As most who read my postings know I have been having a hard time of it lately at work. New and insane staffing grid, political BS, and just the usual garbage we all get heaped on us at one time or another but seeming to come in megadoses these days. Well the nurses at my hospital are leaving in droves, some with 6 and 7 years seniority. Not the top of the totem pole by any means but 6 or 7 years is a well seasoned staff member. Well to answer the crisis, management decided to give what we were told was to be an across the board raise. This was to retain staff as other hospitals in the area are offereing wages that are significantly higher, meaning people who work nights at my hospital are going to other hospitals to work days and they aren't losing a penny even with the shift differential! Well, today I got my "big raise". A whopping .49cents an hour! Gee kids we can buy another bag of chips in the groceries!
I should however count myself lucky (but you know I don't)as some nurses who have been there for much longer than me are getting NOTHING! How is this for a slap in the face?! Our nurse manager is calling us all into her office, one at a time to present us with this "great news". I looked at her and I laughed! I told her that this was an insult compared to what we were promised, and that it doesn't even come close to bringing us up to the same pay scale as the other hospitals in town. She agreed with me. She said she didn't blame anyone for leaving. I am surprised she stopped short of handing us all life jackets.
None of us asked for this pay raise. The concensus was "give us decent staffing and we'd stay". To be presented with this "bonus", and still the lousy staffing is like a slap in the face though. I think that this is going to be just enough to piss off the others who were simply biding their time to see what this new raise would mean before they turned in their resignations. 49 cents!! Whatever shall I do with this windfall? I have a great idea but can't print it here.
