Understanding management buzzwords

Disagree with several of the definitions this nuring union has listed, especially as it perpetuates the us (nursing union) vs them (facility management) mentality.

I don't like "us" versus "them" either.

But after decades on not needing a union my hospital was purchased by a for profit, traded on the stock market corporation.

We needed to unionize to save our patients, our hospital, and our sanity.

It became all about the "BUDGET".

Nurse managers and supervisors were no longer evaluated on the quality of nursing care we provided under their leadership. They were evaluated on efficiency and adherance to a staffing algorithm.

They were forced to send staff home in the middle of a shift based on strict adherance to "THE MATRIX"

But never provided another nurse when we admitted more patients.

Once during CPR a supervisor said, "When he dies I have another patient for you in the ER"

He survived.

Once we won our election we started filling out assignment despite objection (ADO) forms to document unsafe conditions.

One night all nurses in ICU illegally were assigned three patients. We were told all registries and off duty nurses had been called. "There is no one available."

We all filled out an ADO documenting the situation and stating that the hospital, not the nursing staff, was responsible for any adverse effects on patient care. we handed a copy to the supervisor. In less than 1/2 hour three registry nurses had arrived and were taking report.

Sorry when we worked for that corporation they taught managers that stuff. My manager was terminated for patient advocacy and i think as an example to others.

Truly great nurse managers stepped down from management positions. They are now back since we are no longer owned bu that greedy bunch.

I have worked at Union and NonUnion facilities....I am very familiar with the MNA. The sad reality is that many of these administrations that they negotiate with are deserving of these definitions. I can place names and facilities side by side their definitions and I would be willing to bet any outsider looking in would agree with my observations. I was, at one time, an opponent of unions in one part of the country. BUt they were not nurses negotiating for nurses. I always had negative feeling of non-nursing persons representing nurses. I was happy in my job, I loved my job......I loved my boss and they loved me. Then I moved. I discovered that not all hospitals were created equal....health care was changing. Who's running the show shifted from medical directors and nursing personnel, to CEOs and financial wizards from corporations.

Then I saw behavior that made me see, why nurses feel so abused and cheated. I sat in on administrative meetings where they drew the line in the sand and we were instructed to not cooperate or it was our jobs. We were sent to administrative "retreats" where we were taught how to weed out the malcontents, or loud mouths, and plotted their expulsion......legally(barely). I witnessed myself the maniacal pursuit of profits at the expense of patients and those who did not play their way.....were fired. I saw cooperation of the union during financial hardship make concessions to the administration only to be cheated when making record profits. How can administration be shocked that the nurses aren't happy when you cut their pay when you needed help and they said OK but when the administrator gets some $1.3 bonus check and the nurses ask for a raise and are told there's no money.....then administration is shocked when they strike.

Union's have been historically developed to protect workers who have no voice. When my Grandfather was 8 years old and working in the coal mines because they used small children to set the dynamite, to going to the Company store, the Company school, buying and learning only company goods. Unions came and gave them a voice and made it better for them.....benefits and more came later....it was the voice they needed.

Unions at hospitals begin because the workforce has no voice and administrators aren't listening. The nurses are screaming loudly and administration have become deaf mutes. They both come to the bargaining table with chips on their shoulders, each refusing to communicate with the other........each refusing to cooperate. I wondered who's right? Now I think that maybe they (the union) might be right. Police and firefighters have pensions and a nationwide "brotherhood" they are protected in number and are supported by each other. Their retirements are secure that include health care, and can retire when they are 55. They take care of their sick and injured. Now tell me who has the better idea.

All I have to say is if you keep beating the dog....eventually he's going to bite and growl every time you are near. When all along if humane treatment provided there would never be this angst and conflict. I know why this union feel the way it does and my feeling is that the administrations they deal with acted consistently to deserve the name tag.

JMHO. Peace