Spokane area nurses?

cclv · Oct 20, 2007

I'm thinking of moving back to Washington ( Spokane ) & would like to get an update on current wages & hospitals. I'm a cardiac tely RN. Thanks for any info you can provide.

brissie · Oct 25, 2007

I currently work at Deaconess Medical Center in Spokane. The starting wage for a new RN is $23.79/hr. Deaconess is currently going through a process of being sold and becoming part of a for profit hospital system. Although management has not been explicitly deceptive regarding the process, they use "fancy management" speak to avoid the issue of whether current rates of pay, benefits etc will be retained after the purchase. Sacred Heart is a larger hospital but I am not sure of their rates of pay although I know they are within $1 give or take of Deaconess.

cclv · Oct 27, 2007

Thanks Brissie. Let me know how things are after the sale goes through. I know there is usualy quite a bit of upheaval when that occurs.

Good Luck

lindarn · Oct 27, 2007

I currently work at Deaconess Medical Center in Spokane. The starting wage for a new RN is $23.79/hr. Deaconess is currently going through a process of being sold and becoming part of a for profit hospital system. Although management has not been explicitly deceptive regarding the process, they use "fancy management" speak to avoid the issue of whether current rates of pay, benefits etc will be retained after the purchase. Sacred Heart is a larger hospital but I am not sure of their rates of pay although I know they are within $1 give or take of Deaconess.

Wouldn't the union contracts that the nurses and other departments have, preclude them from reducing your pay and benefits? I read in the paper that these would not be affected by the new owners. But a union contract is only as strong as its members.

I remember how, for years, Deaconness nurses refused union representation. It took a 9% pay cut, that only affected employees who were not unionized, and had contracts protecting them, who did not have their pay cut. There was a mass exodus of nurses out of there, to make the nurses see the light. I hope that this will not be the case now.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington