Exactly what is a nurses union? What do they do? How do they operate? How do union leaders get their positions? This is a chance to explain to those who don't know what a union is good or bad for.
I worked union in a factory and IMHO it's just another layer of buearacracy. And if the "shop steward" doesn't like you forget it. IMHO you don't have much more clout than with out a union.
I worked at Danbury Hospital in Danbury CT . One of the nurses in the dialysis unit was a "shop steward" and none of the nurses hardly spoke to her. She was all union..Sure she was she was trying to get out of work alledging all these different allergies to the air filtration system, the mop water the housekeepers used. But she had been "voted" in and until her term was up the other nurse were at her mercy. And IMHO again she was only looking out for herself.
JMHO..
WR,,, three commas for Becca
I will voice my own issues, vote with my feet, and talk to my boss and his boss all on my own.. I am a big girl now. I don't need/want any one else speaking for me. Thanks but no thanks.
I also worked in a factory with a union and there I think it was good but I don't see it's place in nursing at least not around here.
In a factory if they didn't like you for whatever reason and fired you they could pick about anyone and train them to work the assembly line within a day or 2 but for nurses they can't just fire you and immediately fill your position. I don't see nurses around here getting fired for just anything. And are pay is ok I'd like more but it's ok and we do get yearly raise or lump sum bonus based on performance not just based on it's Oct and time to get a raise.
Sorry to disagree but I believe unions are the reason manufacturing jobs are leaving the US among other things. Many unions put their companies out of business with their outlandish expectations.
JMHO
WR,,, three commas for Becca
I do believe they were a foundation for many laws and rights being granted to the working people. But I believe they have out lived their usefulness. They did their job and it's time to move on with out them
As for yearly raises you are lucky. I don't believe taking 3 years ( 30 cents a year) to get a dollar is great.
Of course if there are years that you don't get anything it might take 4 or 5.
I did work at one of the highest paying factories in this area. But you are right about jobs moving out. I think this factory has stuck around because it's a family started/run business that has grown. My ex husband still works there (has since 1979) he makes in the $19 hour range right now which is what new grad RN's make around here.
yep his job is secure and it's union. He's been there since 1979. The factory is in IN and they expanded 10 yrs ago to Arkansas. They make parts for a big company (that has sent some of it's production overseas and cut workforce with automation over the last 20 years) they make more then the company they make the parts for. When I left there in 1990 I was making about $13/hr and when I started nursing in 1992 I started at about $13. They have continuted to get their raises but mine did raise much faster. We complain about co-workers and bosses as nurses but the bosses at that factory I could not stand. They were stupid and acted like everyone else was too and I was not stupid which irritated the fire out of me that I was working for them.
Unions happen to have a pretty important place in history.
If you think about why they were started in the first place, it was to keep the railroad barons, factory owners and industrialists from working the people to death, literally, back when working conditions were "the pits."
They put limits on how many hours workers had to put in, improved "sweatshop" working conditions, forced employers to institute workplace safety measures and lots of other improvements.
In Nursing, just try getting administration these days to look at anything other than the bottom line. We're governed by bean counters and insurance companies who don't care what we do as long as we can do it cheaply.
They don't care if we work safely, can do our job and give quality care, or if we're breaking our backs and burning out due to short staffing.
A single nurse can complain till she's blue in the face. It's unlikely one person will be able to change a hospital bureaucracy.
If you become enough of a nusiance, they'll can you in a heartbeat, and there's squat you can do.
Enter a union. With increased bargaining power, the administration doesn't have a choice but to listen. You've got an upper hand when it comes to wages, working conditions, benefits and control over your environment. If they try to fire you, they have to go through the union first.
It's times like these, under shortage staffing and poor working conditions, that unions can do the most good.
Personally, I don't work in a Union Shop, know tons of nurses that do, and most are not complaining bout the unions dues compare to the benefits of representation.
Don't you think, I can list hospitals that have just voted to go union.
Besides, are nursing and factory work all that different? Are hospitals getting more and more like assembly lines each day? Get the most patients in and out for the least expense? To hell with quality of care, squeeze as much as you can out of Nursing, Environmental, Respiratory, Dietary, etc.
If the government was doing the job and enacting laws to protect us, nurses wouldn't be leaving the floors in droves due to poor working conditions.
The important difference being that when an overworked factory worker makes a mistake, product quality suffers. When a nurse makes, or doesn't catch a mistake made, people can die.
I beg to differ that the government has done anything to help the situation of the typical hospital staff nurse specifically. Maybe you can give some examples.
What laws has the government enacted to deal with Mandatory Overtime? Some states have them, but they've got no teeth.
What laws are in place to enforce safe nurse to patient ratios? Californa is the only state I've heard of and they've having a tough time getting them implemented.
What laws are in place to protect "whistle blowers" that report unsafe patient conditions? Latest laws say we have to protect "our employers" interests.
Sounds like you've had some personal issues with your shop steward, I don't think it's fair to generalize your experience to all union stewards. Like nurses, there are some that will do what's best for the group, and others that are only looking out for themselves. Just like anything else.
If you give up, lay down and die, sure nothings going to improve. If you get proactive, have a legitimate issue and make a stink, you'd be surprised how quickly you can get an elected union official to step down or change their tune.
I've never had to put wood in the wood stove.. Have you??
WR,,, three commas for Becca
Maine Medical Center has tried to get the union in several times and evey time THE NURSES voted it down..And you wanna know why..Cuz Maine HAD a manufacturing base at one time and many unions. Not anymore..
No one can make me work Mandatory Overtime.. I am an at will employee.. I vote with my feet..
My local hospital has a 4:1 ratio on Med/Surg on days.. And no UNION....
I have never had a shop steward. I nevered worked in a Union Hospital as an Employee. I worked in one as a traveler. And yes they had good pay but horrible staffing.. If there are no nurse there are no nurses..
And I hardly lie down and give up.. I vote with my feet. I don't work in hospitals anymore and I believe you are trying to get away from them to aren't you???
I have a personal issue with someone telling me what I want from my job and telling me they are gonna talk to my boss for me.. I am a big girl..
I don't have to worry about shoving out a union steward.. I wouldn't vote union to begin with.. I am into preventative practices..LOLLLL
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No one can make me work Mandatory Overtime.. I am an at will employee.. I vote with my feet..
My local hospital has a 4:1 ratio on Med/Surg on days.. And no UNION....
I have never had a shop steward. I nevered worked in a Union Hospital as an Employee. I worked in one as a traveler. And yes they had good pay but horrible staffing.. If there are no nurse there are no nurses..
You're fortunate as a traveler, most nurses working in hospitals do not have that choice, to work mandatory overtime or not. They need their jobs.
Their employers see no reason to give it to them.
To quote:
"More than 500,000 licensed nurses have left the nursing profession because of poor working conditions. Inadequate staffing, mandatory overtime and insufficient compensation head the list of reasons. Unfortunately, there appears to be no end in sight to the number of active nurses leaving the profession. A recent AFT Healthcare poll showed that more than 20 percent of active nurses were planning to leave the nursing profession in the next two to three years because of stress and workplace conditions." http://www.aft.org/issues/mand_overtime.html
It's great that you can speak for yourself, but don't kid yourself that you're able to speak for other nurses as well. Working as a traveler isn't the same as being on staff and having to deal with issues on a permanent basis.
