Taking a pay cut going to management

FireStarterRN, BSN, RN · Jan 3, 2009

It sounds as if they are exploiting you royally. Just my take on it, based on your post.

Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN · Jan 3, 2009

First of managers do get paid less, the return side of this flexibility and the professional freedom you have. No way should you pay for a lap top or airline tickets. When I travel I have to use my own credit card and I always get reimbursed.

Is your system Meditech? I ask since many nurses work in the implementation of this product and none get paid equal to a staff nurse.

Last point as a salaried person, you should not get dinged if you come in late for a doctors visit or worry about the census and be sent home.

Katnip, RN · Jan 3, 2009

I didn't quite take a pay cut when I went into management, but with lack of charge pay, no overtime pay, etc. I ended up making less. That and most managers are expected to work whatever number hours it takes to get the job done. And the upper managers have no trouble piling on enough work to have you working 60. Technically, they can't force you to do more than 40 hours if that's what you're hired to do, but if you don't, and can't get the work done, then your job is on the line. And I still had to take my turn covering holidays since the house supers don't do that.

I did not come and go as I pleased. I had to give 30 days notice if I wanted a day off, and sometimes that was denied. Add that to the fact that I was no longer just accountable for my own actions, but responsible for more than 50 other people who saw no reason to continue their poor behavior, coming in late constanctly, not charting appropriately, etc. Thanks, but no thanks.

I'm now in infection control. A much better place, albeit still frustrating when people can't even bother to use gel on their hands when they enter and leave a room.

Batman24 · Jan 3, 2009

They are taking advantage of you and horribly at that. You need to put your foot down today. You should absolutely not be footing the bill for training you are doing for them. You need a laptop for this job and they should be paying for that as well. I would sit down with a list of your concerns with management at once.

You need to have a coroprate card or expense account, you need to be reimbursed for out of pocket monies, and you really need a raise. You are going well above and beyond here and need to be compensated accordingly. Your employer knows all this as well so when they act shocked pls don't buy it. If they were being treated this way they'd ask for a raise as well. They won't be happy when you ask but they will respect you more.

If they don't meet these needs leave this job and go back to nursing if you like it there or find another job in computers or nursing elsewhere. Pls don't let them continue to treat you this way. You deserve better and they know it. You are doing the work of 8 people and it's time you were compensated accordingly.

If your nervous asking I'll do role play with you and help you prepare. :)

CathyLew · Jan 4, 2009

Is your system Meditech? I ask since many nurses work in the implementation of this product and none get paid equal to a staff nurse.

Yes, the sytem is Meditech. Im not only on the implementation team. Our IT department is so small....just one guy, who has to also cover 21 clinics.... that I have to do all the MIS set up. All the password resetting, No one in the hospital does NPR reports, so I read the manual, and have to do NPR census reports, and report headers, lables, custom reports for Data, Med records, Lab, Pharm, all the ancellary departments. I had to build the Radiology dictionaries for both order entry and the Rad module. I built most of the pharmacy drug dictionaries, and have had to write the polices for down time, code orange, use of pre-printed MAR's. I am on the LAB team and have to from home several times a day run the OE/Lab log, to make sure orders are crossing the interface. (since the lab manager works only 4 days a week, and is not available to be on call to answer questions from the lab staff) I ended up training all the nurses in our hospital on OE. I also trained all the Radiology people. I am in the process of training all the ancillary staff.... Social service, PT/OT/ST, dietary, Utilization review, Smoking cessation, Resp, cardiac rehab. I am building all the MIS menues and user access.

when you say many nurses work in the implementaion of Meditech and don't get paid equal to a staff nurse... are you talking about one nurse taking on the whole project at a hospital, or a team of several nurses sharing responsibility?

I also am responsible for all of our wound photography, and making policies regarding digital charting.

and I am in charge of educating everyone in our online patient education materials. (which is part of the pharmacy module.... ) And have been roped into our new MDG pixus type machine.... I think I will be the one educating everyone on the use of that, as well as doing the policy for the automated drug despensing.

llg, PhD, RN · Jan 4, 2009

Lower level management positions often pay less than the upper ends of the staff pay range. That's to be expected.

However, you should not have to pay for your own work supplies, office furniture, etc. That's ridiculous and I wouldn't put up with it. Get a new deal or leave.

sunray12 · Jan 4, 2009

IA with what Batman said. The part where you are paying their equipment and supply expenses without reimbursement sounds too much like my job now which is one of the reasons I am going to nursing school. I want to be paid a fair wage for my expertise, not taken advantage because of it. Your post goes to show you can be taken advantage of wherever you work if you let it happen. Your choices should be - work out a deal for fair compensation for the job you're doing now with your present employer, talk to some of those other hospitals you mentioned in your earlier post, or go back to your staff nursing job.

nickola · Jan 4, 2009

I had a similar offer a few yrs back- they were going to send me for the training & pay for it, but I had to pay my own gas, etc. to commute a long distance to the site in another state. I would have to be on call for problems once the system went live- and even tho I thought it might be a good way to get into nurse informatics, I love patient care and when they offered me less than $1/hr more than what I was making as a staff nurse, I turned them down cold!!- I'm so glad I did too! I think you have to decide what it is YOU really want. For me, it just wasn't worth the price- both emotionally, professionally & financially.

CathyLew · Jan 4, 2009

well, if it was just $1 less an hour... I don't know. Right now, I am paid my RN wage, but I don't ever get Charge pay, or shift differential. So that in itself is a cut. I am racking in lots of OT. Even though before I turned down the OT.

One girl just took a job in Education, and took a $3 an hr cut. (with no charge or shift or specialty pay) but it put her 9-5 with no chance of being stuck..and she has small kids. So for her it was worth it.

I live about 40 minutes from the hospital, over an hr in bad weather. I keep extra cloths in my office in case I get called in and end up spending the night. I have only been in this job for a year, and already I have my soap, shampoo, etc, kept in the overnight room in the ICU. And we haven't even gone live with the biggest modules...PCI and Nursing. and not to mention the calls I get that are not related to my job. Printers not working... a computer that will not interface...that is all IT stuff! I am not hardware.

I do have all my stuff inventoried... so If I do go back to nursing... my floor manuals, binders, office chair, projector, projector screen, hand-helds, code orange carts, all of it... goes with me. and if I go back to floor nursing, I will not be obligated to do any staff teaching. It would not be in my job description.

diane227, LPN, RN · Jan 4, 2009

I have been in management position where I made less than some of the staff nurses. I was "exempt" so it did not matter how much I worked, I was always paid the same amount. I did not worry about it really. I liked my job and I do feel that nurses should be rewarded when they work overtime or work nights especially because it is so hard on their family lives.

The advantage for me was that I was able to choose my own work hours and also be able to work from on days that I needed a break. For me, it was worth it.

Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN · Jan 4, 2009

In our Meditech Hospital, we have 2 nurses and a pharmacist and many analysts. They are always busy there office is down the hall so I see them. Due to space issues they are allowed to work from home. With a VPN it is easy.

For me to get the reports I need, I have to run a report or hire a contractor. One of the analysts are on call. Nursing education teaches the nurses. We are using the Magic version not the client-server.

How are you doing all your governmental reporting? Gosh this year we had to develop several new reports for the Out Patient Measures, not to mention the changes in the Core Measures.

Sounds like you have an impossible job. Meditech is a sound but quirky program not too many people know the back end of it. No way should you even get involved in hardware issues.

Who do you report to? Someone should understand the complexity of position. It is not a matter of money but an impossible job, who covers for you when you go on vacation?