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re: Trigger Warning: UMC nurses in NO vote to unionize

Posted on 12/12/23 at 10:37 pm to
Posted by the808bass
The Lou
Member since Oct 2012
111803 posts
Posted on 12/12/23 at 10:37 pm to
Policy which doesn’t adapt to reality becomes a straitjacket. And if you weren’t crazy going in, you will be coming out.
Posted by LSUA 75
Colfax,La.
Member since Jan 2019
3739 posts
Posted on 12/12/23 at 11:11 pm to
“If those evil bureaucrats don’t want to hire nurses,why do they keep offering incentives to new hires.?”

Last 3 years I worked the hospital paid on sign-on bonuses to new hires-$6k first year,$7 k second year,$8k 3rd year.They got 1/2 up front,the rest at completion of a year.Then they put them through a 2 month orientation program and then they were in the unit with a preceptor.
Guess how many completed a year.1st year-1,2nd year -1,3rd year-1.
They were overwhelmed with the work load,some only lasted a week post having a preceptor.
Some of it was not the hospitals fault such as the large number of morbidly obese pts.
A lot of it was the hospitals fault such as being short of equipment,not having ancillary people to do EKG’s,draw blood for lab work and cultures,no longer having ward secretaries to take off orders and put them in the computer or answer phone.
As many Accuchecks (blood sugars) we did the unit could have kept a full time tech busy just checking bloood sugars.
It would also helped if they would have had a orderly or 2 to help turn pts and pull them up in bed.We did have that for quite a few years but they were eliminated with
the other ancillary personnel.

The last nurse I precepted broke my heart.She was something special-whip smart,eager to learn,polite,good rapport with pts.She was taking bypass pts.by the end of her 1st year which was unheard of.She could have been a super star.Big problem was she was only 5’1”,maybe weighed 100 lbs.She wanted to do the right thing such as turn her pts. every 2 hours,get them out of bed as appropriate but, she required a lot of help which was often difficult to get.Hospital didn’t see fit to supply us with assistive equipment or orderlies.

When she resigned I asked her why,she was very blunt-“I just don’t want to work this hard”.She went on to say how she saw the older nurses with sore backs,aching shoulders,etc.She just felt like she couldn’t handle it physically long term,she was right.
So she got the rest of her $8k and went to a dialysis center.

Before the next year was up I was gone also.
Posted by TJG210
New Orleans
Member since Aug 2006
28406 posts
Posted on 12/12/23 at 11:11 pm to
quote:

executive health" for the higher ups in administration. Thats some communist Animal Farm type bullshite.


You don’t know what the frick you’re talking about. “Executive Health” is open to anyone. Neither my spouse, nor I work for Ochsner, aren’t executives and we get our yearly physicals through that program due to our insurance.
Posted by dgnx6
Baton Rouge
Member since Feb 2006
69458 posts
Posted on 12/12/23 at 11:53 pm to
Will this change the disparities in care with poc patients?

Posted by bigblake
Member since Jun 2011
2502 posts
Posted on 12/13/23 at 3:38 am to
Unlike professional athletes or even their coaches, a CEOs value is very difficult to see from the outside. Everyone thinks they can be a CEO, and I guess that’s true if everyone else died and only they were left.

I was at a meeting where our COO talked, and I honestly thought I couldn’t have given the answers that they did. One rare instance where I could see the intelligence of the people at that level. Perhaps at a LA hospital that’s not true, but at big corporations it is.
This post was edited on 12/13/23 at 3:40 am
Posted by NC_Tigah
Carolinas
Member since Sep 2003
124723 posts
Posted on 12/13/23 at 4:26 am to
quote:

The problem is that apparently you think "quality" is synonymous with "market forces.”
Oooh boy, I missed this jewel yesterday.

Try this:
Discuss price-fixing in relation to free-market supply-demand theory.
Discuss disassociation of product quality and price from the demand equation in free markets.
Please do take your time.

You seem to imagine market forces at full-play in a scenario where the best and worst providers or facilities are reimbursed identically per encounter. You seem to imagine a system where Big Brother sets pricing based not on supply or demand, but rather on entity ownership or designation, as unfettered free market enterprise.

quote:

The problem is that apparently you think "quality" is synonymous with "market forces.”

No the problem is you really don’t understand what you are addressing. Quality and pricing are major free-market demand drivers.