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And I hardly lie down and give up.. I vote with my feet. I don't work in hospitals anymore and I believe you are trying to get away from them to aren't you???
I have a personal issue with someone telling me what I want from my job and telling me they are gonna talk to my boss for me.. I am a big girl..
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As a "big girl" I don't think you'd get very far negotiating with management. Very few individual nurses do. Individuals are too easy to brush aside, ignore or fire if they're being a nusiance.
I do a day here/there through the agency, but I've be on the Nurse Entrepreneur Track for almost seven years. It puts me in contact with a large number of nurses (from union and non-union hospitals) looking for career alternatives at http://www.nursingentrepreneurs.com
On top of that my wife is an ICU nurse working in a Union Shop. We discuss conditions there vs her old hospital which was non-union daily.
You're entitled to a personal opinion, long as you don't suggest you're talking for others who are working in hospitals day to day and dealing with extremely frustrating conditions that they can't simply walk away from.
Let me ask you something.. I can't talk for nurses but union people i.e. shop stewards can???
Is that your premise here. And why aren't you confronting 1mg.epi.. Is it because he is a man and a former Marine..
Really he is a cream puff..
WR,,, three commas for Becca
As for negotiating with the big wigs. I left Fresenius two years ago to travel. I was making less than $25/hour. They told me I would be back. And guess what I am .. Back working in a Fresenius unit. NOT for Fresenius and I am making more than $34.. So don't tell me I can't negotiate all by my little womanly self... It's just like the Fram oil filter.. You can pay me now or you can pay me later.. Later usually costs more.. BTW Fresenius offered me 30% to come back after 2 months traveling... Maybe some nurses can't negotiate. Maybe you should take your own advice and not speak for those of us who can..
The big problem with nurses is the fact that they have let others speak for them for too long and don't realize the clout they really have..
People come to a hospital for nursing nothing else.. Not for the soft beds or the great food.. And certainly not for doctoring.. I suppose you didn't even know that I haven't worked in a hosptial setting for over 4 years..
WR,,, three commas for Becca
Would you care to discuss filling the wood stove.???
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A rep from a union will try to organize a group to push for the union telling people, "IT WILL BE GOOD."
The Nurses will vote to have a union. If the union is voted in the rep will say, "This is good."
The union rep will arbitrate to get us pay raises that we would have gotten any ways, and he will say, "This is good."
Then on our pay day we will pay our union dues, most of which will go to the union rep, and he will say, "THIS IS GOOD."
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Heh, heh,
That fits unions in general. Clearly they are not as desperately "needed" in most industries as they once were. They're still hanging around in a lot of places where they've outlived their usefulness.
In Nursing however, working conditions are getting progressively worse with the nursing shortage and nurses leaving the field. It's a vicious cycle.
Don't think too many Unionized nurses are bitching about their dues though. Not when it protects them from arbitrary dismissals and rampant abuse being dished out by hospitals.
Far as salaries go, statistically unionized nurses make 10-15% more per hour than their non-union counterparts.
That was my whole premise.. I can't speak for nurses. I have been one for 24 years and yet a shop steward can???
Even one who has been a nurse for 3 or 4 years.???? HMMMMM interesting concept.
I don't need to go to the sun either to know it's hot there.
I don't need someone to speak to the boss for me.. I talked to the CEO on a regular basis when I worked at the hospital.. Why do I need someone to tell someone what I want.. I have a voice..And how does anyone else know what I truly want anyway????
Show us the stats.. Don't just spout them out.. Give me a website to look at.. Because Maine was a heavily unionized state.. They have one Union hospital in the State and they have a shortage too. They are using travel nurses.. And I could get a job there tomorrow if I wanted to.,
But I would make less than I am making as a traveler..
BTW I made over $34 in NC... NOT UNION..
Nurses have kept quiet for so long they don't know when to speak up.. They get swayed by sauvy union people and then they don't bother to vote them out when they are not happy.. LOLLL It's a vicious cycle..
I believe because Yankee's and Maniah's are so outspoken that that is the reason Unions can't get a foothold in the State...
WR,,, three commas for Becca
I believe unions go to far in their demands..And with the influx of foreign nurses they will have the same effect on nursing as they did many other industries.. They will price themselves right out of existence along with the nurses working under them..I won't be around to see it...But I can warn others.
I was a teamster working in a factory before nursing. I do think unions had a place and time in this country as someone has said before but I think that time and place may have come and gone.
I really don't see the benefit in nursing. I've never worried about my nursing job or my pay either. I'd like a bit more pay but wouldn't we all...and when I start traveling next year I think I'll be getting it.
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WHAT you don't want someone to speak in your behalf??? Are you telling ME you can speak for yourself but nurses can't??
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You're comparing Apples to Oranges. There is need for me to start a union for websites.
I'm an employee of my own nurse-owned company, also President & CEO. I write my own paychecks, etc. Don't have a boss to complain to for the website work I do.
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Show us the stats.. Don't just spout them out.. Give me a website to look at.. Because Maine was a heavily unionized state.. They have one Union hospital in the State and they have a shortage too. They are using travel nurses.. And I could get a job there tomorrow if I wanted to.,
The stats that say that union nurses make more than non union nurses.. I haven't quoted any stats all my thoughts are my own. My opinions. Show me the money..
As far as being your own boss. I am too.. I make the decision on who, why, when, and where I work.
WR,,, three commas for Becca
Therefore, you are allowed to speak for yourself but you seem to think that the other nurses out here need a representative.. Isn't that an insult to us. Are you saying we don't know enough to know when to move on, when to say enough is enough. I don't think so..I believe you are trying to keep nurses in "their place".. Too inexperienced and not smart enough to ask for and get what we deserve? Look at the number of nurses who are leaving just as you have mentioned. And many of them are going to better jobs, i.e. other hospitals, traveling or webmasters.
Nurses don't need a shop steward to tell them when to walk out and tell them what they deserve for a pay raise... What nurse, as a shop steward, could possibly know every job in a hospital..From ER to OR M/S ICU OB Mental Health. etc.
I will reinterate I don't need/want any one speaking for me..And as an aside I believe unions are just another layer of bureacracy (sp).. Another wait for my raise while the union does it's thing.. etc.. Nurses are in demand we are not an unlimited resource.. I don't want to compare Apples to Oranges but you have many times..We can't be compared to factory workers who make a corporation money .. There is a limited amount of money in a hospital. Many of them are non profit. How many manufacturing corps are non profit??
I am not a union nurse. I feel if your employer stinks, find another job.
I have worked at the same hospital for 13 years, 8 months. This hospital pays better than the union one. I don't have to pay dues.
The union hospital has a nursing shortage. They use travail nurses (no offense Wandering RN).
My hospital fill openings fast (2 wks).
