UHS - Universal Health Services RN nursing working conditions

Specialties Psychiatric

Published

I felt a moral need to say something about working as an RN for UHS. Specifically, I have been working in the intake department of a freestanding psychiatric hospital in the Southeast region.

I have had several jobs working in the psychiatric departments at large hospitals with various companies; they were all at least "okay". I had had one previous bad experience at a small freestanding psych facility. But this time, I told myself UHS is a large, national, company: surely they know what they're doing. Furthermore, a few comments on this Web site suggested the company was okay, so that reassured me a great deal.

Unfortunately, it has been a terrible experience, and I am probably quitting this week, even though I don't have another job lined up yet, and I do have a family to support.

The facility was new, with the department transferring over from their local full-scale hospital. They wanted to cut the nurses' pay by about 10 dollars per hour, so only two nurses came from the mental health department at the hospital; everyone else quit and refused to take the pay cut. Stupidly, without knowing all these details, I took a position at the new freestanding location.

First surprise: the facility was going back to paper charting. At the main hospital, they had used Cerner, but they figured they could save a dime by using paper, betting that the government would not move ahead with new requirements. That was a major red flag, but I had already quit my other job.

80% - 90% of the new staff, and I'm not exaggerating here, was composed of local trash. The mental health techs have literally been caught sleeping in the milieu, in front of the patients, but don't get fired. Literally every other nurse, (with the exception of night shift and some of the supervisors), has EXTREME personality disorders, and were fired from their last jobs for their behaviors. Without going through the entire list, they speak in a demeaning way to patients and visitors, they verbally assault intake staff when they have to do an admission, and they exhibit extreme passive-aggressive behaviors. The weekend doctors are great, but the main doctor, the one who is usually there, also has extreme personality disorders and was recently fired. There is not any controversy about any of this: all the staff, up to the CEO, has confirmed that they understand these extreme personality problems.

I am all alone in intake, even though police drop off patients at an unpredictable rate. Many patients can arrive all at once. There is no bathroom in the area, so you have to walk patients to the other corner of the facility. Worst of all: they mix children and adults in intake. Some of the adults are child molesters; some of the children have suffered traumatic experiences. It is EXTREMELY unsafe.

UHS, seemingly, would do ANYTHING to save one penny. Their shortsightedness and stupidity then create situations that cost them much more money. If they would do things the correct way, work would be done properly, and they would end up making more money. But in idiot fashion, they save a penny today, but have to pay for it big time tomorrow.

By the way, it's been 27 days and after 6 phone calls, the idiots at their "benefits" department still claim they're doing "research" to find out why my insurance hasn't been activated. But you guessed it: my pay is docked every week for the non-existent insurance.

I truly cannot understand how this company is profitable on the stock exchange. I suspect they may be doing some funky accounting. Do not be an idiot like me and accept a job at UHS!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Mental Health.

I started at a UHS facility in Illinois as a registry nurse fortunately I have a full time job at a different hospital but still work for UHS as registry and I understand what you are referring to. They are a for-profit company so they cut corners wherever they can and will pretty much accept any patient. There is a high turnover rate and they are always short of staff. Oh and all the paper charting is just awful! My sister worked for another UHS hospital in Illinois and she basically saw the same thing.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

How do I edit the title on this thread? I just realized I wrote the wrong name for the company. The correct name is "Universal Health Services". Maybe a moderator could fix this for me? Thanks!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in psychiatric nursing.

I think all UHS facilities are managed with cost cutting being the priority. I work at a UHS inpatient facility in CA, and they under staff us to the point it's not safe for the patient nor the staff. Because of the constant under staffing, there is high turn over because people get too stressed out and quit. Also the pay rate is less than average for my area.

The facility is run down and dirty (unsanitary). They are stingy with the food and snacks for the patients. They don't offer the patients enough activities to make productive use of their time in the facility.

This corporation just doesn't give a darn about it's employees or patients. They only want the dollars. And it's true, they admit anyone, even if the person is not appropriate to the level of care we can offer.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psychiatric, Geriatric.

I worked at a UHS facility in FL for two years. Initially, it was very busy, and sometimes overwhelming, but the majority of the time it was manageable. After AHCA/DCF/JHACO came, administration decided they were going to mandate a ton of changes, making the workload absolutely unsafe and unbearable. They lost staff that had been there 10+ years, and now it seems positions that were coveted just sit open on indeed indefinitely.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Mental Health.

Sounds about right.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I did some research on UHS facilities a few years ago and their restraint deaths/injuries to patients were alarming. Maybe that's changed but I remember being shocked.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in psych.

This is unacceptable...absolutely dreadful. Feel just awful for you, the pts, and other caring staff. We still have a long way to go in so many places in treating mental health and med-surg pts with equal resources and compassion...

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Couple of more points I never mentioned in my initial posting: I quit after starting this thread, by the way, and never went back to that most-stressful, most-dangerous of situations. (1) After I quit, I got word from a social worker that he was now supposed to handle both therapy groups (alone) and all intake admissions (alone). Other facilities would have had two people in intake, and two people doing groups. But for UHS, one staff can do the job of four people! Clearly, on a busy intake day, groups simply won't happen, regulations be damned. (2) Before quitting, daydreaming about moving within UHS to a state with more pay, I decided to call a UHS facility in that state. Sure enough, by local standards, UHS pays pathetic hourly rates, so they also have terrible conditions, with short-staffed and high turnover issues.

In short, if you're thinking about working for UHS (especially psychiatry/mental health), DON'T PUNISH YOURSELF LIKE THAT!!!

Last little thing, then I'll shut up, they screw up my pay again with my final pay check, gave me 300 instead of the 1,000 or so it should have been. They've admitted they've screwed up, but won't say by how much. Now, after I've returned my key and my badge, they're harassing me about returning "the two small keys". Mind you, they only ever gave me one key. I guess they're desperate for that $50 deduction for not returning badge/key.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment