Monday, August 30, 2021

Nurse Frustration Boils Over

 Some UMMC nurses are irate over contract nurses who are paid much more than they are.  One nurse spilled the beans on Facebook last week in a post that went viral on a local scale: 


Nurses who quit working UMMC confirmed her post.  One told JJ  she recently quit working at UMMC because of the difference in pay.  She said UMMC pays new grads $23/hr.  However, UMMC uses HMP to hire nurses (so UMMC doesn't have to pay PERS, clever, isn't it?).  HMP pays the newbs $26/hr and a $2,500 signing bonus.  UMMC contract nurses get $75/hr and only have to work 3 12-hour shifts.  HMP hires get $85 per hour and only work 3 12-hour shifts.  

UMMC does not hire the $165/hr nurses mentioned in the post nor does it do so through a private agency.  UMMC said those nurses are MEMA imports.  MEMA is supplementing the nursing staff of Mississippi hospitals where needed during the pandemic.  The nurses are either hired by MEMA or MEMA's contract nursing provider.  JJ attempted to contact MEMA last week for a comment but left a message.  However, MEMA dealing with a small little matter named Ida so a comment wasn't expected.  

JJ submitted a public records request last week for copies of any MEMA contracts to provide nurses during the pandemic. 


38 comments:

Anonymous said...

Never get attached to where you work. You can get attached to who you work with but always keep in mind you are a mercenary working for a business that sees you as a profit cell on a spreadsheet.

Anonymous said...

Covid didn’t cause problems with hospitals in MS. It revealed problems with hospitals in MS. Rescind the certificate of need regulations and introduce some real competition into the market.

Anonymous said...

Nurses underpaid, nurses overpaid, all Reeves fault. Right Jon?

Anonymous said...

Ummc has the nurses right where they want them. Brainwashed and committed to an org who doesn't care about them

Anonymous said...

I'll just say that there are some rules in life for you "Taxpayer Watchdogs" and penny pinching rich guys: You get what you pay for. Contractors have no job security and often weak benefits. You'd not have a shortage of nurses if you spent more time paying well and retaining them than complaining that some poor kid got $4 a day to eat. So, you can pay me now, or you can pay me (much more) later. Life.

And, you "free market" LiberaLtarians live a lie that you are "self made" men who grew up eating corn pone and chopping cotton for 14 hours a day. You inherited wealth, outsourced America, and let wages stagnate for 40 years. Now, it's catching up to you, and for folks who will be wiping your behind for low wages. Supply and demand.

Go be a contract nurse. Uproot your family, or leave them behind. Live out of a hotel. Then move on the the next job. Maybe you'll still have a family, or an actual home.

Just galls me when we, duly, note that 7000 soldiers have been killed, but 8000 US defense contractors were killed, never mentioned. Some burned and strung up on bridges.

If you resent contractors getting more pay in a away from home insecure job with no security, then join them. No retirement. No time off, possibly. But, higher pay. See how that works?

Just like Wall Street bankers that want 1 million dollars a year to telework from the beach. Can't have it both ways, ladies.

Anonymous said...

Best back to back posts in the history of JJ. Amen to 11:21 and 11:22

Anonymous said...

Why would a person work for $50 per hour if they could be a travel nurse and go make $125 per hour? Lots of Mississippi nurses do travel nursing and make a bundle and then take 3 months off per year. Meanwhile, our local hospitals are paying travel nurses exorbitant wages so they will travel here from other states. Great business model for the nurses. And as long as the hospitals can pass the costs on to taxpayers and insurance companies, they don’t care either.

Unknown said...

She left out that the new hires getting paid those huge rates don't have to have a vaccine either.

Anonymous said...

Do contract nurses have to pay for their transportation to Mississippi, who pays for their lodging while here? Do they self fund their retirement and health insurance?

Anonymous said...

Don’t cry about it. Go do the same thing they’re doing, go be a travel nurse somewhere else and make bank.