The union hospital lays off nurses often. I have never seen a lay off here during the 13 years I have worked here. We have had freezes but no lay offs.
We have quit a bit of say in our needs and growth. Every 3 months we have meetings telling how well we are doing. We have opportunities to tell how we could make it better. We do this without a shop steward. Tell me how can a union help me?
As I said, If you do not like where you work, GET another Job. If a place has high turn over, the board will have to make some changes or sink.
That's ok I haven't worked in a hospital for almost 4 years...
Funny thing is the company I worked for as a dialysis nurse offered me 30% to return..LOLLL..Now that's clout.. I didn't do it though...But I am working in another of their units making more than 30%... They forgot that patients need nurses..
Hey 1mg.epi maybe we could be shop stewards??? Nah.. I don't have the time or inclination.. I'll keep my big mouth working for myself...
WR,,, three commas for Becca
BTW the union hospital in Maine has 50 openings...HMMMMMMMMMMM
I think I am going to keep doing what I am doing in nursing. I did once worked in a factory. I was a production manager in a large screen printing/ graphics company in Hawaii. I did notice a difference between nursing and working in a factory. I get warm all over when a patient is discharged that was doing poorly and now doing well due to nursing. I never got that over printing a tee shirt. And trust me the management dynamics, the work environment, and the stress, and workers needs is totally different in a hospital than a factory.
Just to add 2 cents more. Nursinghumor was so right about unions a few posts ago. Unions had a important place in past history. KEY WORD "PAST HISTORY". To me, Unions is one of the reasons factories are leaving. Having to paying a person more than a nurse makes to put a bolt on an engine. To me, unions have helped people rite out of a job.
Dude had a little too much union stress. But is that not a shame when they striked they put patients in danger. and as a healthcare worker would this not be in conflict with your ethics for caring for people?
I think the thing that bothers me the most is that once I vote for the union I lose my individual voice. And every time something comes up, such as a strike, it has to be voted on..Seems to me that one spends all their time voting etc. If I have a problem I can take care of it in a timely manner on my own..
It all depends on the Union. I think the key problem is that the 'due paying participants' give up their power and act like someone else is going to take care of everything. In states that have Teacher Unions, typically the pay is great and the benefits even better.
Some countries have national Nurse Unions...do some Internet Research and look into it.
When humans are involved there is always room for corruption so as the members of any Union, the members need to be active participants not SHEEPLE!!!
This is an interesting time in history for Nursing in the US and it is time with or without a Union for Nurses to stand up and demand what is a perfect opportunity to do so - from Pay to working conditions to rights for the patients. The phrase, 'If Momma Ain't Happy, AIn't No One Happy' can easily to translated into: 'If Yer RN ain't treated well by Admin. then you as the patient ain't gonna be treated well.' Trickle down effect. Perhaps we need to enlist society at large to the plight of Nursing...God knows they are the ones who get the short end of the stick in the end. Nothing more powerful than letting people know that if the standards in hospitals slip, then as a patient they can lose their life. We need to make people aware that the Health Insurance Industry is to blame for a lot of this crapola.
WR is wrong wrong wrong. Having worked in a non-union hospital, and now a union hospital...there is an incredible difference. (And the reason jobs are moving overseas is not because of unions, it's because of corporate greed! CEO salaries have increased over 1000% in the past 2 decades. Can you say that about the average American worker?)
I work in a hospital that is represented by my professional organization, as opposed to a non-nursing shop. My monthly dues pay for my representation and also pay my membership to the SNA, ANA and UAN.
What has representation gotten me? Nursing empowerment, excellent staffing ratios, great wages and benefits and protection from unfair or hostile managers or policies. Because of representation we have a collaborative relationship with our hospital administration as opposed to a patriarchal one.
On another point - WR said above that she is an "at will employee" and as such could refuse mandatory overtime. I don't suppose you've considered that your licensed duty to your patients overrides your "at willingness" and that should you refuse to care for your patients after your shift if no relief was available - that would be considered patient abandonment, and you could lose your license. (Actually - a nurse who abandons their patients should lose their license!)
Being a traveling nurse permits you to not be involved in your place of work. But for those of us who don't travel, union representation allows us to take an active and collaborative role in the places we work. It gives us a voice. It gives us power. And if you work in a union hospital and don't feel empowered - get involved in the union and make changes. A union is only as good as the leadership of the union and the willingness of the members to take collective action.
Getting back to the original post, our union is our state nursing association (WSNA - Washington State Nurses Association), although some nursing bargaining units use non-nursing unions. (Another hospital in town uses a non-nursing union. They pay higher dues than we do and their dues do not pay for membership in the state nursing association or the ANA!) We elect our local unit officers from within our bargaining unit and have a representative from WSNA who assists us as needed and attends our meetings. We seek volunteers to serve on a negotiation committee every 3 years (or so) to negotiate a new contract with the hospital. After the negotiation committee and hospital reach a tentative agreement, the members of the bargaining unit (the RNs who are members of WSNA) vote on the contract. This becomes the legal document under which nurses work. We just completed negotiations (I was on the team) and have achieved a excellent contract!
There is no negotiation in non-union hospitals. A good nursing union equals nursing empowerment.
Sure can't say it about the American worker. .Because so many of them worked union.LOLLL Would you like to post your views on jobs going overseas to shoe workers, clothing workers.. As a matter of fact there is a union or was for clothing workers and what did they do for their paying members. Talk to a paper maker about unions...
I have had a nursing license for 24 years and have never worked mandatory overtime. And I've never lost my license. You are wrong wrong wrong wrong. Many times mandatory overtime consists of working overtime tomorrow and I can say I won't work tomorrow. I haven't taken the assignment and therefore there is no abandonment. And doesn't your union fight so you don't have to work overtime..I speak for myself. I don't have to have anyone speak for me.. I have told supervisiors,, which do you need,, an RN 3 days a week or an open FTE ..Works every time..
You are right a union is only as good as it's leaders. I don't suppose you've ever worked with nurses who would stab you in the back as soon as look at you.. And nurses don't stick up for each other.. If they did they wouldn't need a union..LOLLL
I wouldn't tout the ANA too much it hasn't done much for many. And if the ANA is so great why do you need a union ..Why won't the ANA fight for us????
WR,,, three commas for Becca
P.S. How come if your hospital's union is so great that other hospital hasn't figured that out?? And how come thousands of other nurses haven't jumped on the band wagon. Are they all wrong wrong wrong....
Are you sure you aren't management in wolves clothing.
P.P.S.S. If I couldn't talk to the CEO personally I wouldn't work there.
I am a Registered Nurse.. I don't need anyONE hospital to put food on my table..
Can't has never been in my vobcabulary. It shouldn't be in anyone elses.. People don't stay where they aren't happy..
Many nurses love to complain.That's probably why they don't join unions.. Because they would rather complain. And why aren't all those nurses who are leaving in droves you spoke of in another post unionizing. Maybe, because many of them don't believe that is the answer...
Are you aware of how many hospitals closed in the last few years?
As I've stated many times. I don't need/want someone to speak for me. I can and have spoken for myself.
