Difference between for-profit vs not-for-profit hospitals

ceebeejay · May 2, 2014

I hope you get some answers, because this very question popped into my head this morning for some random reason that I cannot figure out. :)

NedRN · May 2, 2014

The difference means for travelers is that for-profit hospitals have more assignments. For understandable reasons as they are not so good to work for broadly speaking. Staffing ratios and management attitude. Perhaps that is saying the same thing.

yukka99 · May 2, 2014

Ned, would you consider assignments at for profit hospitals if the money is good or you stay away all together?

NedRN · May 2, 2014

It is a factor to be considered along with many other factors. Management and compensation are just two factors to be weighed. Other factors include need (as in why do they need you), agency, location, type of hospital, reputation, unit, schedule, call, and other available assignments. Everyone has to figure out what is important to them at the moment, you certainly cannot say that all for-profit hospitals are hellholes, or that all non-profits are good. Of course, all things being equal, I would not chose a for profit.

HikingNinja, BSN, MSN, DNP, RN, APRN, NP · May 2, 2014

I have worked both at nonprofit and for profit (large HCA facility) and what Ned says is very true. It's a bit of a different mentality with for profits. The staff at the HCA facility was great, there was this sense of "we're all in this together so let's help each other". Travelers were welcomed with open arms and treated quite well. On the downside, management worried only about numbers, not pt care, staffing at times was dangerous (you have two icu pts, and imc, and a regular medical pt all at once", the computer system was horrible. PM me for more specific details. But again, I can honestly say the HCA crew was great to work with and really pulled together to help each other. The nonprofit in the same geographic area was so much easier and safer, but I didn't feel that sense of teamwork. PM me for more details.

LadyTiger44 · May 9, 2014

I personally have never worked for a hospital that was for-profit. But, when I was in a RN to BSN course in the discussion board many RNs spoke about being required to work mandatory overtime-usually 16 hour shifts. From what I gathered, this was happening at for-profit hospitals. Speaking to other RNs who have worked for for-profit and HCA hospitals the nurse to patient ratio is always higher- in SWFL RNs would take 7 patients on nights, 6 on days. Nights would have no pharmacist. They would never sit down, be running the whole shift. Just do you research!

shoegalRN, RN · May 10, 2014

I currently work for a non profit and a for profit and the change is like night and day! With the for profit, the numbers are the bottom line, PERIOD! Patient care suffers and the patient load is dangerous. I work in the ED and I am also triage trained for both ESI and CTAS, and when I work for the for profit at triage, they want door to doc times under 10 minutes! This means, they want immediate bedding, a rapid triage and NO VITAL signs, just a rapid triage based on chief complaint and straight back to a bed, with no consideration what so ever of what's going on in the back. I have told my manager I refuse to triage that way, as long as it takes me to do a rapid triage, I can be getting their vital signs and asking medical history so I can make an informed decision if they need to be rushed right back or not. With the for profits, they want every patient who steps foot in the ED to be rushed back to a bed, no matter the complaint or how long they have been having said complaint. I have had a level 2 stroke patient WAITING in the waiting room for over an hour because there were NO beds available in the back due to the person who checked in before my stroke patient had abdominal pain for 2 months and needed a bed RIGHT NOW! And it was not obvious the patient was having a stoke at the time of triage, but she was altered. So, I call asking to have a patient moved out into a hallway bed to make room for my sick patient and all the nurses have 4 patients in the back. I have had meetings with my manager explaining to her I am not comfortable triaging that way and it's my license on the line, and I will continue to get vital signs and they can take me out of triage if they have an issue with it.

When I work for the non profit, this is not an issue, although wait times are sometimes 8+ hours, it is a teaching level I trauma center. But the ratio is safe and patient safety comes first.