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Friday, January 13, 2012

I love unions

You know what I am damn tired of? Nurses bashing unions. Specifically nursing unions. Here's my advice: If you don't like unions, go work in a non union hospital. They exist in every city. You can move to a non union, right to work state. Good luck with that.

Nurses in this country fought long and hard to get the wages and benefits that we all earn. Nursing contracts set precedents for non union nurses wages. In other words all nurses reap the benefits of union contracts, its just that some don't pay the dues.

Shut up. I hear all of you anti-union people yelling unions promote mediocrity, blah blah blah. Do you honestly think that there wouldn't be a certain amount of mediocre nurses even if there weren't unions? Its part of the workplace sweetheart. They exist in every job, whether there is a union or not.

Shut up again. People can be fired who work in union hospitals, the difference being there is a STEP process to it in which the employer has to prove a reason for firing. To those of you who think that you couldn't be fired at the drop of a hat just because they don't like you in a non union hospital, you are a fool.

I will never understand why nurses don't support things that better us. We would rather whine about bad conditions than do something about it. The nurses who formed unions DID something about it. You reap the benefits of their work, so shut the hell up.

8 comments:

erda03@hotmail.com said...

You go girl. I'm looking for a new job because my nurse manager is trying to fire me. I make one of the highest salaries on the unit. I'm a CEN and a great resource for the new nurses on the unit. Eight months ago she fired a woman who worked there for 25 years. This woman's child, a HS senior had Hodgkins and was on her insurance. Real sweetheart. I'd vote for a union anytime, anyday. Next place I go will be a union hospital.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your post!! I too am a PROUD UNION ER RN!! My hospital has gone through many managers over the last few years and the current a$$holes "running the show" are trying to abolish our union. One of our best union reps (who has 30+ years at this fine establishment) was recently fired. Rumors of the why are flying around however we all know the reason...scare these damn union RN's!! (she's fighting her termonation of course with union backing her up)Lately ADO's are rampid, we are sorely shortstaffed, and the hospital has been so full we have been housing inpatients in the ED. Also many of the new hires are the yes DR...anything you say DR personalities. No PT advocating there and NO, the Doc's are not always right!! We the nursing staff push those drugs that are ordered, document our assessments, initiate trauma alerts, MI and CVA alerts etc...if something is overlooked, usually it is the RN's license on the line! (BTW, we also have a new DR group who have been writing up us "seasoned nurses" for speaking our mind!) Total bullshit!! WE have now resorted to making suggestions to Md opposite of we should do reguarding pt care knowing the Doc will order opposite of what we tell them. LOL For example I had a toddler with a temp, Me:" hey doc I'll give some Motrin", Doctor: "MMM wait give Ibuprofen 10 per kg" REALLY??!! Fucking REALLY??!! That kind of shit fries my ass!! One of those new Docs told me the other day "well I'm the one with the medical degree" when I suggested an additional test be done. We work hard and love what we do but our moral has hit rock bottom lately. Anyhow I've somehow managed to ramble here on your blog!! Really just wanted to say thank you!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your post!! I too am a PROUD UNION ER RN!! My hospital has gone through many managers over the last few years and the current a$$holes "running the show" are trying to abolish our union. One of our best union reps (who has 30+ years at this fine establishment) was recently fired. Rumors of the why are flying around however we all know the reason...scare these damn union RN's!! (she's fighting her termonation of course with union backing her up)Lately ADO's are rampid, we are sorely shortstaffed, and the hospital has been so full we have been housing inpatients in the ED. Also many of the new hires are the yes DR...anything you say DR personalities. No PT advocating there and NO, the Doc's are not always right!! We the nursing staff push those drugs that are ordered, document our assessments, initiate trauma alerts, MI and CVA alerts etc...if something is overlooked, usually it is the RN's license on the line! (BTW, we also have a new DR group who have been writing up us "seasoned nurses" for speaking our mind!) Total bullshit!! WE have now resorted to making suggestions to Md opposite of we should do reguarding pt care knowing the Doc will order opposite of what we tell them. LOL For example I had a toddler with a temp, Me:" hey doc I'll give some Motrin", Doctor: "MMM wait give Ibuprofen 10 per kg" REALLY??!! Fucking REALLY??!! That kind of shit fries my ass!! One of those new Docs told me the other day "well I'm the one with the medical degree" when I suggested an additional test be done. We work hard and love what we do but our moral has hit rock bottom lately. Anyhow I've somehow managed to ramble here on your blog!! Really just wanted to say thank you!

Anonymous said...

Amen! As a nurse working in a right to work state I would give anything to have the support of a union. Thanks to a bunch of idiots in this state who didn't understand right to work and what it truly meant but voted 'yes' to it anyway administrators in my fine hospital can walk in and fire a seasoned nurse at any moment. No reason required. No step process to be completed. Just because you didn't suck up to the right people. So to those who are blessed with a union...shut up and be thankful.

rnraquel said...

I wish we had a union to back us up. Right to work means right to fire any time for any reason whatsoever or for no reason at all!

EDNurseasauras said...

Totally agree. Man, I WISH the idiot catholic hospital I work for had a union. I have been a proud union organization catalyst at 3 former jobs. Hard work, but so worthwhile.

Anonymous said...

I got all excited at first cos I mis-read the title. Thought you said "I love unicorns". In my mind's eye, I saw unicorns with the triage nurse, cutting through the bull shit complaints and kicking drug seeker ass. Then I re-read the title. And got disappointed.

Unions are ok too, I guess.

Unknown said...

Well said, We are currently organizing at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in mission hills California. It is a tough road with so many ill informed RNs union bashing. We are sick of our working conditions and making the hospital big $$$$$ off our sweat and tears.