If you want (or need) office supplies at work...bring your own

[MrsSmith]

Horse with no Name  (1000+ posts)       Sat Jul-12-08 05:27 AM
Original message
 
"If you want (or need) office supplies at work...bring your own"

 Advertisements [?]Edited on Sat Jul-12-08 05:27 AM by Horse with no Name

New directive at work(hospital).

The past two pay periods at my workplace, I have heard two RN's say "I'll give it a couple of more paychecks...that is it".

The corporation that "owns" us has been making a lot of demands on the employees and not reciprocating one inch.

Was talking to one of the surgical nurses the other day and she said that their caseloads are down. When they have seen their last patient, they are RUSHED out the door. So many who are scheduled 40 hour weeks hospital-wide are in actuality receiving less than 20 hours per pay period.
So not only are gas, groceries, electric bills shooting up...our employers are using us and tossing us out the door so our wages are going down.

Their GOAL is 100% productivity.

I have driven my 60 miles to work and then be told I had to go home because a patient was discharged after 4 hours.

So now their new directive is...whatever you need to do your job that does not DIRECTLY include patient care...you have to bring it yourself. I'm awaiting the word that toilet paper is included.

Just shaking head...
 

LINK

   Poor Horse has to buy his/her own pens.      

fasttense (1000+ posts)      Sat Jul-12-08 08:05 AM
Response to Original message
10. So you are working and not getting paid and have to bring your own
 supplies. Isn't this the definition of slavery?

If you were a machine, they couldn't expect you to work without providing you supplies and fuel. But because you are human, they can cheat you out of your fuel (wages) and tell you to provide your own supplies. These corporations are getting away with slavery.


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Warpy  (1000+ posts)       Sat Jul-12-08 08:55 AM
Response to Original message
13. I always had to supply mine
 at every hospital I worked in. I was agency for a number of years and they don't do a damned thing for agency. Things didn't improve when I went float pool.

I retaliated by turning into a kleptomaniac where pens are concerned. Most of my pens still have drug names on them, nearly 2 years after I got disgusted enough to let my license lapse. I will still find myself pocketing a pen I've seen lying about. I do stop myself now, though.

Being canceled after a long drive (or subway commute, in my case) was a normal thing. Being sent home after 2-4 hours was also a normal thing. Being called in on days (nights) off for a 12 hour shift at management's convenience and on no sleep was a normal thing.

Their GOAL is having us work without pay for the sheer pleasure of helping our fellow human beings. Their GOAL is to have us forego any sort of lives of our own in favor of being on call 24/7/365 for the higher needs of management.

 

How totally awful...a healthcare worker actually having to purchase pens (on the measly $35 - 45 an hour base wage - {more for extra shifts or after hour shifts} - agency nurses make) and having to work extra shifts on occasion (though in reality, healthcare facilities now routinely offer several dollars an hour above normal pay, plus a bonus, for every extra shift worked...and add an extra couple bucks an hour if that is a night shift.)  It just breaks my heart to see poor, abused nurses normally making only about 1/3 more than I do, with the constant option of extra shifts at nearly double pay (and really at double pay on Sunday). 

[Chris_]

Their GOAL is 100% productivity.

The horrors!  Get the DA involved -- this is clearly a sweatshop!!!

[Splashdown]

Their GOAL is 100% productivity.

The horrors!  Get the DA involved -- this is clearly a sweatshop!!!

I was thinking the same thing...

It sucks to have to actually do your job when you're on the clock.

Btw. My wife is a nurse. Summer means lighter census in the hospital. Just a fact of life.

[MrsSmith]

Their GOAL is 100% productivity.

The horrors!  Get the DA involved -- this is clearly a sweatshop!!!

I was thinking the same thing...

It sucks to have to actually do your job when you're on the clock.

Btw. My wife is a nurse. Summer means lighter census in the hospital. Just a fact of life.

Fewer elective procedures when vacations are affected.   

[Chris_]

How totally awful...a healthcare worker actually having to purchase pens (on the measly $35 - 45 an hour base wage - {more for extra shifts or after hour shifts} - agency nurses make) and having to work extra shifts on occasion (though in reality, healthcare facilities now routinely offer several dollars an hour above normal pay, plus a bonus, for every extra shift worked...and add an extra couple bucks an hour if that is a night shift.)  It just breaks my heart to see poor, abused nurses normally making only about 1/3 more than I do, with the constant option of extra shifts at nearly double pay (and really at double pay on Sunday). 

Didn't HorseWithNoBrain fabricate that she was making just above minimum wage not too long ago? Now, out of that "just above minimum wage" she is fabricating that she not only has to drive 60 miles (one way apparently) to work but also buy her own "supplies".

I believe that if we drop the "supp" from "supplies" we are closer to the truth.

[MrsSmith]

How totally awful...a healthcare worker actually having to purchase pens (on the measly $35 - 45 an hour base wage - {more for extra shifts or after hour shifts} - agency nurses make) and having to work extra shifts on occasion (though in reality, healthcare facilities now routinely offer several dollars an hour above normal pay, plus a bonus, for every extra shift worked...and add an extra couple bucks an hour if that is a night shift.)  It just breaks my heart to see poor, abused nurses normally making only about 1/3 more than I do, with the constant option of extra shifts at nearly double pay (and really at double pay on Sunday). 