Never get attached to an employer, because they’re sure as hell not attached to you (although they love it when you think that so they can take advantage of you, like you were allowing them to do).

Suck it up, buttercup.

Anonymous said...

Contract staff is becoming the business model. No strings attached. They don’t like the hospital, they move on. The hospital doesn’t like the employee, don’t renew the contract. No benefits. Not great patient care as there is no continuity, but the guys at the top don’t really care. From a business prospective, probably a good idea. But, from a patient care prospective, not so much. It’s hard to replace the intangibles of continuity of care and staff that actually knows each other and the employees in other departments.

PittPanther said...

Anyone who goes to with because they "love" their employer, is guaranteed to be underpaid.

I encourage those nurses who see what they could be earning, to investigate the pros and cons of being a contract nurse. 90% of these UMMC nurses who "love" their employer couldn't stand to be away from home for any significant length of time.

Don't complain about being underpaid if you're not willing to do what it takes.

Anonymous said...

The rental nurses are the equivalent to scabs during a strike.

Anonymous said...

So UMMC is not paying $165/hr to contract nurses and Ms. Craig needs a hug? Does that sum it up?

Anonymous said...

Easy solution. Tell this whiner to apply to MEMA for one of these jobs - temporary as they may be.

She can go work for the $165 (without benes, which I'm sure would be a shocker to any state employee) and probably stay around for a few weeks. But then, when its over, she will be without a job as she evidently is now.

Granted, the MEMA workers - who KF noted were not hired by UMMC as the whiner said - are being brought in from wherever they can find them, and are having to pay for their temporary housing needs, their on benefits, etc.

I'm shocked though that the whiner can say nobody has ever said "thank you" - I've seen so damn many posts, comments, yard signs, stickers, banners, etc saying thank you (appropriately, I might add) to all the healthcare workers I find this complaint without any basis. Evidently, it wasn't said personal and up close, specifically to this nurse, or even the ones in the ER where she works.

Sorry. Thank you, nurse, for your dedicated (or at least formerly dedicated) hard work.

Anonymous said...

Govt doesn't give a shit about quality, only quantity. Quantity at any price to make the problem go away.

Anonymous said...

Two points.

First, why do I think there's more to the story? For example, exactly what nurses are being brought in at $165/hour? Are, CRNA's, or some other highly trained nurses? I do not know.

Secondly, id you don't like living on a nurse's pay, go to med school. Or something. Meanwhile, you have a job, a profession and a paycheck.

Anonymous said...

12:26pm Bingo. In fact, a great deal of the "maneuvering" that's going on behind closed doors in MS is to find ways to GET THEM OFF THE ROLLS so they don't have to pay into PERS. PERS is hemorrhaging serious money, but shhhhhh....don't discuss it out loud.

Anonymous said...

They are paid more for cost of travel, lodging and yeah, no benefits or insurance.

Anonymous said...

Covid, best way to make big bucks.

Anonymous said...

You'd think they would want to get them into PERS to keep the Ponzi afloat.

Anonymous said...

This is not a new phenomenon. There is no loyalty between employers and employees any longer and, in large part, this is due to such things as private equity folks buying up businesses and ONLY caring about the bottom line. Something that is interesting that ties into this concept is that St. D's new owner has apparently decided to staff its emergency room primarily with nurse practitioners. So, when this actually happens, St. D will not be the place to go if you are really hurt and in need of a physician actually trained in emergency medicine. I will say this for the NPs: they have damn good lobbyists working in the legislature to get things where they can practice medicine without having to pass the physician licensing exams. NP's working in such things as family medicine are fine but ER is another thing entirely. What's next, NPs performing surgery?

Anonymous said...

I don’t resent anybody making as much as they can 11:56. I do resent paying for our bloated healthcare system that uses anti-competitive practices and buys political favors to keep out competition. They don’t want to even post prices they are so f’d up. This mess is on the incompetent bureaucrats, not the workers.

Anonymous said...

