Why no retention bonuses??

kbrn2002, ADN, RN · Mar 15, 2023

ChaosCoordinatorRN said:

Ahhhh...they could, but at our hospital, they are paying new grads at a higher rate than their experienced people.

Say what? Are they actively trying to get rid of all their experienced nursing staff? That would certainly be a good way to do it. I'd be looking for another job. Heck that's pretty much why I left my previous employment and they weren't paying the new staff more than me, but it was only $0.25/hr less than me and I'd been there 25 years. I was so not OK with that and I can't imagine too many nurses would be OK with that.

klone, MSN, RN · Mar 15, 2023

NICU Guy said:

We were given two options: A one year commitment for an extra $1.75/hr bonus to base pay (overtime/holiday based on base plus retention bonus) or $3.50/hr bonus for a two yr commitment. If you have no intention to leave the healthcare group, it was a no brainer.

Ooh, can I pick your brain? I'm on a recruitment and retention committee for my organization, and we're throwing out different ideas to see what might stick, and I like this. First, are you union? Second, was this offered on hire? Wa s it a new initiative, and if so, did they offer it to existing employees, or just new hires?

SunCityInsPhysical, BSN, RN · Mar 15, 2023

Corporate and local mgmt only sees us as a number on a page. A piece of interchangeable equipment to be moved around like pieces on a chess board. Their end goal is profit/ dividends to the stock/stake holders and a feather in their war bonnet as they climb the ladder or make lateral moves when they stumble or get their PhD.

ChaosCoordinatorRN · Mar 15, 2023

kbrn2002 said:

Say what? Are they actively trying to get rid of all their experienced nursing staff? That would certainly be a good way to do it. I'd be looking for another job. Heck that's pretty much why I left my previous employment and they weren't paying the new staff more than me, but it was only $0.25/hr less than me and I'd been there 25 years. I was so not OK with that and I can't imagine too many nurses would be OK with that.

I am actively looking for new employment. I have never felt so undervalued in my life. It sure feels like they are trying to get rid of those of us with experience.

SunCityInsPhysical said:

Corporate and local mgmt only sees us as a number on a page. A piece of interchangeable equipment to be moved around like pieces on a chess board. Their end goal is profit/ dividends to the stock/stake holders and a feather in their war bonnet as they climb the ladder or make lateral moves when they stumble or get their PhD.

I agree 100%!!

scott bump, BSN, RN · Mar 15, 2023

I get the annoyance, ! I learned their was funds donated for RN case managers to be given laptops... went to a conference and the Donner asks about them Huh? no we never saw them... Speculating but have a feeling those funds went to the facilities Providers Retreat for the weekend. follow the money because it corrupts sometimes! HR will stand on their heads before dolling it out, including giving you false information!
Oh even better! HR when I first got there HR was arguing my years as an RN back and forth we went. so I moved to another facility then came back... HR tells me "well since they went with the years you said you worked now we will" (yes at one point I had 3 jobs) but? HR then tells me " that formula we use to determine salary isn't really followed" well there you go!... it was all about the money the years I worked before I got there was not the issue, the money was!!

**NICU Guy, BSN, RN** · Mar 16, 2023

klone said:

Ooh, can I pick your brain? I'm on a recruitment and retention committee for my organization, and we're throwing out different ideas to see what might stick, and I like this. First, are you union? Second, was this offered on hire? Wa s it a new initiative, and if so, did they offer it to existing employees, or just new hires?

This was initiated August 2022. It was offered to all nurses (new and experienced). This offer was a reaction to a university hospital (competitor) offering free tuition to their employees.

You must repay all money paid from retention bonus if you quit before your contract expires.

What is going to interesting is what happens starting Aug 2024 when the two year contracts expire. Does the bonus disappear or does the base rate increase?

JKL33 · Mar 16, 2023

klone said:

I'm on a recruitment and retention committee for my organization, and we're throwing out different ideas to see what might stick [...]

I'm not one who thinks money isn't important; of course it is. But I'm just curious what you are currently hearing on the ground on a committee like this--is there ever any serious consideration of how we treat people being one of the main factors that we all know it is, and any effort to do anything about it?

The most offensive things I (as part of staff) experienced were not isolated; it was just a given that we would be spoken to with general disrespect, for example. Not even necessarily frankly offensive but just in a manner that respectable people would not speak to anyone they respected. Appreciation consisted mostly of making sure to tack on "thanks for all you do" to communications, even if the main purpose was criticism. That's baseline, and obviously leaving out the even more offensive treatment nurses endure.

I'm not trying to make any new complaint. I just still remain kind of dumbfounded that collectively upper admin (hospitals/lg health systems) keeps the nursing shortage crisis verbiage in the forefront (my nice way of saying they cry about it incessantly) and they want to keep staffing costs low and they don't appear to even want to participate in leading a respectful, professional atmosphere.

