RN "Super Union"

allnurses Guide · Dec 21, 2009

I am very happy working with fellow nurses to keep our safe, effective, therapeutic patient care by competent workers in a compassionate manner.

And excited for our patients and our profession that more of us will be working together to advocate for better health for all.

Onekidneynurse · Dec 21, 2009

laborer...a comment from the article..thanks for encouraging the read...
"RN's and LVN's are the most under-rated and dogged group of First Responders that save people's lives and prevent all sorts of life threatening illnesses, chaos to patients lives, death ...
Yet, the business model of hospitals often masquerading as benevolent non profit organization in truth ruthlessly for profit, out of control insurance companies wont reveal the true billable pie showing the full monies coming in and where they go out to
How much do they bill in the name of the Nurse signature? Remember, this is the Primary Care provider often having more contact with Patients then Docs and ancillary staff combined.
Truth is, people are mad and angry a still mostly Women's profession are demanding fair pay, work conditions and that their valuable voice is heard and taken serious regarding the care of very sick people
Dont be mad at the wage, it still is not enough. Be mad at yourself, the non nurse who frankly, dont know what they are talking about."
Another responder commented that we would price ourselves right out of the market...lol...clearly a person who has no clue about delivery of healthcare!

You don't think nurses have priced themselves out of the market? Why can't new grads find work? I remember just a couple of years ago when older nurses were forced out and new grads hired to save money. Even with unions.

tewdles, RN · Dec 21, 2009

You don't think nurses have priced themselves out of the market? Why can't new grads find work? I remember just a couple of years ago when older nurses were forced out and new grads hired to save money. Even with unions.

I do not think that nurses have priced themselves out of the market. Nurses are worth every cent and more for the work and responsibility they have. New grads cannot find work because hospitals do not follow safe staffing practices and nursing units are routinely working short. The fact that hospitals employ unsavory practices to save money rather than insure safe and appropriate nursing care has nothing to do with nurses "pricing themselves out of the market". IMHO.

Onekidneynurse · Dec 21, 2009

YET school nurses in my state are stretched so thin that most days there is no school nurse available to the students.
And there are constant attempts to legalize having unlicensed school employees give insulin, rectal valium, and other medications to children.
I think highly educated school nurses should belong to a strong RN union. And learn not to accept change that harms the health of students.
Unfortunately when in a teachers or other union the interests of the nurses on behalf of children's health is not considered.
Every school should have a nurse. Some of the larger schools need two. EVERY DAY!
When I was kid and when my children were in school each school had a nurse.
How did this happen?

Another example of government run programs. The government can't even have enough nurses for school children and we think they will have enough for healthcare reform

What's happen to the Teacher's UNION. Why aren't they stepping up to the plate?

Onekidneynurse · Dec 21, 2009

I do not think that nurses have priced themselves out of the market. Nurses are worth every cent and more for the work and responsibility they have. New grads cannot find work because hospitals do not follow safe staffing practices and nursing units are routinely working short. The fact that hospitals employ unsavory practices to save money rather than insure safe and appropriate nursing care has nothing to do with nurses "pricing themselves out of the market". IMHO.

If nurses haven't priced themselves out of the market why would an expensive experienced nurse be REPLACED with a lowered paid graduate nurse?

Onekidneynurse · Dec 21, 2009

I am very happy working with fellow nurses to keep our safe, effective, therapeutic patient care by competent workers in a compassionate manner.
And excited for our patients and our profession that more of us will be working together to advocate for better health for all.

I am very happy working with fellow nurses to keep our safe, effective, therapeutic patient care by competent workers in a compassionate manner.

And excited that we don't have to threaten anyone with not taking care of those patients.

I'm glad I can sit with my employer and voice MY concerns, MY issues, and MY worries. And I'm glad that my fellow nurses feel the same way.

Thanks.

allnurses Guide · Dec 22, 2009

I am glad that when WE sit with OUR employer and voice OUR concerns, and OUR issues OUR employer must respond to our information requests and recomendations in writing.

Some supervisors and managers. I may talk with them about my worries.

But WE discuss patient care, safety, and emplyee safety in a business like way together.

Onekidneynurse · Dec 22, 2009

I am glad that when WE sit with OUR employer and voice OUR concerns, and OUR issues OUR employer must respond to our information requests and recomendations in writing.
Some supervisors and managers. I may talk with them about my worries.
But WE discuss patient care, safety, and emplyee safety in a business like way together.

