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Seriously, the pay quoted in this thread - salaries upward or 70K - are for RNs with at least 4 year degrees, and usually they have additional specialized certifications. As a previous poster mentioned, many hospitals are phasing out using RNs with diplomas or associates degrees. And these nurses salaries are much lower. FWIW, all the highly rated hospitals I've worked at do not hire nurses without 4year degrees - and if there are nurses there with associate degrees they usually have worked there a long, long time.
I would never complain that nurses don't make enough money especially in NJ! We work are asses off and are usually well compensated for it. I do complain the sometimes the conditions really suck - I don't think I have ever sat down and had lunch in my 10 years in the field, 12 hour shifts that turn into 14 hour ones. Like other professions there are easy jobs and hard ones within the field. The stinker for me has always been the holiday and weekend requirement that comes with most positions. But eh, I chose this profession.
As a nurse who has worked both union and non-union jobs, I would say the 'blame' should be placed on the (probably inept) union leaders. My guess is that many of those nurses walking the picket line would much rather keep things as they are and go back to work. The job market for nurses in NJ is saturated and there are many nurses (because of hospital closings, etc.) who would be happy to take their jobs if they don't want them.
The union leaders are crazy to make demands for pay increases considering the current economy. Not a day goes by that we don't read about another hospital in financial trouble. Yes nurses work hard but we are also well paid.
Agency nurses are not 'scabs'. Also, all nurses are not unionized as in some professions. If this union chooses to strike then you can't blame the agency nurses for going in to make some money. I'm sure they are very well qualified and can adapt to the situation without alot of training.
As a nurse who has worked both union and non-union jobs, I would say the 'blame' should be placed on the (probably inept) union leaders. My guess is that many of those nurses walking the picket line would much rather keep things as they are and go back to work. The job market for nurses in NJ is saturated and there are many nurses (because of hospital closings, etc.) who would be happy to take their jobs if they don't want them.
The union leaders are crazy to make demands for pay increases considering the current economy. Not a day goes by that we don't read about another hospital in financial trouble. Yes nurses work hard but we are also well paid.
Agency nurses are not 'scabs'. Also, all nurses are not unionized as in some professions. If this union chooses to strike then you can't blame the agency nurses for going in to make some money. I'm sure they are very well qualified and can adapt to the situation without alot of training.
For the record: The nurses DID NOT strike. They were locked out by the hospital.
The nursing program is 2 years. The prerequisites usually take 2 years. Nursing is an oddity in education, in that even with an associate's degree, you still have about 4 years' schooling. If you attend a 4 yr university, you end up with a bachelor's degree. If you attend a 2 yr college, you end up with an associate's degree, plus become a graduate of a two-year school of nursing (can be the same college).
Confusing? Yeah, it is. And unfortunate, in the sense that more towns have 2 yr. colleges than 4 yr; so many nurses take that program, but don't end up with the BSN degree, just an ASN. I don't know of any diploma programs out there anymore.
I hold a bachelor's degree unrelated to nursing; and used a lot of the pre-reqs to go back for my nursing. It still took me a year to complete the requirements to enter the nursing program.
Well wait a minute your beef with the replacement staff is that their incentive is money don't you work for money too?
That's a great point. Don't we all work for money? I don't have any idea how our bills/house/ cars, etc. would get paid if not for the money we work for.
Some people just have to complain about something.
I am a travel nurse. Travel nurses (who also work as replacement nurses) are highly qualified and experienced nurses. Some are the best in the land. They have decided after years of working in a hospital to use that talent and experience to be able to go other places.
Travel nurses must spend a lot of time, money and effort to become qualified to work for an agency. Agencies are extremely picky, and the hospitals that use agency nurses have strenous requirements; more so than if a nurse just hired on locally.
We have to maintain numerous state licenses; go through FBI background checks and fingerprinting; drug screens, and continous skills checklists and testing. We have to be highly adaptable, and get along with people.
