Unit Practice council participation

DowntheRiver · Mar 24, 2019

Do you have clinical ladder and does attendance/participation go towards clinical ladder? That's the only reason people are on our version of the UPC. You need it to be a RN III and RN III = 5% salary increase so people do it.

ajohnson8407 · Mar 24, 2019

We do have a clinical ladder here. It is based on a point system. Basically a portfolio that you put together of times you have spent in committees, doing committee work outside meeting times, volunteering, non-mandatory in-services, staff teaching, and special projects. You can get level 1 through 4. based on that you get a certain amount of money per paycheck. its a good amount $50 to >$300/paycheck. It is a lot of work so there aren't a lot of people on my unit that do it. I have done it the past 3 years and the payout is worth the work.

DowntheRiver · Mar 24, 2019

The big selling point on my unit is that UPC goes towards Clinical Ladder. Are the employees aware of the potential pay increase?

I'd suggest a survey to find out why people don't want to participate or what would make them participate. My job usually emails them out via SurveyMonkey and that way they are anonymous.

What's the makeup of your unit? Is it a lot of new grads, seasoned nurses, middle of the roaders, or a nice mix of it all?

ajohnson8407 · Mar 25, 2019

I believe they are aware of the pay. We have a mostly seasoned and some middle road nurses. I work at a community hospital branch of a major hospital system so the new grad are usually at the main campus. The survey Monkey is a great idea though! Thanks

JKL33 · Mar 25, 2019

How did you choose the items you are currently working on?

ajohnson8407 · Mar 25, 2019

The QI project is a unit initiative that the hospital is working on for when JACHO comes at sometime this year. The supplies is something that’s been voiced by the staff. The daisy and admissions packet is really a project I took on myself from another council I am in.

DowntheRiver · Mar 25, 2019

My anecdotal experience is that more senior nurses tend to have their committees and projects already lined up to maintain their III or IV status. They are maxed out on pay and getting them involved in things when they're already involved in several other projects is difficult. Again, nobody jump on me, this is just my experience! The newer grads and middle of the road nurses tend to be more interested because they want more experience, more certifications, and more pay. So, I tend to market my projects towards them. This isn't to say there aren't senior nurses who get involved, but usually they've been there so long they are already involved in so many other things.

I would definitely try the survey. I'd even be so bold as to put a question in there such as "Are you aware participation in this committee/project is clinical ladder eligible, which could potentially make you eligible for a pay increase if you climb the ladder?" That is very poorly worded, but I get surveys all the time for management asking direct questions like that.

JKL33 · Mar 27, 2019

On 3/24/2019 at 11:21 AM, ajohnson8407 said:
At this time we (really I mean I, because it's basically just me participating) are working on increasing pain reassessment score documentation (QI project)

On 3/24/2019 at 11:21 AM, ajohnson8407 said:
I'm having a lot of trouble with staff buy in.

On 3/25/2019 at 1:11 PM, ajohnson8407 said:
The QI project is a unit initiative that the hospital is working on for when JACHO comes at sometime this year.

That's what I wondered. I would like to be able to say there's no excuse for the poor participation. This is probably just blatant projection (of my own feelings, lol) but: Overall, trust has been destroyed.

The idea of nurses having more of a voice was such a promising and uplifting idea. But what it meant from day one is mostly that nurses would attend meetings featuring other people's agendas and take over the work of ensuring peer motivation for others' ideas (mostly business-related).

With regard to the QI project in question, there is a current thread that explains nurses' feelings quite well:

The problem with all the hubbub over pain reassessment is that it isn't overall about taking good care of patients according to their individualized needs - it's about making blanket rules and misapplying them.

It ends up being just another thing contributing to the problem of people being run ragged and living in the world of "constantly falling short."

That is the bigger picture that is fundamental to the problem you've posted about, which does not represent a failure on the part of either you or your coworkers.

I would try getting a couple of work buddies to attend a couple of UPC meetings. Don't make any big promises about it or oversell it. Just ask them to go as a personal favor to see what they think.

But, be realistic about the idea that if people go to something with the idea that they will be able to share their ideas, they also assume that those will carry some weight. When (okay, if) that turns out not to be the case, there is no good reason to expect people to participate.

DowntheRiver · Mar 27, 2019

1 hour ago, JKL33 said:
That is the bigger picture that is fundamental to the problem you've posted about, which does not represent a failure on the part of either you or your coworkers.
I would try getting a couple of work buddies to attend a couple of UPC meetings. Don't make any big promises about it or oversell it. Just ask them to go as a personal favor to see what they think.
But, be realistic about the idea that if people go to something with the idea that they will be able to share their ideas, they also assume that those will carry some weight. When (okay, if) that turns out not to be the case, there is no good reason to expect people to participate.

This is why I enjoy coming to this message board and reading these responses because I didn't even think about the bigger picture. I'm not the OP, but thank you for providing an insightful and informative viewpoint which I didn't previously consider.

TriciaJ, RN · May 14, 2019

I spent much of my career volunteering to be on committees. But no matter where I worked, or what kind of committee it was, the experience was the same. Management hijacked the agenda, members spun their wheels and nothing changed. Nothing.

If rising a rung on the clinical ladder for more pay is not an adequate incentive for your coworkers to at least go through the motions, then you're done. Stop hoping for "buy-in" and you'll stop being frustrated and disappointed. Do not spend another nickel of your own money. Go through whatever motions you need to to feather your own nest and call it good.

At my last job, the one I retired from, I was asked if I wanted to be on a committee. My brain said "Oh, hell no." But I forced my mouth to say "Not just yet, thanks." Not that I'm cynical or anything. Good luck.