Why no union! Without Nurses the hospital can't run!

Nurses General Nursing

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Don't take me the wrong way when I ask this question. I will be graduating in 08 and there are several things I question about nursing. I have seen who truly runs the hospitals in which truly I believe to be Nurses. Take the nurses out of the hospital and they will have to close. Why is it that nurses do not have strong unions that stand behind them or why is it that nurses choose not to have unions? For instance I have a friend who works for a Union as a electrician and when he decides to take a job he is protected by that union. If he is being treated bad they will back him and the men 100%. It is just so hard for me to grasp that nurses who possess such power and are so vital to hospitals would have to put up with administration the way many of you have had to do. Educate me on this! I truly do not understand this. I mean honestly, I do not think a Dr. or pharmicist can do the job nurses do and yet they are treated with roses. Just trying to understand!:)

I agree that there are good union stories and bad union stories. I also am not sure I want be in a union. What I do want is improvements in nursing work conditions, benefits, respect, and wages.

The real problem that I see is nurses are not willing to join together to fight for better work conditions, benefits, and wages within their facility, city, state,etc. Nurses complain a lot but back away when it comes time for confrontation.

I think our nursing culture fosters this inability for nurses to band together for a cause. Look back through the history of nursing and what you see is a common theme of subservience and sacrifice. Our profession's culture has not kept up with the changing American society as a whole. Nursing is no longer about subservience and sacrifice -- we need to be fighting for empowerment and respect.

I worked in upper management in the healthcare industry for many years. The hospital management did not respect nurses. The common thought was tell the nurses how its going to be and don't worry ---they never fight back. That attitude from senior management is not well known among nurses. Remember, senior management is largely made up of MBAs. They don't have a clue as to what its like to work as a nurse.

To the nurse that was proud that she was such a good nurse that she could stand up for herself....Yes you may get some concessions from management by speaking up. But does this change things for the better for all nurses? Also, I can guarentee you that when you try to buck the system by yourself on a major issue, you will find yourself looking for a new job. You may be good as a nurse but you do not have the power that you think you do.

Specializes in ICU-Stepdown.
The real problem that I see is nurses are not willing to join together to fight for better work conditions, benefits, and wages within their facility, city, state,etc. Nurses complain a lot but back away when it comes time for confrontation.

I think our nursing culture fosters this inability for nurses to band together for a cause. Look back through the history of nursing and what you see is a common theme of subservience and sacrifice. Our profession's culture has not kept up with the changing American society as a whole. Nursing is no longer about subservience and sacrifice -- we need to be fighting for empowerment and respect.

I think you had it right in the first paragraph. I don't know ANYONE who would considder myself, or others 'today' as "subservient" (if they did, then they REALLY need to wake up a bit and take a better look) -although the corporate policy does try to foster that image (by calling patients "clientS", for instance. Sorry, but I do NOT work in a hotel -much as they may like to believe otherwise). But in any case, the biggest problem is getting people to actually stand up, and band together, and be willing to face the consequences if the 'negotiations' go "sour". MOST of America is no longer unionized, it has nothing to do with OUR field, its a fact of our times. A union is toothless if its members are afraid of things going 'bad' at the negotiation table -and that empowers the company.

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