Likewise, associated elements affect demand in a free market, such as:

• Consumer preferences - Free market consumers are willing to pay more for better quality. In the same vein, free market consumers pay less for lesser quality or for goods/services in oversupply. But those tendencies do not come into play in US Medicine. Reimbursement is uniform per encounter, regardless of quality.

• Income levels - Normally, market forces dictate higher income levels gravitate to higher quality, more expensive goods/services. Likewise, lower incomes tend to settle for less expensive issuances, or do without them altogether. Of course in terms of healthcare, we’d consider such premises conceptually repugnant. So, uniquely in healthcare, we do the best we can as a society to dampen income level as a market force.

• Prices of related goods - Normally demand for a product is influenced by the prices of complementary and substitute goods. But once again, that does not occur in US Medicine. Reimbursement is uniform.

Are you catching on?

Now then, can market principles still influence success, despite non-quality dependent price fixing? Sure. E.g., Facilities can run ads. Docs can open clinics in upscale appealing areas. Etc.

But to claim our healthcare system to be free-market, or wholly market-force dependent, conveys substantial ignorance as to the system, economics, or both

---

quote:

What was the point of the story about the CEO making decisions based on maximizing profits and killing people?

Well Einstein, the “point" was to address this:
quote:

Decisions being made by non-clinicians that affect patient care.
—-
Give me an example of this that doesn’t involve patient load.
So, the "point" was to provide an example of non-clinicians affecting patient care, aka killing people.

Ironically, the story had painfully little to with "maximizing profits." Nor was it an address, pro or con, of market forces, per se.

quote:

But go ahead, tell me that I'm the idiot.

Okay.
This post was edited on 12/13/23 at 4:41 am
Posted by NC_Tigah
Carolinas
Member since Sep 2003
124723 posts
Posted on 12/13/23 at 4:37 am to
quote:

a CEOs value is very difficult to see
In corporations outside healthcare, that simply is not true. E.g., Jamie Dimon (JP Morgan) strikes a vivid performance contrast with the likes of Brendan Whitworth (Budweiser) or even Bob Iger (Disney).

In terms of healthcare admins, trust me, those inside the system have little difficulty accurately assessing the "value" of CEOs. To be fair, I've worked with some good ones. But they certainly comprise a minority.
Posted by NC_Tigah
Carolinas
Member since Sep 2003
124723 posts
Posted on 12/13/23 at 4:54 am to
quote:

But you'll never have as much stress as an officer for a major company.

Odd conjecture. You asked me my experience in running a company, and I told you. You've asked the same of others here.

But at this point, as you seem dug in regarding the supposed stress of Hospital Administrators, it seems fair to ask what experience you have in running a company? (IIRC, 100+ employees was your criterion)

I'll also repost this:
quote:

USA TODAY
Sara Chernikoff and Natalie Neysa Alund
Mon, Dec 11, 2023


What are the top 10 most stressful jobs?

The Occupational Information Network, or O*NET, part of the U.S. Department or Labor, ranked 873 of the most stressful jobs in the nation. The rankings note the importance of accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations in each role.

These following 10 jobs require the most stress tolerance from employees:

1. Urologists

2. Film and video editors

3. Anesthesiologist assistants

4. Judges and magistrates

5. Phone operators

6. Acute care nurses

7. Obstetricians and gynecologists

8. Public safety telecommunicators

9. First-line supervisor of retail sales workers

10. Nurse anesthetists

FWIW, Hospital Admins didn't make the list
Posted by LSU alum wannabe
Katy, TX
Member since Jan 2004
27062 posts
Posted on 12/13/23 at 5:32 am to
quote:

Urologists


Number one?

I don’t get it? Of all the specialties. Saw this the other day and still scratching my head. I’m 99% positive you’re an MD. What say you?
Posted by NC_Tigah
Carolinas
Member since Sep 2003
124723 posts
Posted on 12/13/23 at 5:41 am to
quote:

I don’t get it? Of all the specialties.

What say you?
I chuckled, as did my son who's a urologist.
Posted by RogerTheShrubber
Juneau, AK
Member since Jan 2009
263484 posts
Posted on 12/13/23 at 6:00 am to
quote:

Everyone thinks they can be a CEO


Theyre addicted to victimhood. Oppressed vs oppressor, management vs labor, elite vs working class.