Didn't HorseWithNoBrain fabricate that she was making just above minimum wage not too long ago? Now, out of that "just above minimum wage" she is fabricating that she not only has to drive 60 miles (one way apparently) to work but also buy her own "supplies".

I believe that if we drop the "supp" from "supplies" we are closer to the truth.

I have driven my 60 miles to work and then be told I had to go home because a patient was discharged after 4 hours.

It might be possible to make just over minimum wage at a hospital, if you clean or are a unit secretary with no specific skills...but to be sent home because a pt was discharged, she'd have to be at least a CNA, base pay about $12 an hour, the last I knew.

But surely a DUmpMonkey wouldn't tell untrue tales?!?!?!?!?!?!   

 

[Rebel]

Since when is a hospital without a humongous supply of free pens brought in by the assloads of medicine/equiment salesmen/women who visit every single day?

[miskie]

Since when is a hospital without a humongous supply of free pens brought in by the assloads of medicine/equiment salesmen/women who visit every single day?

Indeed - every doctor Ive visited for whatever reason has everything office-supply related dumped on them from vendors. Pens post-it notes, clipboards. You name it.. all with the logo of whatever pharmaceutical the vendor is pushing at the moment.

[dandi]

I buy my own pens just because I like the high quality ones with gel ink, but there's alway others lying around from drug reps and such.

Thank God I work for da gubmint. Thank y'all for keeping me well-supplied with everything I need.

[Chris_]

Was talking to one of the surgical nurses the other day and she said that their caseloads are down. When they have seen their last patient, they are RUSHED out the door. So many who are scheduled 40 hour weeks hospital-wide are in actuality receiving less than 20 hours per pay period.

Where on earth does this woman live?  I checked out ONE hospital out of the nearly dozen we have here, and they have 216 openings for nurses of various kinds, mostly RN's.

[Miss Mia]

I think they've cut back on supplies at work as well. 

I buy my own post-it notes, cause I like the colored ones and not the plain yellow.  As for pens, I have a stock of pens they bought that I like in my desk.  They're locked up at night.  LOL  Oh, and I'm protective of my pencil at work.  It even has my name on it. 

[dandi]

Was talking to one of the surgical nurses the other day and she said that their caseloads are down. When they have seen their last patient, they are RUSHED out the door. So many who are scheduled 40 hour weeks hospital-wide are in actuality receiving less than 20 hours per pay period.

Where on earth does this woman live?  I checked out ONE hospital out of the nearly dozen we have here, and they have 216 openings for nurses of various kinds, mostly RN's.

She must be talking about O.R. nurses. If there are no more surgeries scheduled for the day then there's no reason to have a gaggle of them hanging around.

If she means a surgical nurse on an inpatient unit, then it's bullshit. You never "see your last patient" as long as there's a patient on the unit.

If they aren't getting enough hours to suit them they need to request another unit. It's not like an R.N. can't find a need somewhere.

[Rebel]

Was talking to one of the surgical nurses the other day and she said that their caseloads are down. When they have seen their last patient, they are RUSHED out the door. So many who are scheduled 40 hour weeks hospital-wide are in actuality receiving less than 20 hours per pay period.

Where on earth does this woman live?  I checked out ONE hospital out of the nearly dozen we have here, and they have 216 openings for nurses of various kinds, mostly RN's.

They're giving them 3-5K bonuses to become an employee here. LPNs about 1-2K.

[Airwolf]

I wonder how she would like to trade places. I am making around 18K and my drive to work is between 60 -75 miles round trip. Add in food and the cost of supplies i have to furnish like my own pens, Sun Screen , Ball cap to have shade from the sun (When working at the Airport) and a heavy winter jacket because the one coat the company gives us is only good for Fall or Spring then you have some problems.

[MrsSmith]

Was talking to one of the surgical nurses the other day and she said that their caseloads are down. When they have seen their last patient, they are RUSHED out the door. So many who are scheduled 40 hour weeks hospital-wide are in actuality receiving less than 20 hours per pay period.

Where on earth does this woman live?  I checked out ONE hospital out of the nearly dozen we have here, and they have 216 openings for nurses of various kinds, mostly RN's.

She must be talking about O.R. nurses. If there are no more surgeries scheduled for the day then there's no reason to have a gaggle of them hanging around.

If she means a surgical nurse on an inpatient unit, then it's bullshit. You never "see your last patient" as long as there's a patient on the unit.

If they aren't getting enough hours to suit them they need to request another unit. It's not like an R.N. can't find a need somewhere.

My hospital has signs posted in the Nurse Lounges and elsewhere offering something like $6 per hour above normal pay, plus a bonus, plus overtime, for every extra shift they take.  Most of our nurses work three 12-hour shifts, so can add a 4th shift at VERY good money, and still have 3 days off every week.

