The newest rumour to hit the wire is that administration is going to attempt to replace RNs with LPNs and MHCs with lesser qualified personnel as RNs and MHCs leave this wonderful place. Wouldn't it be nice instead of having a head hunter attitude that administration would sit down with the line staff and work things out. We are after all supposed to help people fix problems. If we can't even fix our own how can we help other people fix theirs?
I put out an open invitation out for administration to do just that. Lets dispel the rumours get down to brass tacks and get this ironed out.
Amazing what a budget crunch will do. To bad we didn't get the emergency appropriations this year like we've been so fortunate to have received in the past. Are we breathing our last at the Mad House?
I can't help but wonder what would happen if we were to get the union here. Did any of you attend the on campus meetings this past week? It sounded good. I'm just wondering if there's anything they can do with what's left. You can call Bobby Adams from the union "anytime" as he said. His number is 303-903-0734. Give it a try.
Orpheus
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6 comments:
This hospital needs a change-and not line staff. Its quite funny how we teach our patients to be accountable,yet we cannot expect the bare minimum from administrartion.The Real problem is the administration-not the line staff. If line staff keep leaving yet the same problems exist over time-what does that tell ya who the problem is-not the line staff!LPN`s huh? The budget crisis started from t-3 keeps getting worse-if the rumor holds.
Would it really matter if staff were replaced with a "less expensive" commodity? Unfortunately the reality is that pt's are really warehoused and tx is almost nonexistant except for meds. And some of the prescribers leave a lot to be desired. Look @ the high rate of assalts and with some prescribers, unnessary length of stays. When you come right down to it any warm body with a key can sit at the staff table, read the paper, open lockers & doors, escort pts to meals, serve snacks, play games, etc
The money has been taken from the MHC`s. The job ladder is non existant(even the current ideas bubbling around the teams about MHC III`s-sorry,still in the idea phase after year).Now the art of calming people down is discounted to running people to meals etc. etc. Now the pride is being taken away from MHC`s-they do way more than you suggest they do. As far as replacing MHC`S with a"less expensive commodity sorry to say- (Ive seen it before-you get what you pay for. People hate to be assaulted. But to be assaulted at a lower rate than what MHC`s get paid is ridiculous. Also, just because the LPN`s are new or mless expensive does not make them better. You truly would get what you pay for if the hospital goes that route.What would the union allow this?
Most all of the MHC's are invaluable and certainly not replaceable by less educated or less experienced staff,such as is being suggested.They ARE the line staff.Unfortunately,at no fault of their own,the RN's function is primarily paperwork.Yes,well-med-educated LPN's could substitute for RN's quite well at a considerable savings to the State;that would weed out a large group of professionals who also run around spending most of their shifts meeting physical needs (unlocking lockers,serving food,tending bathroom traffic,etc.)rather than doing therapy(i.e. having 1:1's)for what, more often than not, feels like warehoused patients.Is this all being considered because of the apparent lack of planning for the cost of care for that ONE patient on Team 3 ?!Please,not one more screw-up !!!
I would not worry about it. Honestly, regualation and such would require a RN on inpatient units. Not to knock LPN's, but their education length is about 9 months (Parks College & Emily Griffith Center) and would be very limited in psychology knowledge compared to someone holding a 4 year degree in basically any discipline. This not to say they cannot learn on the job, but in the real world, LPN's are nursing home pill pushers or glorified CNA's.
They could eliminate MHC and go to a Nursing Total care with just RN's, but the hospital is to inefficient to recruit and maintain quality nurses in such a competive field.
Adminstration talks out of their A$$ many times and is limited by their limited knowledge of how to maintain a quality hospital and minimize the view of many in the community that see this hospital as a warehouse. This hospital is about 20 years behind the leading psychiatric hospitals within our state and has not been remodeled since Carol Burnett had a sitcom.
The budget crisis is not because of high paid MHCs because most new hires do not make too much more than their private sector counterparts and if they have a degree can make more if they have a quality resume, professionalism and a personality.
The budget crisis is because as the "old guard" retire many new people do not have the loyalty of those they replaced. They are Generation X and many believe if a job sucks you don't stick with it (unless the pay provides you with home ownership and money in the bank), but move on until they find a job that challenges them and has actual upward mobility.
So who is to blame for the budget crisis? You can blame your top heavy organization that has managers, team leaders and made up positions for everything from basket weaving therapy to music therapy.
Here is who you can blame?
Nurse 3 = 6500$+ per month
Nurse 4 =7000-8000$ per month
Team Leader=8000=9000$ per month
When your units have a team leader and a Nurse 3 or 4 for a rinky dink unit it costs over 200,000$ including benefits paid to just two individuals.