It seems they have turned into an unethical place to work, attend school and be a patient. Any place that takes it’s orders from a medical malpractice lawyer cannot be taken seriously.

Anonymous said...

You have a two year associate degree and get paid handsomely. If you don’t like it quit. You’re hardly a victim. NEXT!!

Just My Perspective said...

12:26 - In hospital management, are ya'? If you'd have used the word "prospective" only once, I'd figure it was a typo. But, as eloquent as you attempted to be, you should know the appropriate word is 'perspective'.

Anonymous said...

Now somebody go do the real math, including considerations for PERS BENEFITS, paid time off, health insurance, hours, job security, going HOME every shift, etc.

Anonymous said...

3:43, who is the med mal lawyer calling the shots at UMMC?

Anonymous said...

J G law firm N.President St Jackson

Anonymous said...

And meanwhile, down in garage C…several medical volunteers (who paid their own way in for the opportunity to work for free), with Samaritans Purse for month-long commitments, are serving in similar, if not more difficult, conditions—for our community. God bless each of them and the Organization as well.

Anonymous said...

Look, the contract with one of the 4 providers calls for the nurses to be paid $215 per hour. But the nursing contractor has to pay for meals, lodging, transportation to Jackson, and the nurses wages PLUS around 18% for the company infrastructure.

They also pay for the nursing recruiters to find nurses in Oxford and Tupelo who will travel to Jackson.

Nurse Ratchett said...

Perhaps she hasn't heard 'Can I get you another cup of coffee or a footrub?' in the breakroom, but I see 'Heros work here at every medical, healthcare or nursing home facility I pass'. Not many managers stand at the end-of-shift door (in any business) and thank the staff for being there today. Now, if you're mistreated or openly not appreciated, or made to feel unworthy, quit! Everybody is hiring!

If enough of you quit, they'll post 'Drive Thru Is Open' signs.

Anonymous said...

@12:57pm

"Govt doesn't give a shit about quality, only quantity. Quantity at any price to make the problem go away." (Before election day....)

You are wise beyond your years.

Anonymous said...

Travel nurses are getting paid benefits…they still get health insurance and 401k options through their agency. PERS is the only reason to stay working at UMMC. And to the person that said it’s a 2 year degree…. That’s a two year degree that’s saving people’s lives. Sit back down and put your wrist straps on to help with your carpal tunnel… this is why we’re losing local nurses! Most are leaving for better pay… no nurse is hating on the travel nursing staff just the fact that our institution isn’t doing anything about it. Some of these travel agencies pay for transportation, meals and lodging. Those that don’t get tax free stipends. Look at how many nurses UMMC has lost to St D because of their contract…. Local nurses can still go home and be with their families every night…. What people fail to see is the safety for the patients on all this…institutions are now willing to hire a warm body to fill the void and let the experience leave….

Anonymous said...

One is an idiot if they believe that the UMMC organization gives one rats' arse about it's MS employees. It's that simple. Why in the world would anyone put their heart and soul into such a bureaucratic morass? That shows a lack of common sense. It's basically a smaller version of the VA system. Of course it will bleed you dry and spit you out without a thank you if you let it. Yes they'll hang the stupid Healthcare Heroes signs up while they do this.

Everyone should realized this. If you don't then you are a slow learner. Sorry.

Anonymous said...

"Travel nurses are getting paid benefits…they still get health insurance and 401k options through their agency."

You might be right, but can you provide any backup for your claim that travel-nurses, while on leave for a month or so to work in other areas/states, are still accumulating and enjoying agency benefits?

Anonymous said...

5:10, you are correct. I used the wrong word. But, the info was correct. PRN staff is being utilized more and not just in nursing.

Anonymous said...

I equate traveling nurses to LEO who respond to another city in an emergency. They are still well qualified professionals with a job to do. It's a fallacy to suggest they're less than honorable, are not dedicated to the profession or are uncaring. It's a brotherhood-sisterhood. All of them will save your life given the chance.



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