Same stupid shite that has been used to divide people and keep others from individually advancing.
Posted by KiwiHead
Auckland, NZ
Member since Jul 2014
28134 posts
Posted on 12/13/23 at 6:35 am to
Be content.....the administrators only have the best of intentions.
Posted by RogerTheShrubber
Juneau, AK
Member since Jan 2009
263484 posts
Posted on 12/13/23 at 6:40 am to
quote:

Be content.....the administrators only have the best of intention


No, be prepared to find other work if this one doesnt fit your needs anymore. Antagonistic grinding means you'll be stuck behind seniority your entire life.

This is how things work in the corporate world. Professionals have independent agency, not collective.

Employers raise pay and change conditions when they can no longer hire workers. Youre staying, and giving them reason to continue the process.

Dont sell your soul for two 15 minute breaks and a mental health day.
Posted by RogerTheShrubber
Juneau, AK
Member since Jan 2009
263484 posts
Posted on 12/13/23 at 6:45 am to
quote:

I don't like unions of any sort but especially in lower education and healthcare.


My observations have led me to believe that people who crave collective bargaining arent competitive people. They get their joys out of being "one of the guys" and feeling average.

Competitive people do not thrive under legalistic, structured hierarchies like working in union shops.
Posted by Diamondawg
Mississippi
Member since Oct 2006
32527 posts
Posted on 12/13/23 at 7:28 am to
quote:

Saw this the other day and still scratching my head.
Urologists - so you won't scratch, uhhhh, you no!
Posted by onmymedicalgrind
Nunya
Member since Dec 2012
10591 posts
Posted on 12/13/23 at 7:40 am to
quote:

These following 10 jobs require the most stress tolerance from employees: 1. Urologists


Patently absurd

I am not going to act like I have the most stressful job in medicine, but it’s definitely on par with urology. Which is to say way less stressful than neurosurgery, trauma surgery, hell even OB considering how often they get sued.
Posted by NC_Tigah
Carolinas
Member since Sep 2003
124723 posts
Posted on 12/13/23 at 7:59 am to
quote:

Patently absurd

It seems there is commonality in the list
quote:

1. Urologists
2. Film and video editors
3. Anesthesiologist assistants
4. Judges and magistrates
5. Phone operators
6. Acute care nurses
... all spend their days dealing with dicks
Posted by KiwiHead
Auckland, NZ
Member since Jul 2014
28134 posts
Posted on 12/13/23 at 8:09 am to
Rather simplistic thinking given the realities of the content to this subject. This is not delivery drivers or even auto workers we are talking about. We are talking about RNs and I suspect CNAs as well. You don't just pick them off the street like you would others.

They don't really have the level of choice that others do. It's either work for this hospital system (ex: Ochsner or LCMC) or go searching geographically for another that no doubt is probably following the same models and engaging in contrived understaffing in order to maximize profit at the expense of the patient (customer).

You certainly demonstrate the knee-jerk reaction that so many "conservative" free marketers engage in when the subject of unions comes up.....the management is allowed to act in the collective and approach the lower end hourly workers with one voice, but oh, no the trades people in this case are only hurting themselves by putting an additional layer between themselves and management.....ignoring the fact that in large set ups like this , most requests whether for compensation or other needs like a better nurse to patient ratio is slow walked or intentionally ignored across the opportunity spectrum.

Meaning that the way nurses are treated would be the same at LCMC or Ochsner run facilities. The only way to get their attention looks like to organize so as to mitigate administrators propensity to kick the can down the road in an effort to hope the issue goes away.....or threaten to fire them.

Hospital networks like Ochsner and others across the country have what amounts to 9-12% on average profit margins after expenses (salaries, equipment,etc) so they ain't exactly hurting for money. If the issue is not individual pay in this case (although like in many things LA tends to underpay) certainly an outfit like Ochsner could forego some of the money they are going spend in building a new office building on Jefferson Hwy, etc to hiring what appears to be a safer staffing level on the units.....among other things mentioned.
Posted by the808bass
The Lou
Member since Oct 2012
111803 posts
Posted on 12/13/23 at 8:26 am to
quote:

CNAs as well. You don't just pick them off the street like you would others.


Eh. You can kinda pick CNAs off the street.
Posted by the808bass
The Lou
Member since Oct 2012
111803 posts
Posted on 12/13/23 at 8:31 am to
quote:

the management is allowed to act in the collective and approach the lower end hourly workers with one voice


What is this bullshite?

quote:

Hospital networks like Ochsner and others across the country have what amounts to 9-12% on average profit margins


Networks like Ochsner, maybe. Though health systems have been taking a bath post-Covid. 2022, Ochsner reported a loss of $185M.
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