I make $35/hr, work when I want, take time off when I want. Tell me what union would do that for me.
WR,,, three commas for Becca
Am I correct in my ass u me ing that you don't work for a union yourself and you want to "preach" to me???????
Traveling nursing gives you a perspective that is quite different from mine. I prefer being an active participant in my profession and in the hospital I work at. Yes, that necessitates my working various holidays, and yes, I had to put in my time on nocs. But I like my job. Actually, WR - I love my job! How many people can say that? And no, WR, I am not management. I am a staff RN. You asked some ridiculously lame questions:
"Can a union get me a day job or do I have to work nights for years
Can a union stop a patient from having a stool in their beds and the smell
Can a union send only skinny people to my floor so I don't hurt my back
Can a union make a doctor write legalably
Can a union make my patient not have an MI at 1900 just when I finished charting.
Can a union stop a hurricane so I don't have to take care of more people than I can handle"
Please - can you at least try and make educated statements?
And then: "I wouldn't tout the ANA too much it hasn't done much for many. And if the ANA is so great why do you need a union ..Why won't the ANA fight for us????"
Your naivete is striking. Read a bit about nursing history. See how nursing started in this country. See what gains were achieved because of nursing creating a national organization. Please educate yourself on the labor movement and the founding of the ANA before making such uneducated statements.
You failed to answer my questions.. Can the union make patients be nice to me. I know the history of nursing in this country..I don't see any nurse from your hospital running here to tell us how great the union is???
Do you get paid for being a shop steward?? Would that make you biased at all??
I don't have to go to the sun to know it's hot there.
I don't want to vote every time I need/want something. I don't want to wait for things. And there are many things I don't want or need and yet if it's voted in I have no choice.
As for travel nursing you are right I have a different perspective on nursing. Where have you worked other than Washington State? I know what I can get and I go out and get it. All by my lonesome.. Nurses are in demand we don't need someone to speak for us.. Every time we do that we lose.. I believe that's the real crux of this matter. Nurses think/thought their professional organizations would help them and that's just not true.. Look at California. The CNA got staffing ratios.. Buu the law doesn't have teeth in it.. The hospitals got rid of ancillary staff so the nurses are just as busy if not busier than before.
Can you make educated answers. Heck you can't even answer let alone educated.
The nurses who like unions like them because they know they can get away with more and do less. IMHO...
And I believe you missed my post about working in a union hospital. And the fact that the union hospital in Maine has over 50 openings.. And there are only two employment options in Maine ( due to union representation BTW)..Wally World greeter and nurse.. So why does that hospital have so many openings?????
And how is asking if the union can get me a day job lame??? Many nurses can't work nights and they do leave nursing because they have to work nights..
I love my job too. I worked Memorial Day. I worked every Xmas and T-day for years when I worked in the hospital..
I will tell you again I don't want/need anyone to speak for me. I will never work union or vote for one. I would encourage everyone I know not to also...
Now you may work union if you like it and you may encourage other to work union and vote to..
I believe your biggest problem with me is the fact that you can't control a woman..Sorry for that.. Strong woman have always had this issue..
Oh c'mon now. My biggest problem is the fact that I can't control a woman??? Where is that coming from? I work in a predominantly female profession. I'm a staff RN and occasionally do relief charge. I neither want, nor feel the need to "control" anyone.
First point: "Can the union make patients be nice to me." That is a lame question. If that is what you expect from a union - you're expectations are whacked. A union can negotiate wages and working conditions. A union can prevent employers from discharging employees without just cause. A union can make nurses as a group more empowered. (Apparently, you're powerful enough on your own. Cheers.)
The reason why you don't see any nurse from my hospital running to yours is because our retention is the best in the state. In fact, many of our staff were travelers who discovered that this was a great place to work and signed on as regular staff!
I am not a "shop steward." I am the treasurer in our local unit. NONE of the officers are paid. Our contribution is entirely on a voluntary and uncompensated basis.
Our members don't "vote every time I need/want something." We typically renegotiate our contract every 3 years.
"And there are many things I don't want or need and yet if it's voted in I have no choice." We deal with collective bargaining. The needs of the majority. If you feel you've been able to achieve all you need or want from the places you've worked, bravo.
I've also worked at a non-union facility in Montana. I've seen nurses fired for one unintentional act. At that hospital, they "punished" you for medication errors. The severity of the punishment depended upon how many "points" your medication error tallied. I now work at an institution that has a "non-blame" policy for medication errors.
As far as getting a day job.... Unions have given us a seniority based system. Why should a new person get a day position at the expense of someone who has worked here for awhile on nocs? If nurses can't put in there time on nocs, then I guess they won't work here.
"Nurses are in demand we don't need someone to speak for us.. Every time we do that we lose".... How is that? Nurses organized are voices united - and we can't lose. Give me examples of how "we lose."
The more and more I read your posts on this topic, I get the feeling that you're really in management.
"The nurses who like unions like them because they know they can get away with more and do less." Another lame and uneducated statement, obviously coming from someone not involved in their profession. Those of us involved in our union are VERY involved. Some nurses, be they union represented or not, involve themselves in their profession, and serve on committees within the institution they work. And some nurses do not.
Collective bargaining is simply that. Negotiating fair and competive wages and working conditions for the whole. If you are satisfied with your work without collective bargaining - I'm happy for you. I for one take pride in being an active participant in my profession and professional organization.
So you wouldn't represent a whacked nurse..Why not?? And a union can help keep slackers.. If some of us are gonna toss out words..Let's do it..
Do you understand that many of us are leaders not followers? Shouldn't nurses be leaders??
I didn't ask them to flock to mine.. Read my post. I asked why they haven't flocked here to this forum to tout the union..
Many travel nurses have signed onto non union hospitals. I believe many travel nurses sign on perm because they have found the ideal place to live, Climate wise, school wise..You know location location location.
You mean I have to wait 3 years for a raise or something I want.. Heck when I worked in a hospital we got a raise every year.. And I renegotiate my contract every 13 weeks..I'm old I might not see 3 years.
Finally you get it.. I have negotiated what "I" want and need..
Your hospital with it's medication errors must be the one I see reported on TV all the time..You think medication errors should be slipped under the rug???
Unintentional error isn't that an oxymoron??
Most hospitals have a senority based system..That's a lame example if I've ever seen one..Obviously I have.
We lose our identity..We lose our voice Our personal voice. It's your way or the highway.. Ya know if unions catch on in nursing the way you would like them to and all of the nurses get all these perks and don't ever want to leave nursing because the unions are so great the Nursing unions will "vote" themselves right out of existence. There won't be a nursing shortage ..There will be layoffs. Many hospitals have already hired foreign nurses.. Do you think they will stop???
A. My union represents all of the nurses in our bargaining unit, whacked or otherwise. You claim to be a leader... leader of what? You previous posts showed disdain for your professional organizations, so tell me, how are you a leader?
B. Not all nurses know about this forum... hence the limited number of posters.
C. We don't wait 3 years for a raise. We negotiate a contract that dictates what our raise will be each year for the term of the contract. I will receive a raise each year for the next 3 years.