[Crazy Horse]

I wonder how she would like to trade places. I am making around 18K and my drive to work is between 60 -75 miles round trip. Add in food and the cost of supplies i have to furnish like my own pens, Sun Screen , Ball cap to have shade from the sun (When working at the Airport) and a heavy winter jacket because the one coat the company gives us is only good for Fall or Spring then you have some problems.

And Uncle's pay isn't hurting you either

[dandi]

Was talking to one of the surgical nurses the other day and she said that their caseloads are down. When they have seen their last patient, they are RUSHED out the door. So many who are scheduled 40 hour weeks hospital-wide are in actuality receiving less than 20 hours per pay period.

Where on earth does this woman live?  I checked out ONE hospital out of the nearly dozen we have here, and they have 216 openings for nurses of various kinds, mostly RN's.

She must be talking about O.R. nurses. If there are no more surgeries scheduled for the day then there's no reason to have a gaggle of them hanging around.

If she means a surgical nurse on an inpatient unit, then it's bullshit. You never "see your last patient" as long as there's a patient on the unit.

If they aren't getting enough hours to suit them they need to request another unit. It's not like an R.N. can't find a need somewhere.

My hospital has signs posted in the Nurse Lounges and elsewhere offering something like $6 per hour above normal pay, plus a bonus, plus overtime, for every extra shift they take.  Most of our nurses work three 12-hour shifts, so can add a 4th shift at VERY good money, and still have 3 days off every week.

Yep. You can't not make money as an R.N. if you're willing to work at all. Some hospitals offer what's called a Baylor Plan, where you come in and work 12 hours each on Sat. And Sun. and get paid for 40 hrs. Anyone not making it as an R.N. just doesn't want to.

[Flame]

Sounds to me like this RN is working in an outpatient surgery center.   If so that is her choice.  I can sure understand why the admins wouldn't want to be paying RNs to sit around an empty center if all the patients are gone for the day.

[Chris_]

I wonder how she would like to trade places. I am making around 18K and my drive to work is between 60 -75 miles round trip. Add in food and the cost of supplies i have to furnish like my own pens, Sun Screen , Ball cap to have shade from the sun (When working at the Airport) and a heavy winter jacket because the one coat the company gives us is only good for Fall or Spring then you have some problems.

One question, AW.

Why???

[Airwolf]

I wonder how she would like to trade places. I am making around 18K and my drive to work is between 60 -75 miles round trip. Add in food and the cost of supplies i have to furnish like my own pens, Sun Screen , Ball cap to have shade from the sun (When working at the Airport) and a heavy winter jacket because the one coat the company gives us is only good for Fall or Spring then you have some problems.

And Uncle's pay isn't hurting you either

Excuse me? I'm ****ing retired from the National Guard. I won;t see one ****ing dime of mt retirement till I hit 60. I',m 49 right now ****tard.

[NHSparky]

Sounds to me like this RN is working in an outpatient surgery center.   If so that is her choice.  I can sure understand why the admins wouldn't want to be paying RNs to sit around an empty center if all the patients are gone for the day.

And I still call bullshit.

A friend of mine got her RN license last year, and now, she's working THREE jobs: one at a regular hospital where she initially trained, another hospital 2-3 days a week, and another 2-3 days a week at an urgent care facility where they pay her for a 12-hour shift, regardless of caseload (her only bitch about the last place is they do paper records, not computerized).  Basically, she's doing 6-7 days a week, 12 hours a day, and there are STILL plenty of openings.  She's talking about jobs where when you add in shift differential/other incentives she can be making as much as $50 an hour.  Let's not even get into how much she could make doing "traveling nursing".

My aunt also used to be a surgical nurse before she became a pharma rep--not that she was hurting for money before, given the fact she and her husband are helping to keep BOTH my father's side grandparents in assisted living facilities and she can still damn near pay cash for a brand new place in Scottsdale.

[Flame]

Sounds to me like this RN is working in an outpatient surgery center.   If so that is her choice.  I can sure understand why the admins wouldn't want to be paying RNs to sit around an empty center if all the patients are gone for the day.

And I still call bullshit.

A friend of mine got her RN license last year, and now, she's working THREE jobs: one at a regular hospital where she initially trained, another hospital 2-3 days a week, and another 2-3 days a week at an urgent care facility where they pay her for a 12-hour shift, regardless of caseload (her only bitch about the last place is they do paper records, not computerized).  Basically, she's doing 6-7 days a week, 12 hours a day, and there are STILL plenty of openings.  She's talking about jobs where when you add in shift differential/other incentives she can be making as much as $50 an hour.  Let's not even get into how much she could make doing "traveling nursing".

My aunt also used to be a surgical nurse before she became a pharma rep--not that she was hurting for money before, given the fact she and her husband are helping to keep BOTH my father's side grandparents in assisted living facilities and she can still damn near pay cash for a brand new place in Scottsdale.

Oh, I'm sure these nurses (if they are worth a damn) could find other work in  addition to what they do, but the outpatient center explains why they are sent home.  If they chose to work there, then, they need to deal when they are sent home!

[Chris_]

According to payscale.com, an RN with 5-9 years experience averages $26 an hour -- about 50 grand a year, straight time.

Not too bad.