Yes, we make good money. But often, we do not work year-round, so the money we earn has to stretch, and usually isn't any more than a person would make in a 'regular' job.
Nursing is highly stressful no matter where or how you work. But it galled me to read on here that we don't care about our patients, and are 'non-experienced' because that is simply a flat-out lie, and ignorant of the facts.
Strikes are stressfull on everyone; it throws the hospital into mayhem. With very little orientation, we have to come in and hit the floor running. We love meeting new people in the hospitals, and seeing a new place. We are pleasant, and work hard to help the patients feel safe and comfortable.
By the way, 'scab' is a term to denote a union member employee that crosses the picket line to work. We do not fit that description.
Thanks for reading; I hope those that didn't know or understand what replacement nurses really were, will have a better understanding now. We come from all across the country; leaving our families to care for the patients that would have no one to care for them otherwise, which is tantamount to patient abandonment. And THAT is a crime.
There's always someone complaining about something.
I give you alot of credit for doing the work that you do (traveling nurse or contracted nurse). You have a very hard job and we need you "all".
I wish that people would just fight for a cause without bringing others down. Why put down traveling nurses- that's there job and they still need to be appreciated. The people they should have a problem with is the people who run these hospitals.
As a teacher, I'm used to reading this anytime the teaching profession is in the news. Instead of appreciating the teachers and all they do for their kids, they can't wait to put us down. And yes, we also do it for the pay, because like everyone else, we have things to pay.
That's a great point. Don't we all work for money? I don't have any idea how our bills/house/ cars, etc. would get paid if not for the money we work for.
Some people just have to complain about something.
Yeah, you need to go back through this thread and read ALL of my posts, not just select this one particular comment made in response to my post, thankyouverymuchhaveaniceday,
Love,
Your favorite RN (who just LOVES to complain , daughter, sister, sister-in-law, and ex-wife of teachers, no I have NEVER complained about their salaries)
The nursing program is 2 years. The prerequisites usually take 2 years. Nursing is an oddity in education, in that even with an associate's degree, you still have about 4 years' schooling. If you attend a 4 yr university, you end up with a bachelor's degree. If you attend a 2 yr college, you end up with an associate's degree, plus become a graduate of a two-year school of nursing (can be the same college).
Confusing? Yeah, it is. And unfortunate, in the sense that more towns have 2 yr. colleges than 4 yr; so many nurses take that program, but don't end up with the BSN degree, just an ASN. I don't know of any diploma programs out there anymore.
I hold a bachelor's degree unrelated to nursing; and used a lot of the pre-reqs to go back for my nursing. It still took me a year to complete the requirements to enter the nursing program.
Your favorite RN (who just LOVES to complain , daughter, sister, sister-in-law, and ex-wife of teachers, no I have NEVER complained about their salaries)
i complain about every government worker's salaries. my tax dollars should be spent on nothing but the very worst.
There's always someone complaining about something.
I give you alot of credit for doing the work that you do (traveling nurse or contracted nurse). You have a very hard job and we need you "all".
I wish that people would just fight for a cause without bringing others down. Why put down traveling nurses- that's there job and they still need to be appreciated. The people they should have a problem with is the people who run these hospitals.
As a teacher, I'm used to reading this anytime the teaching profession is in the news. Instead of appreciating the teachers and all they do for their kids, they can't wait to put us down. And yes, we also do it for the pay, because like everyone else, we have things to pay.
Thank you, MMTeacher; I especially appreciate your point of 'fighting for a cause without bringing others down.' I guess I am naive, because I figured the striking / locked out nurses would be glad we're going in to take care of their patient, so they COULD strike, or whatever. They have to know they can't walk out of a hospital without someone to take their patient load.
Incidentally, they are whining about being locked out, but they (the union) missed their deadline to notify the hospital. They knew they'd be locked out if they missed it - so they had to make a conscious choice to do that. Then they cry foul.
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, daughter, sister, sister-in-law, and ex-wife of teachers, no I have NEVER complained about their salaries)