Yeah that is one of my major beefs with a union. I can't just sit down when I need to with my supervisior I have to wait to run it by someone else. And if you think everyone thinks like you do you're mistaken. I've known many nurses and seen many instances where someone's thought and feeling are totally overlooked and shoved aside. If the shop steward doesn't like you he/she isn't gonna go to bat for you.

Funny you don't like a hospital being run like a business and yet you want to talk to management in a businees like way. Isn't that an oxymoron?

tewdles, RN · Dec 22, 2009

Some employers will cut expense corners any way they can....some will use age discrimination as a tool knowing that it is unlikely they will be challenged. Hospitals will continue to look for ways to minimize the expense that nurses represent to them.

Nurses cannot be priced out of a nursing market...who will do what nurses do, as well as nurses do it, for substantially less money? What happens if Fresnius decides that they will no longer pay the high wage for RNs and instead will staff exclusively with specially trained techs? The first thing that will happen is that nurses will lose their jobs, then Fresnius will make more money, then they will have an incident which would likely have been prevented by the assessment or interventional skills of an RN, then they will rethink the wisdom cutting that financial corner and nurses will be rehired.

I do not think that nurses will price themselves out of the market because nurses are integral to health care delivery, and because nurses are not asking for the moon and the stars. By and large nurses are looking for working conditions and wages which reflect their education, level of professionalism, and responsibility.

allnurses Guide · Dec 22, 2009

Unfortunately in these times some hospital administrations have no problem making promises and then denying what they said.

When they say that pediatric nurses won't have to float to the adult ICU to one nurse then maybe that nurse will not be floated.

But when they say if to a practice committee and put it in writing our patients are protected from an incompetent nurse.

ACLS does not equal critical care competence. And PALS does not equal pediatric competnce.

Unsafe floating is stopped at the first attempt because of our contract.

And then a couple years later thy try it again.

There is absolutely nothing in our contract to prevent a nurse from having a private conversation with management.

But one nurse not having to float to a unit where they are not competent to assume responsibility for assigned patients does not help the patients if another incompetent is forced to float.

Just one recent example.

A formal contractual process for the improvement of patient care is very different from a business model that places profits over human life.

nicurn001 · Dec 22, 2009

Yeah that is one of my major beefs with a union. I can't just sit down when I need to with my supervisior I have to wait to run it by someone else. And if you think everyone thinks like you do you're mistaken. I've known many nurses and seen many instances where someone's thought and feeling are totally overlooked and shoved aside. If the shop steward doesn't like you he/she isn't gonna go to bat for you.
Funny you don't like a hospital being run like a business and yet you want to talk to management in a businees like way. Isn't that an oxymoron?

There is nothing in a contract to stop you from discussing issues with your supervisor . But I think the problem you are discussing here is that an individual nurse , cannot negotiate preferential treatment for themselves which would be at the expense of one of their fellow nurses . You know the situation where the former managers pet , always got holidays off while some other poor nurse worked all the holidays , now that poor pet has lost individual influence , can't run to manager to get their own way .

There is a difference between running a hospital like a business ( ie caring for patients ,while maintaining a sound financial basis , rather than caring for patient in a manner to ensure profit for shareholders and corporate officers ) and wanting to talk to management in a business like manner ie. talking in a fact based respectful manner about the problems and possible solution to a problem in that business .

Onekidneynurse · Dec 23, 2009

Unfortunately in these times some hospital administrations have no problem making promises and then denying what they said.
When they say that pediatric nurses won't have to float to the adult ICU to one nurse then maybe that nurse will not be floated.
But when they say if to a practice committee and put it in writing our patients are protected from an incompetent nurse.
ACLS does not equal critical care competence. And PALS does not equal pediatric competnce.
Unsafe floating is stopped at the first attempt because of our contract.
And then a couple years later thy try it again.
There is absolutely nothing in our contract to prevent a nurse from having a private conversation with management.
But one nurse not having to float to a unit where they are not competent to assume responsibility for assigned patients does not help the patients if another incompetent is forced to float.
Just one recent example.
A formal contractual process for the improvement of patient care is very different from a business model that places profits over human life.

In 30 years of nursing I've never been floated to a unit I was qualified to work... And never worked UNION. I have chatted with many who have. And I did work union out of nursing.