United We Stand

Published May 26, 2004

1 Post

Hello.

I have worked in Corrections fifteen years. I have loved or hated nursing for almost thiry years. It isn't an easy profession but has "paid the bills." I never really saw the need for a union because things have been ok. Now, however, with the nursing shortage and the budget cuts the situation is changing. It is difficult to find good nurses to work in prison especially because the wages and benefits are no longer competitive. Besides the obvious, "Who would work in a prison?

Recently our department had a statewide labor managment meeting and for the first time I realised how many nurses work in our department! Many of the issues I deal with are the same statewide plus more because of the huge prisons built out in the middle of no where because they were the only commuities what wanted a new prison. It is getting dangerous inside as well for the nurses because of the difficulty filling possitons.

The upshot of this meeting was bargining as a group for our next contract. Nurses have traditionally not been considered any different than office specialists or counselors. I have been assigned to research MONEY issues. What are other states doing to recruit nurses? Generally, what are wages, shift differentials, or any other monitary insentives offered in your states?

Thanks for any information you have to share. It was so empowering to know how many nurses work for our state and how important we really are to the departement. Hopefully, we can again be competitive and hire the nurses we need get the job done.

United we stand!