D. The hospital I work at is not the one you saw on TV. We recognize that human beings make mistakes. Our system looks to see what systems may have contributed to the mistake and attempts to correct the system problems.
Unintentional error is NOT, in fact, an oxymoron. An error is an error. Do you know people who intentionally err? Errors should not be "swept under the rug" but neither should professionals be treated patronistically who have a medication error. I've made errors in my day...should I have been disciplined for them? What would that accomplish? There is a difference between erring and repeated carelessness. The later should be disciplined, not the former.
Your logic about nursing unions is so flawed that I wonder why I waste my time responding. Yes there is a nursing shortage. And yes, as a traveler you negotiate your own contract. Bully for you. I don't travel. I don't want to travel. I enjoy being an active participant in the hospital I work at. I enjoy being engaged in my profession. And as such, I see the benefits of collective bargaining. I haven't lost my identity or personal voice. I am more able to speak out freely without fear of retribution. Non-union nurses don't always have that luxury.
A . A leader of one.. And a role model. What is your role model.. Follow me and I'll get you what you want??
B.Why haven't you told them about it. Worried they might not back you.. It's easy ..e-mail.
C. So we both get a raise every year.. Why do I need a union.. Can you tell me again??
D. Yes many people intentionally err.. Haven't you heard about the many deaths commited by nurses?? Are you saying non union hospitals don't look for reason's for med errors. Have you heard of Pyxis??
I don't do unions.. Why on earth do you feel the need to shove it down my throat? Because YOU think I need one?
When you have negotiated yourself out of a job..Come back and tell us all how not to do it..OK?????
A. Leader of one.... yeah, right. Now that's impressive.
B. My peers wouldn't waste the time I have discussing the issue with you. Your arguments are unintelligent.
C. See my previous posts. But, since you don't need a union - never mind.
D. "Many people intentionally err"........ you are whacked. The vast majority of professional nurses are responsible. The occasional criminal who harms patients does not represent the profession of nursing. To infer that they do does a disservice to nursing.
Obviously, it is impossible to engage in an intelligent conversation with you. Believe what you want.
I didn't ask any of them to discuss anything with me..I want them to come here and tell me why a union is great.
You finally get it.. I don't need a union.. And I believe many others don't.
How do you know how many err if a union doesn't bother to worry about medication errors??
I will believe what I want always have always will
You did look at my post referring to patient abandonment didn't you???????
"Refusal to work additional hours or shifts is NOT considered abandonment by the Board of Registered Nursing"
Per the CNA.. BTW how many nurses are there in Cali.. CNA represents 56,000.
WR,,, three commas for Becca
Actually, I believe travel nurses have done much for wages, and conditions in many areas of nursing. Many hospitals have stopped using travel nurses, increasing wages and hiring regular staff.. The nurses, techs, and secretary at the dialysis unit I am currently working in are all getting raises because I was there. The company doesn't want to have to hire another travel nurse. And I tell them to check out travel nurse sites to see what we are making and it gives them motivation. And a nice perk for them is that they don't have to pay dues for my help.
As a traveler - you have absolutely no authority nor expertise regarding collective bargaining in nursing. Since travelers arrange their own contracts and are not necessarily "invested" at any one institution, there is no need for collective bargaining. Your posts on this issue are simply a waste of cyberspace - and your arguments not to be taken seriously. I, on the other hand, work for a hospital. I have worked here for 6 1/2 years. I have a vested interest in the welfare of this institution and the economic and general welfare of nurses at this institution.
As far as travelers are concerned. There is a push by our institution to cut the number of travelers used. We have already reduced our numbers significantly. We do not ever use agency staff. Our focus is on recruitment and retention. Through collective bargaining, we have obtained one of the best (if not the best) compensation and benefit packages in the area. Travelers had nothing to do with it.
Please refrain from posting discussions on this topic since you aren't qualified to address the issue and your rants are getting more and more ridiculous.
Regarding patient abandonment. I'm not sure how the California Board of Nursing defines abandonment, but the Washington State Nursing Commission Policy Statement on Patient Abandonment reads as follows: "A licensed nurse-patient relationship begins when a nurse accepts the assignment for patient care. Patient abandonment occurs when the nurse leaves the nursing assignment without transferring patient care and giving specific patient information to an appropriate care giver." So.... if something precluded you from getting an appropriate relief - in this state anyway - you cannot simply leave your patients. It would be patient abandonment.
When you own this site then you may ask me to refrain from posting here..I don't need to go to the sun to know it's hot..
I don't even work in a hospital as a traveler so your reasoning is flawed.. I haven't work as a staff nurse since 2000...
And at the end of 12 hours I would transfer my patient to the supervisior of the hospital...
Besides how does your union get around this..
I have worked union and I have worked with union nurses so I believe I have a knowledge of union..
Almost every hospital in this country that has used travelers have tried to go without them and it doesn't last long..As for agency ...Yes, many hospitals have abandoned them because too many of their regular staff have gone to them.
When you price yourselves right out of the market and to foreign nurses please let the rest of us know ..Especially me.... I would love to tell you I told you so..
LOL. You are a trip. All nurses in the Seattle area who work in hospitals are represented by collective bargaining. ALL. Get it..... ALL. We haven't priced ourselves out of the market. We ALL make a lot more than our counterparts in historically anti-union states. We're also protected from those isolated managers who'd fire you in a heartbeat because they "don't like your attitude." If you move to the Seattle area and work for one of the many hospitals here... you WILL be represented by collective bargaining. Do you have to join the union? Some places require you to either join the union or pay an agency fee (the amount equal to the costs to represent and negotiate your contract). Some don't. Some nurses are represented by their professional organization, some are represented by other "unions." Regardless, nurses have achieved much since they instituted collective bargaining.
If anyone wants more coherent information please contact me.
XYpicuRN
Nursing power through collective strength!
Haven't is past tense isn't it??? I said when you .....
Are you making $35/hour.. So I do have to pay even if I don't want to be represented by the union..I'm being forced to be in your group to work in that hospital.
You have still failed to tell us where you work.. If it's so great and you want to recruit nurses and retain them..Why won't you tell us??? Also, I'd like to check out how many openings there are there.. One of the premier travel nurse companies is based in Seattle and they staff Seattle hospitals..Ironic isn't that.
And you forgot to tell us if all the nurses have to strike when the union votes to strike?
You can explain your cohernet information here.. Why not??
wow what to jump into here.
I work full time in a non union hopsital and I see no need for it here. I've gotten a raise every year I've been at this hospital based on performance and I think I've gotten fair performance reviews from several different supervisors. I'm also not a wallflower that sits and keeps my mouth shut about things either and I've not been "written up" for silly things. My hospital also pays better then others in the area and has high retention rate without unions.
The only employees I've seen fired should have been fired long before they were for absences or drug abuse but there is a process they have to go through to get fired.
I worked in a union factory for 9 years before nursing and yep we got that raise every year for the 3 yr contract but it was the same for everyone no matter what the performance was just the job classification. People didn't lose their jobs even when they were worthless as tits on boars. About the only time they did lose their job was when they didn't show up.
