the potential for what we have to loose. This new legislation will only be used to take money away from us. This is a backward move and should be seen as such by all of us. No employeer has yours or my best interest at heart. Nurses have a history of being used and abused and this has the potential to be the biggest abuse ever heaped upon us.