How is it that a team leader of 18-25 bed units can make more than a DON of an entire nursing home?
The difference in pay of a LPN/LPT and MHC is about 1$(check your pay scales online to compare).
So don't believe the BS and remember who you work for and just laugh. Effiency is not in this hospital's philosophy and forward thinking is not part of their vocabulary.
I myself would treat this just like any other job maintain a personal IRA or 401k. When you stay with a company more than five years you will limit the marketability of you job skills and the company will begin to treat however they want because they know that you are dependent on almighty PERA. Basically you become a hostage of your own decisions and become disenchanted and moral begins to nose dive in the company.
Here is some thoughts of eliminating the "Budget Crisis".
1) Only one manager(preferably BSN level Rn) on a unit and a MHC 3 for scheduling, and other subordinate supervisory duties. MHC 3 chosen by education, leadership, and experience within supervisory jobs both private and government agencies.
2) Elimination and combining of similar jobs within administration (Too top heavy).
3) Music, art and various non essential therapies eliminated. Sorry, but those are always the first to go with a budget crisis in the real world hospital setting including middle managers.
4) Increase starting pay for Nurse 1 position. You want to attract quality nurses and not just Bipolar ones from HSS or some defunct nursing home then pay them.
5) MHC requirement of a Bachelor's degree and three years experience in mental health or social work. Sorry, but cannot pay new MHCs with an education 2500$ per month while paying MHCs with ten years or more 4000$ per month. Especially if the new MHC is trained in new psychiatric or social models and has more education or marketable skills than your vested ones. Creates animosity, limits morale growth and does not instill loyalty within new hires.
6)Relocation of the hospital to Aurora or Metropolitan Denver. Sorry, but Littleton is not growing and the population that we need to serve is located elsewhere. In addition, we would be able to attract more nurses because many people have not heard of this hospital and have little reason to visit Littleton/Sheridan unless looking for shade tree car dealerships, drugs, pawnshops, "Ladies of the Night" or liquor stores. Littleton population 40,000, Metropolitan Denver and Aurora over a million residents. More customers and increased talent pool. This hospital is old, ugly and very archaic in both philosphy and physical appearance.
7)Elimination of Pera to new State employees(including me). Pera creates a type of welfare were a person depends and maintains a job for years hoping on retirement at the end no matter if totally unhappy. The elimination of PERA would place the burden of how employees are treated directly on the Administrators. It would also place the burden of funding a retirement plan or maintaing a 401K on the shoulders of the employees. Without welfare benefits I mean Pera, employees will leave if the job or those around them are toxic. Pera will be eliminated in the next five to ten years anyway for new employees because it is not profitable and is propped up by taxpayers" money.
8) Removal of Hospital Director, revamping of hospital management and elimination of overlapping positions.
9) Limit use of outside agency personnel (HSS or Maxim). Everytime an External pool Mental Health works cost about 28$ per hour and a Nurse about 50-60$ per hour.
10) Provide incentives for MHC/Nurses to work extra shifts such as; shift bonuses, overtime(if not full-time and over 12 hours) or gift certificates. You want help when short staffed then treat new people in a freindly manner and eliminate the toxic employees that assist in those staff not wanting to work on your unit ever again. This job is not that hard and if you believe it is I'll take you to some psych hospital I paid my dues at. The difference was that no matter how hard are job was we had fun, could BS and worked as a team. Unlike here were many units the new staff or pool person is treated like their invisible, never made comfortable or made to feel like they are the patient. Remember to treat others as you would like to be treated. If you don't talk to new staff member the whole shift you are not displaying professionalism and the new staff likely is placing a diagnosis of weirdness on you.
11) Eliminate the Safety Officers, sorry but most facilities the staff actually use CPI. It also allows the strengthening of verbal descalation skills because you might have to take this person down instead of waiting on others to do it for you. It works well at other places and also assists in elimination of weak staff (Not physically, but those with limited psychology or socialogy skills). Another benefit is that it increases the likelyhood of employees continuing their education in regards to upward mobility and job satisfaction. Who wants to be wrestling clients at 55 years of age(not I)? That is why most MHC type staff in the private sector are in school and planning for their future and getting out of direct care. Without upward mobility and limited knowledge growth you can become a victim complacency and stagnation. Therefore, decreasing company morale, output of a lackluster product(patient success upon discharge) and creates a negative viewpoint within the community as a whole about your company ie; warehouse jokes or "the place to send those without insurance".
Just my thoughts on the issues. I do care, but only to a certain point. It is a job and even though it is not as fun or challenging to me it serves its purpose until it is time for me "to spread my wings".
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