I think I've said before someplace that there was a time in this country for unions but I think that time has come and gone with the worldwide market that there is now.
The only time the union helped me was when I was 1 minute late and I was going to get 1/2 a bad girl point (you got 1/2 for 1 minute to 2 hours late or 1 pt for more then that or the 1/2 if you left 2 hours to 1 minute early)At the time I was doing 7 days a week 12 hours a day (mandatory overtime). I was stopped by a train so I said fine I'll go home and load the dishwasher. (needed to get more done at home then money with all that overtime)I came back before the 2 hours was up and went to the office (bad girl) told you can't do that. Yes I can it's my "point" if they give them out without exception I can do what I want on my time. I got sent home told I should be written up for poor quality work...what I wasn't working..yes if you weren't here doing quality work then it's poor quality...OK if you say so. Then got 2 more days off "without" pay. Well I did have the union so I ended up getting paid for all days and only ended up with my 1/2 point and I got things done at home. I still paid my monthly dues (automatic deduction) which went up with any raises.
I guess with nursing the hospitals maybe can't pull what they do with factories and say if you don't take this contract that we offer we'll take business to Mexico and scare everyone into signing a crappy contract. Nurses are similar to teachers who keep working without a contract so what real good does the contract do?
True they may not be able to bring the hospital to Mexico but they can bring the Mexican nurses to the hospital.
Watched a good show on MSNBC last night about St. Joe's in Phoenix.. One statement ( I don't know how true it is) was made that more nurses are leaving nursing than entering it.
And the biggest theme throughtout the piece was the nursing shortage. I never heard the word union mentioned. The two nurses featured stated often that people didn't realize what nurses do.. I don't believe a union can do that or needs to.. Nurses need to do it individually.
I agree with "Enthusiast".... Unions have traditionally been good for the working underdog. In today's economy and social mindset, for-profit hospitals are just that. It seems the only reason "Good Patient Care" comes into play is for a return profit. Hospitals are a business, in business to make a profit.
If nurses want to return to the art of good patient care, we need a strong unified voice to get the attention of Administration, and change the face of modern nursing in America.
I was represented by a union when I worked at a hospital in Maine. I found it to be mostly beneficial. We had a pretty straight-forward contract which outlined what could be sticky situations in non-union facilities. Job promotions, the awarding of positions, mandatory OT, floating to other units, representation at meetings by stewards at the nurse's request, and salary were just a few of the issues that were pretty well spelled-out for the employees as well as the administration.
I'm not sure if unions are the way to go, but I do strongly believe that nurses should stick together better than they have been. If we stuck together, we wouldn't have the high patient/low nurse ratio that we are dealing with now.
What a bunch of BS. If every nurses voted with their feet instead of having the guts and integrity to change the things that aren't right, there wouldn't be a hopital your "Big Girl" self would want to work in. Everyone knows it is always easier for people to walk out than stay and fight. You are just reaping the benefits of someone else's fight.Nursing unions have just about nothing in common with factory unions. The leadership is elected and their main purpose is to advocate for the nurses. Maybe some of you are willing to stand-up for yourselves, (and I fear it is in a very uneducated way), but some nurses are not able to do this and I will do it for them. As for collecting dues- I do not get a penny of the dues. However the membership reaps rewards from our coffers. We had an awesome Halloween party and are planning a Christmas party for our kids too. Don't judge unless you know what you are talking about. Perhaps the manufacturing jobs that are leaving, is not because of the unions, but because of President Bush's tax incentive to outsource work. Our union facility sets the wage scale or the entire city. Nurses who do not pay dues also reap the benefits of our contract. The UAN is doing wonderful things for our work environment- but since many of you don't beleive in unions, and would rather walk than fight, I hope you will also turn down any improvements organized labor brings your way.
I work in a LTC facility and this week our facility is being surveyed by the state department of public health. Also this week I had a massive migraine (probably due to the stress of having these people stare at my every move for hours). I had to call in sick to work that day because my migraines limit my vision and reading a MAR is nearly impossible- definitely not safe. Anyway, the ADON called me back and told me that regardless of if I was ill or not I would have to come into work anyway because the state surveyors are there. With the implied threat of losing my job if I didn't come in. I didn't go in,but if I would have went in to work that night I could have easily made a serious med error by reading the MAR incorrectly and that would be MY license on the line. I would rather lose my job than lose my license. But that's the downside of not having a union. My employment can be terminated for any reason just or unjust and there isn't anything that I can do about it. I even had a doctor's excuse stating I could not work that evening but they reserve the right to disregard Dr's excuses. Anyone know of any available positions in West Central Illinois.
I must echo the posts of Andrew Lopez RN and janilcurn. Comparing factory unions and the nurse union is like comparing apples to oranges, if not worse.
The nurse union works and benefits us all. I saw it in action when I was in California. Now that I am back in Texas, I wonder what its going to take to wake up all the nurses here.
I am in a major city hospital where staffing is at a critical low. It is nothing for me to have 8 to 10 patients at a time. And no, there is no LVN to share the load with me. Administration cares only about the bottom line, not the frontline!
To add insult to injury, administration is now implementing a new dress code that will have all RNs and LVNs dressed alike. They say it is to differentiate the nursing staff from everyone else. I say BS!!!! They are doing it as a ploy to make the patients think that all nurses are RNs. They plan to add more and more to our patient load and give us an LVN to manage what another RN should be carrying! To hell with patient safety! Needless to say, this crap wouldn't - couldn't happen if we had a union!
As an appropriate and dignified form of protest, we RNs are planning to sew an RN patch on our left shoulder. At present the new dress code does not prohibit this. I'm willing to bet administration will quickly amend the dress code to ban patches.
When administration first informed us all by email that this new dress code is going into effect, they also stated that we would all conform immediately or be fired. And people wonder why there is a nursing shortage???? They also implied that if we didn't like it, we could leave. Well, by golly, if we had a union they wouldn't have the nerve to be so bold.
If there is a union organizer reading this, please contact me!
Interesting. You have never worked as an employee in a union hospital and never belonged to a union. So how can you say that you know if they are good or bad. I have done both. I've walked a picket line (twice) and I've been a major part of organizing another hospital. The same hospital I worked at for 14 years without a union. The differences are amazing. They can no longer just let me go when they want. I had 20 years experience with the same hospital system and I hadn't gotten a raise 2-3 years as I had "hit the top of the pay scale". So I only got one if they changed the pay scale..and then I would have to wait until my next anniversary date. So if I was evaluated on the 1st of January...and they didn't change the payscale until 2 weeks later..I would have to wait for another year to get it.
