Only certain departments in hospital got a pay increase?

Not very good for employee morale.

How does your employer get away with not giving any raises?

Why not switch to an employer that does?

Side note: Our employer does not give annual or merit-based raises so this is exceptional. I'm still making what I made four years ago.

Leave.

Agreed. Any thoughts on how employees might handle this sort of situation?

If you have a better option, take it. If you don't, well ...I guess be grateful for what you have.

I did not get a merit raise in the last 6 years. I did receive an across the board raise of 2 percent yearly (same as the janitor). It all depends on your employer. If you are not even getting 2 % / year.. it's time to move on.

Not even cost of living increases? If not, you are essentially getting paid less every year! I would be upset about that regardless of what this raise for only some units was about.

Are you sure it was a salary increase? My faculty just increased our pay rate a few days ago. But not the salary rate- the on call rate.

Good point. Those probably are all the units most likely to have a lot of call requirements.

I would still be upset if you aren't getting cost of living increases.

Surgical, L&D, ER. Apparently they are the more 'lucrative' units, whatever the hell that means/matters. We're all out here working hard, we're all taking good care of our patients. What the hell?

Side note: Our employer does not give annual or merit-based raises so this is exceptional. I'm still making what I made four years ago.

This sounds strange. Have you asked management or HR about it?

Yep, they have shown how much they value your contribution in dollars and cents. Quit or move to a "more lucrative" unit if you don't accept this treatment. If you do stay but please don't be one of those nurses who accepts the unacceptable and does nothing about it but complain. We got way, way, way too many of them now.