SO.CAL Kaiser Nurses: What is Kaiser Like?

iluvmynavyman · Apr 18, 2006

im not a nurse yet but i an tell you ive been getting care through "the big k " since i was 9 years old and i wouldnt go to any other health care system to get treatment for any thing

xoxoxox

jenpstudentrn · Apr 18, 2006

Hello,

Thanks for the congratulations and continued responses! It's funny...I'm a t.a. for an intro to microbiology class, and I found out one of the students worked as an EMT at Kaiser facilities...she loved it there, and is now trying to become a nurse, and find employment with Kaiser as an RN. Info right under my nose...didn't even know it until yesterday.

When I was being interviewed by the Kaiser rep for the scholarship, she offered to give me a tour of Kaiser HR/ Regional offices in Pasadena (I live nearby in Eagle Rock). I think I'm gonna take her up on it. Should be interesting! I'll try to post any impressions I have....

The countdown to nursing school is upon me....can't wait! Less than 1 month away!

-Jen

Haunted · Apr 24, 2006

I had a very scary experience working at the Kaiser Lakeview facility on med/surg and telemetry. Granted, it was through a registry but I came to know a lot of the staffers and got a lot of feedback from the patients. After giving it a year, during which I got wonderful reviews from staff, nurse managers and patients (yes I have copies!) I decided to DNR myself based on one very treacherous shift in which the following happened, not uncommon at this facility but essentially the straw that broke the camels back...

1: Male patient admitted from ER with SOB, r/o PNA. Day 2, no CRX, basic iv and po antibiotic (erythramycin) also MS IVP PRN. Patient was in bed, 02 sats in the 80's, non productive painful cough. Started him on 02 via nc, notified attending for crx, RT for sputum for c and s, up to chair, incentive spirometer, etc. MD verbally REFUSED!!!!! Notified charge who grabbed a "Dougie Howser" doc floating by and I requested and obtained all of the above for this patient. End of shift, 02 sats 96 % room air, productive cough, pain relived by Tylenol, not MS (respiratory depressant isn't it?) and patient obtained a CRX which also revealed a fractured rib and confirmed the PNA.

2. Same day, 2 patients admitted thru ER post op ORIF hip with infection. Had procedure done same day , different times, same OR crew. Requested culture and notified infectious disease to report "coincidence". They don't have ID depeartment, they have a microbiologist, very nice guy but not concerned about the possibility of contamination, etc. Sheesh!

3. Male admitted thru ER at midnight (8 hours prior to my shift), MVA on one of those all terrain cycles with pelvic pain. Xray inconclusive as to fracture so they write up DISCHARGE INSTRUCTIONS for that day, sending him home with vicodin and NO ACTIVITY RESTRICTIONS!!! ARGGGH. I requested at the very least a physical therapy evaluation which they did, obtained a front wheel walker for the guy and a 2 week follow up appointment.

Now, I appreciate that a lot of you may disagree with my being pushy when it comes to my requests for my patients and I am pretty much a squeeky wheel in that regard. I am sure that not every Kaiser facility is run like that one and do have friends that are staffers at other facilities, in specialty units ONLY that are somewhat happy there.

The pay is very good but they do tend to cut corners as far as medical equipment and ancillary staff. The unit secretaries are running non stop, the nurses have to really keep up with updating charts, MD orders etc. as well as locating charts which have everything, including the MAR and current labs in them. The docs or case managers will often remove them from the unit without telling you and if you have a STAT order it takes that much longer to complete it without the chart.

The other glaring issue I noticed at this particular facility was that they rarely discharge a nurse, even if they are not competent. It must be a union thing. Overall I like the Kaiser concept as an HMO but this one scared the heck out of me and I won't go back. Hopefully the new facility in Irvine will be a bit more state of the art. I would say that if you are looking to get on board with them, go for a specialty unit. Oh, and good luck getting a CNA, most of the nurses don't get them unless you have 5 patients. The nurses were really nice to me, and being registry they confided a lot of insider gripes and complaints but did convey a very friendly and welcoming environment to me.

I would not want a friend or family member to be treated at that facility at this time based on the things I have seen, but then my standards are pretty high.

JEWELZxO6 · Apr 25, 2006

what do you do as a RN in outpatient clinics?

jenpstudentrn · Apr 25, 2006

Now, I appreciate that a lot of you may disagree with my being pushy when it comes to my requests for my patients and I am pretty much a squeeky wheel in that regard. I am sure that not every Kaiser facility is run like that one and do have friends that are staffers at other facilities, in specialty units ONLY that are somewhat happy there.

Haunted,

Thanks so much for the input! Sounds to me that you are not so much the squeaky wheel, but rather a very good advocate (and nurse) for your patients!

Oh, and good luck getting a CNA, most of the nurses don't get them unless you have 5 patients.