Besides...Money may be what the hospitals say it is all about..sure it's a tangible thing to see and touch.. but that is NOT what makes nurse unionize. It is the lack of respect for what we do and how we do our jobs that motivates nurse to unionize. In a city where the other two system hospitals had been unionized for years we voted a union down 3-4 times. Until they started treating us different then they treated them. We were doing the same job in the same city...and valued less...meaning nursing input on equipment decisions..nursing input on scheduling, staffing ratios, inservices for new equipment, educational days..paid educational offerings..the same health benefits as our sister hospitals. Sure, I could have voted with my feet. but after 14 years I did not want to leave and I wanted to make sure that this hospital stayed the place I had loved to work at for years. I saw new nurses being hired at more then veterans of 12-13 years were making. All because of the "merit pay" system we had. Nurses who had 35 years experience sometimes made less then nurses who had been a nurse for 10. It all depended on your manager and how hell bent she was on saving the almighty dollar. ALot more good things then money came out of this...but money also was something important to us. We deserve to get paid a wage that compensates us for our experience and knowledge. Now not all nurses agreed. Some left...Most stayed. But the vote for a union was 3-1 for it. And it only took about 3 months to get that vote passed. Took two years to get a contract...which is an interesting process in itself.
I now work for another system that is non-union. As long as they treat me with the respect I am due I will be happy. If not..well, we will see.
My opinion only
I don't WANT unions in nursing. I want nurses to be treated as professionals. Supposedly, nurses with BSNs would be treated as professionals. I don't think professionals should have to punch a time clock. Most nurses with any degree still must punch time clocks.
I don't think nurses of any kind should be treated as subordinates. Nurses are advocates. The purpose of the nurse is to protect and promote the welfare of her/his patient while simultaneously promoting and advocating the medical stance of the physician to the patient and her/his family; carrying out orders with discretion.
As a nurse, I ask for a living wage, not riches accorded to physicians. I ask for dignity.
I loathe the idea of unions in nursing but I do know that a united front could be persuasive.
How can nurses of all kinds and all licensure achieve unity?
Okay, well then here is the thing.....
Maybe you should vote with your head. Do you think saying no and leaving at the end of your shift or leaving your facility for another place of employment is really going to "show them?" Who are the movers and shakers in this "new" generation of nursing. Let's see you have the babyboomers who gave their seats up when the doctors came to the nursing divisions, the nurses who are there just to do the work, not to rock the boat, and those who are frustrated with the state of nursing and are grandstanding in nursing forums such as this. Lobby, vote, participate, write your senators and network. At least nurses who join unions [for the most part] are joining because they want to do something, and they want to see change. Nursing is notoriously known and laughed at for eating their own, let's blame it on the staffing nurses, let's blame it on the administrators, let's blame it on the nurse managers....
Lets face it, we all contribute to the state of our profession, if it isn't the way we want it, we should do something about it and stop whining. Be pro-active, its the future of nursing,,,.
Here is my opinion Unions do charge Union dues and it is a profitable organization in that respect. Some of the issues that affect nurses such as Discrimination, pay, etc. are covered by state and federal laws and can be enforced through government agencies and attorneys. I feel it is the most effective bargaining tool available to nurses in respect to the day to day issues that they must deal with. I had an issue years ago with an employer and I felt so supported when the Union supplied me with an attorney. I am PRO Union myself.
Boy, reading this brings back memories. I worked in a nursing home where the administrater was out to get me because of demanding supplies for the patients, my mouth has gotten me into quite a few jams, but any way this administrater decided he was getting rid of me gave me a 3 day suspension for being 3 minutes late. I marched into his office and threw the paper on the desk said something and left. I didn't know he was talking to a state inspector at the time. any way I called the union rep. and he kept my job for me. when I went back after the 3 days he called me into his office and said " My sources told me you weren't coming back" My reply " I guess your sources were wrong" This was also the same place where a nurse wrote a Kwell order to be applied BID x 7 days and another nurse got mad at me for calling the doctor to treat stage IV dcubes on a pt. and you are right they will fire you if you put up a stink or make life so miserable that you are forced to leave. I was a fairly new LPN at that time. If there wasn't a union there I would have been fired on the spot.
That is putting it mildly. But, things are some what better than those days. I still feel like I have to battle all the time for pt. rights when I work in long term care. Then I get some nurses doing things just to aggravate me or to see if I am going to report them. I spend more time defending myself and the pts. and this is such a waste of time. One time I went to check on a pt that slipped out of her wheel chair, she was not hurt, alert, moving all extremities, no blood, no c/o pain, so I asked an aide to help me to put her back in the wheel chair. The LPN came and started yelling "you didn't check her" and then ran off to report me. Do they not teach nurses that the assessment starts with observation? Why would you leave an elderly person on the cold, hard floor for no reason? am I missing something here?
Nurses by nature love to pick apart and put down other nurses. Nature of the beast.
I'd check the policy and procedure manual if your facility has one.
To be fair to the LPN, if the patient had been injured (a confused patient may not be able to voice c/o pain) you can do a lot more damage getting them up.
A physical assessment of the extremities and trunk as well as basic neuros is the standard of care in most states.
[ QUOTE ] nursinghumor said:
Nurses by nature love to pick apart and put down other nurses. Nature of the beast.
I'd check the policy and procedure manual if your facility has one.
To be fair to the LPN, if the patient had been injured (a confused patient may not be able to voice c/o pain) you can do a lot more damage getting them up.
A physical assessment of the extremities and trunk as well as basic neuros is the standard of care in most states.
[/ QUOTE ]
I think you missed my point, I said leaving them on the floor for no reason once you have determined that they were not hurt that is, I have worked in LTC for many years and have never missed an obviouse injury, in fact I have discovered fx hips when even the x-ray showed an old healing fx and doc ordered therapy ( no one listened until the fx became displaced)or I went to work to find a pt.had fallen at 10am and at 3pm had an elevated temp and knee pain and no x-ray done yet. Ya never hear any one say anything about those times or does any one ever go running to the DON with the good things ya do like saving a kids life or recognizing that a pt really isn't faking the seisures that were occuring every few minutes since 10 am and it is now 3:30 pm. oh well like you said nurses like to find fault. are you one of those nurses I know I'm not.
addendum to the above: putting a pt back in a wheel chair without wt. bearing is possible if there are no signs of a fx and even if you suspect there is you can still safely put them into bed if you know how.
[ QUOTE ] lam said:
I think you missed my point, I said leaving them on the floor for no reason once you have determined that they were not hurt that is, I have worked in LTC for many years and have never missed an obviouse injury
[/ QUOTE ]
When you say "you have determined that they were not hurt" does that mean you physically assessed the patient before returning them to bed?
From the LPN's reaction you described, it sounded like you didn't. And if not, then my statement still stands, it was wrong to move them.
There is no point "to miss" in that situation.
Does it sound like I'm one "who likes to find fault?" Well, yes if there are obvious flaws in the way a nurse practices that can cause harm to a patient.
[ QUOTE ] lam said:
That is putting it mildly. But, things are some what better than those days. I still feel like I have to battle all the time for pt. rights when I work in long term care. Then I get some nurses doing things just to aggravate me or to see if I am going to report them. I spend more time defending myself and the pts. and this is such a waste of time. One time I went to check on a pt that slipped out of her wheel chair, she was not hurt, alert, moving all extremities, no blood, no c/o pain, so I asked an aide to help me to put her back in the wheel chair. The LPN came and started yelling "you didn't check her" and then ran off to report me. Do they not teach nurses that the assessment starts with observation? Why would you leave an elderly person on the cold, hard floor for no reason? am I missing something here?
