Re: Happy News!!!

I read it anyway! I went into administration because I felt that as an  
individual clinician I could only make a difference for the patients I  
cared for individually, or for those cared for by those few nurses who  
observed and modeled their care after mine. As an administrator, I  
felt that by being an advocate for my staff, making working conditions  
better, monitoring the care given, and setting standards, I could  
influence the quality of care given to many more patients.  My  
observation of care in our local hospital (as a volunteer, and once as  
a patient) tells me that hospital administration is far more  
interested in putting money into high tech equipment than care givers.  
I imagine I would be very frustrated there as a nursing administrator!  
Have a lot of ambivalence regarding unionization. Generally, I think  
hospitals have very little expertise in negotiation, and my own  
feeling is that a well negotiated union contract can make an  
administrator's life easier: the union enforces it! My concern about  
unions is that by their nature, and regardless of rhetoric, they are  
focused on their membership, and not on patient welfare. (Just as  
teachers unions are not focused on whether students are actually  
learning.)

Cathy, west central IL, z5b

On Mar 23, 2008, at 12:01 PM, Melody wrote:

> Okay:  any administrators on the list, should skip this message...
>
>
> Well, therein lies the problem in not working in a unionized
> hospital...no job protection at all. I am unbelievably happy that our
> healthcare professionals unionized five years ago. Our working lives  
> are
>  much better...and I believe that happy and healthy nurses mean
> happier and healthier patients. Patient satisfaction rates have
> increased dramatically in our hospital but of course, the  
> administration
> thinks that has more to do with other factors than nurse satisfaction.
> Hmmm....
>
>
> After my brother died in December, I was just wrecked. There was no  
> way
> I could have worked...it was all I could do to get out of bed and I
> spent hours every day crying over the least little thing. No way  
> could I
> have gone to work and given all of myself emotionally to patients  
> who so
> desperately need that. I had nothing left to give. Thanks to our  
> union,
> we have a catastrophic leave program, so I could take a month or more
> off and my job was safe. Simple as going to the doctor and getting a
> note that my situation qualified for cat. leave...
>
>
> Well, that is the end of my soapbox...sorry!
>
> Administrators can resume reading.  :-)
>
>
> Blessings in Christ's mercy,
>
> Melody

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