This is interesting. I'll have to ask the Kaiser rep about that...

The nurses were really nice to me, and being registry they confided a lot of insider gripes and complaints but did convey a very friendly and welcoming environment to me.

Good to know this as well. I really hope I end up in a workplace that is welcoming...I worry a lot about that. The whole "nurses eating their young" bit.

I still have to start and make it through school, but I am accepting the $ from Kaiser, so my employment with them is (barring any mishaps w/ school) a done deal.

Thanks again for your response...it was very useful!

Haunted · Apr 26, 2006

Regarding your CNA's, I can PROMISE you that they will proclaim their "Lift Team" as an alternative which is almost too funny to comment on but I will say that I needed help turning and cleaning a very obese patient who was in restraints, on tube feeds and incontinent. This really needed to be done sooner, not later and the floor was sooo insane no one had time to help me.

I paged this famous "lift team" 3 times and it took them 2 hours to get there to help. Well, help isn't really the word since they dislodged the NGT and also managed to infiltrate the IV during the process. "Lift Team". What a hoot.

CityKat, BSN, RN · Apr 30, 2006

I don't know about working conditions as per myself. But, I had a good friends mom who was an RN at Kaiser in northern Ca and when she became ill with cancer, after a month they basically shut her out of the hospital without any regard for what she was going through. ie..cut her hours without talking to her. Another friend had a surgical incident with kaiser and her and her husband filed a lawsuit on Kaiser. I don't remember exactly what it was, but it was surgical. Sorry to give you some more bad news, but I don't trust kaiser because of their reputation of being notorious for misdiagnosing:(

Yikes...

tinyscrafts · Apr 30, 2006

if you get hired by kaiser does your family HAVE to have Kaiser insurance? I mean do they offer other options to employees?

jenpstudentrn · Apr 30, 2006

Sorry to give you some more bad news, but I don't trust kaiser because of their reputation of being notorious for misdiagnosing:(
Yikes...

That's okay! I appreciate all responses at this point. I'm sure I'm going to hear all kinds of info, opinions, good and bad...thanks Studentnursebean.

Liked your additional info on the "lift teams" too, Haunted. Being a new student nurse, I'm anxious about a lot of things...one of them being a chronic back injury that I have. It's good to know that Kaiser has lift teams, (at least at the location you mentioned Haunted)...but if it takes them 2-3 hrs to reach a location when paged.....

Also, not sure about the insurance question Tinyscrafts...seems unlikely that it would be mandatory. I did ask the rep during my interview about benefits, but wasn't thinking about it in terms of my "family"...my boyfriend and I live together, but aren't married....so he can't be covered by any insurance I may obtain. Like I said, I'm going to try to meet with the rep again...I will try to ask about more specifics.

Thanks again guys for the input!

-J:)

Haunted · Apr 30, 2006

I agree that Kaiser is notorious for misdiagnosing, surgical foul ups, etc. but they routinly settle out of court. You don't always hear about it because they have you sign a non disclosure agreement but a case manager told me that they were always settling on these.

I don't think it is mandatory that you have Kaiser insurance if you work there and am really not surprised to hear about the nurse who was suffering from cancer and got little or no support from Kaiser in any way. It seems to be a "mill" but with health insurance becoming so expensive, many people believe it to be the lesser of two evils. It is heartening to know that it is attracting smart, conscientious and dedicated patient advocate oriented new grads. Maybe that can turn it around. Keep us up to date ok?

abbythetabby · May 4, 2006

I think all Kaiser locations must be good EXCEPT Kaiser Sunset (in Hollywood). We did our Peds rotation through there and it was INSANE. One RN actually had to report herself after she battered a parent (no joke - we heard it explained that there's some catch about if you report yourself the penalty isn't the same than if someone else does) Anway, the RNs all fought loudly in the nurses stations, and were overall very unprofessional. I know someone who's worked a long time in the education dept at that specific Kaiser location, and she says she's aware of her hospital's bad rep, but thinks it's just that one.

We did an OB rotation at the Sunset location and I can't say my experience was any better. However, it's not the worst hospital we've been in.

MA Nurse · May 5, 2006

Hi Everyone,
I have read so many threads where people seem to think that Kaiser is an excellent place to work. They have even inspired me to possibly try to get a job there when I graduate (Apr. 2007). I have tried to find a somewhat detailed describtion of their benefits, but so far I have not been very successful. I would like to know the starting salary for a new grad at Kaiser and the amount of PDO. But info about any benefits would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

Check out www.nursingpathways.kp.org to see alot of nurse benefits.

They also pay well, not sure about starting out...but I've been NICU nurse for 16 years and I'm going to start Kaiser in the Bay Area...their salary is about $1.00 more per hour than what I currently get! Not a whole lot, but it is more!

Good luck!