[/ QUOTE ]so sorry thought that was clear in the statement "she was not hurt, alert, moving all extremeties, no blood, no c/o pain" policy is that you would still observe for injuries that may not appear at the time but, that is a nursing judgment call, I made the assessment that she was not hurt period and then to move her. My point was not my ability to assess a pt but was the need to keep explaining my actions or my competence. If this LPN thought this she should have just asked me about it after all I was the RN and I am perfectly able to function as such and I welcome questions from any one if they do not understand something but I get a little tired of taking the time out to explain my actions at inapropriate times. I know where she was coming from I was once an LPN also if I had a problem with an RN I either discussed it with her or talked to her seperately. and I went to school to get the knowledge needed to function in that capacity. When I was an LPN I saw what some LPN's do to the RN deliberately. Not all LPN's just a few. It is better referred to as Harrassment and they pose a big liability for companies.
I think unions can be a wonderfull thing if people support it and are willing to attend mtgs voice opions and vote for a good representative. The union I'm in is made up of both RN's and LPN's those that belong benifit greatly from it and belive me we pay for it but at least it provides some job security allows us a say in what benifts we want and work conditions we tolerate...however unions don't make employers respect us more and sometimes people think because your in a union- its just a money issues. I've worked non-union places and I perfer to be unionized even if I have to pay a bit for it.
I think a downfall to being union is often the employer will look for loop-holes in contracts, I swear some of them know it better then the union members but this being said any loop-holes found can be changed the next time you enter negotiations. Unions are really only as good and united as their members and not all unions are created equally.
****o cchadwi.
I have been a member of the University of Michigan Prefessional Nurse Council since I became a staff nurse in 1991. We are represent 3500 RN's.
I came from a non represented hospital and work with many nurses who also have come here. Membership in this professional council is far and above the best representation that registered nurses can have. Through the mutual gains bargaining process we have virtually eliminatined mandatory overtime as a remedy for understaffing. We've gained rights to have 70% of our personal time off without question. Registered nurses across the country must realize the power that they have by bargaining for their rights and in turn the safety of their patients. Its difficult at first and we have evolved and continue to evolve our processes. What we have gained for all of our RN's is far greater than what one nurse can do alone. I don't feel the need to "vote with my feet" any longer. I have avenues where my views can be heard and my vote counted. We elect our officers and area representatives from our nursing ranks and they include, CRNA's, NP's, new grads and senior nurses from every area of practice, both outpatient and inpatient, adult and pediatric units.
The University of Michigan and the UMPNC have agreed to use the mutual gains bargaining process for problem solving in areas that could result in the discipline of an RN. These accomplishements weren't reached without struggle and committment by the nurses who went on strike to have a contract that was fair and represented the best for the RN's at the hospital in the late 1980's. We are affiliated with the ANA, American Nurses Association, and that's a great place to start if you want to know what organizations represent the professional nurse . I believe that a professional representative group can do much to promote our work as Registered Nurses. I urge you to become a member of the ANA even if you don't work in an area where you have representation, its a start.
Thanks,
GBF :)
I Believe a union, like any system of Organization if used correctly can bring about powerful change. As Nurses we do not have to worry about our jobs going out of the country. I am currently working with a union to bring about safer nurse to patient ratios in my state. The hospital that I work at is notorious for understaffing. Nurses are often in the position of choosing between their lunch times and finishing on time.The California Nurses Association (CNA) and their sister organization the National Nurses Oraganization Committee (NNOC) seem like they have a direction for helping frontline nurses. If you ever get into a union and you feel that that union is not serving the purpose of the worker you should first try and make changes within the union and then if that is not succesful,replace the union with one that shares the ideas of the people that they service.Nurses make up the largest population of healthcare force in our country and with that power comes a great responsibility as a driver of healthcare to promote better working conditions,salary and most importantly better patient care for all people. If you are not in a facility that has a union and you feel that you are being taken advantage of by your hospital or facility. Do research and find out who can help you to negotiate a fair contract, invite them to talk to nurses who feel the same. Learn the laws and know that federal law supercedes hospital policies.It's scary to be so agressive, at first but remember we are facing a shortage like none other and we deserve to be respected for what we contribute.WE ARE NO LONGER HANDMAIDENS OR MEDICALLY SUBSERVIENT. Nurses are independent healthcare practitioners, we don't have to take business people trying to use that smiley face stores model of business and apply it to healthcare.
I have some questions for you to think about. Perhaps you have experienced some of these situations. If not, consider yourself very lucky.
1. Has your shift ever been cancelled?
2. Has your rotation been changed by your manager within a 3 month time period without your consent?
3. Has your day off been changed without your consent?
4. Have your sick days ever been questioned?
5. Have you ever been made to work overtime?
6. Have you ever had to work alone?
7. Have you ever felt powerless against a harrassing boss or felt bullied?
8. Have you ever been looked over for a position which you truly believed you were the right candidate?
9. Have you ever been concerned about your safety or the safety of patients on your unit?
10. Have you ever had to look after too many patients which meant compromising care for others, or putting you in a potential litigious position?
If you have answered yes to any of these questions, your Nursing Union could have and would have helped.
And No, I am not a Union organizer. I don't even belong to the Union anymore, as my management position is out of scope, but I sure value the work the union does for its members, and saw the difference when I was a member. Union dues are not significant. The benefits outway the costs 10:1 easily.
The reason we don't have nurse's unions in hospitals is the same reason we don't have socialized medical care: Greed. The citizens of this nation love their money too much and they don't want to pay taxes, union dues, whatever. (I know, the richest 1% own everything, so how can you blame the other ones who don't have any money for trying to hold onto it?) Easy: The reason we put up with the richest 1% constantly f*@king us is that we're too busy trying in vain to join them...
FrIgHtNiGhT wrote:The reason we don't have nurse's unions in hospitals is the same reason we don't have socialized medical care: Greed. The citizens of this nation love their money too much and they don't want to pay taxes, union dues, whatever. (I know, the richest 1% own everything, so how can you blame the other ones who don't have any money for trying to hold onto it?) Easy: The reason we put up with the richest 1% constantly f*@king us is that we're too busy trying in vain to join them...
Be advised; I hope you can find happiness in your nursing path, but I'm growing weary of your unhappy demeanor here on UltimateNurse Forums. Aaron, aka shortbus is the Admin & I'm just one of his Mods. However, I strongly encourage you to use the Rubber Room Forum to vent off some steam, rather than here, or in the general discussion forums.
FYI; Some states [for example CA, WA] do have Unions that nurses may join. ;)
if I would have went in to work that night I could have easily made a serious med error by reading the MAR incorrectly and that would be MY license on the line. I would rather lose my job than lose my license. But that's the downside of not having a union. My employment can be terminated for any reason just or unjust and there isn't anything that I can do about it. I even had a doctor's excuse stating I could not work that evening but they reserve the right to disregard Dr's excuses. Anyone know of any available positions in West Central Illinois.