Do they ever consider that respect might be a little more cost effective than constantly doubling down on disrespect?

Money/fair pay is important but there is not enough money to fund this 'treat 'em like 5-year olds' approach that is taken with nurses.

SunCityInsPhysical, BSN, RN · Mar 16, 2023

This is the same cat and mouse game that has been played since the nursing shortages in the 80s and 90s. ANA has done NOTHING for us ever. No National clinical ladder, no retirement plan like teachers have, we're basically the same as or less than folks who work at McDonald's.

Successful corporations that run businesses 24/7/365 then you need to staff for it. Instead most hospitals run minimal staffing ratios and then require signing up for mandatory on call shifts which are abused all the time along with canceling approval for time off requested for school, parenting obligations for children's school trips, vacations etc.

As a staff member and as a director I've felt the pressure to honor/accommodate staff requests and hospital acuity.

I would love to see ANA address these issues with some teeth, but they are insulated and smug(snug) in their ivory tower offices.

In every state, every hospital, clinic, every nursing department I've ever worked in for over 43 years the common denominator is that everyone is constantly at odds instead of having a consistent plan and working for a common goal. I've been part of solving critical shortages only to watch and hear the back sliding. The sneaky insidious slipping away of promises by uncaring bean counters.

It's sad. I've learned the hard way not to hold my breath. I hope to see the end of the Florence Nightingale legacy and nurses realistically see the whole system for what it is. I used to hope that the ANA would step up and truly represent and fight for those of us in the trenches. But I truly believe the ANA is just as corrupt as the rest of our legislative, corporate. union and government representatives.

I'm retired now, too many hours wore me out. I will still dream and pray.

klone, MSN, RN · Mar 16, 2023

JKL33 said:

I'm not one who thinks money isn't important; of course it is. But I'm just curious what you are currently hearing on the ground on a committee like this--is there ever any serious consideration of how we treat people being one of the main factors that we all know it is, and any effort to do anything about it?

The most offensive things I (as part of staff) experienced were not isolated; it was just a given that we would be spoken to with general disrespect, for example. Not even necessarily frankly offensive but just in a manner that respectable people would not speak to anyone they respected. Appreciation consisted mostly of making sure to tack on "thanks for all you do" to communications, even if the main purpose was criticism. That's baseline, and obviously leaving out the even more offensive treatment nurses endure.

I'm not trying to make any new complaint. I just still remain kind of dumbfounded that collectively upper admin (hospitals/lg health systems) keeps the nursing shortage crisis verbiage in the forefront (my nice way of saying they cry about it incessantly) and they want to keep staffing costs low and they don't appear to even want to participate in leading a respectful, professional atmosphere.

Do they ever consider that respect might be a little more cost effective than constantly doubling down on disrespect?

Money/fair pay is important but there is not enough money to fund this 'treat 'em like 5-year olds' approach that is taken with nurses.

It's not nurses that is the issue as much as MAs in our clinics. Our organization pays about $2/hour less than similar organizations in our community. Particularly for MAs, that is HUGE. So not only are we losing good candidates to other organizations, but experienced MAs are also leaving to join other organizations. We are a safety net organization and we are doing some pretty amazing things, and a lot of people join us because of our mission. But a mission doesn't pay the bills.

I DO hear you on the respect thing, though. In this financial climate, and particularly with those who are barely making a living wage, the best way to show them respect is to pay them what they're worth.

chemdawg, MSN · Mar 16, 2023

The local government hospital gave a raise for all clinic positions bringing them up to the salary of bedside nurses. Granted this is federal so they get multiple holidays a year and of course there is no shift differential but they do not do evenings, nights, or weekends. This led to several bedside nurses leaving to the clinics and now there is a shortage on the units of nurses with experience. Of course this is now being filled by the nurses coming from the long term care environment and great opportunities for new grads. It is definitely a unique time to be an RN and it does not make sense as to why they don't value those who stayed thru it all.

klone, MSN, RN · Mar 17, 2023

So, this thread lit a fire under my *** yesterday, and I pounded out a big long email to my fellow committee members (we are bleeding MAs as an organization, and we've been tasked with figuring out how to fix it). I felt like at the beginning of Jerry Maguire when he wrote that big manifesto that he felt was ground-breaking, and instead it got him fired. I basically said that our problem came down to 2 issues - we need to pay them more, and we need to respect and value them more.

MaxAttack, BSN, RN · Mar 17, 2023

Rose_Queen said:

Union. I know a lot of anti-union people, and the union here isn't perfect, but it clearly works in some ways.

My last job gave retention bonuses and they weren't unionized. My job now is unionized and staff is taken advantage of much more aggressively here. Of course this isn't representative of every situation but I'm far from impressed.

Sometimes it seems like a portion of employers just actually care (or at least pretend to) and want to retain staff while others will do the bare minimum and get away with whatever they can.