Community Chat

[chessylady]

My Dad had major back surgery and was running a fever. The hospital wanted to release him but me and my brother insisted he stay until he no longer had a fever. if at all possible, family members need to be there and be an advocate for elder parents.

[sylviahomeatlast]

I was in hospital for almost 6 months 2 years ago ---there was always at least one family member or friend with me the whole time--

[mistriTsquirrel]

On 2/1/2014 NoelSeven said:

It's odd that well informed posters are considered suspect so often on Viewpoints.

I saw questions. (ie--"Wow...how do you know all the stuff you know?") I didn't see accusations. It's reasonable to ask each other questions when we don't all know each others' backgrounds, isn't it?

[chrystaltree]

One in ten is a vice president of something? No way. However, since I work in healthcare and have for 30 years. I know there is a nursing shortage. I also know it's not as simple as higher more nurses. The problem is they aren't out there to hire. We aren't producing enough because bright young people don't want to do that type of work. It's hard. And nursing has become a career that requires a college education. Nurses aren't just making beds, changing dressings and handing out pills. Nurses manage their patients care, care that is intensive and technological. While family members are encouraged to stay with patients it is NOT to help with patient care. It's because studies have shown that patients are calmer, more emotionally secure and safer with a loved one close by. And that helps in recovery.

[chrystaltree]

On 2/1/2014 NoelSeven said:

It's odd that well informed posters are considered suspect so often on Viewpoints.

Only when they say something so hysterically funny that you can't stop laughing. Like one out ten being vice presidents....lol. I guess numbers are difficult for some people. It happens a lot on this board. A poster has something legitimate and worthwhile to say but she feels the need to thrown in a bunch of silly falsehoods and gross exaggerations and that just turns her post into a bad joke.

[Marienkaefer2]

On 2/1/2014 NoelSeven said:

On 2/1/2014 terrier3 said:

On 2/1/2014 Opurrra said:

On 2/1/2014 ShowMe said:

On 2/1/2014 NoelSeven said:

It's odd that well informed posters are considered suspect so often on Viewpoints.

Who's being considered suspect??????

The irony. She's the one who is always suspect of other posters when they don't agree with her.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions...but not their own FACTS!

The problem on Viewpoints is often that people don't understand the difference between opinion and fact. They think one is as valid as the other.

True, but that is reflective of the country.

[gardenman]

Don't be overly impressed by the VP title. Some companies hand out titles like VP like they're candy. Employees like to pad their resume, so a company will make pretty much anyone a VP of something or other. A janitor with six months on the job may be VP of building and grounds maintenance. Titles don't really mean much these days.

As to hospital staffing, the last official number I saw (and this was years ago) showed that there were twelve paper-pushers/bureaucrats for every person who had direct contact with a patient. I personally think that type of a ratio is a little nuts, but bureaucracies tend to grow way too big, way too quickly. Once bureaucratic jobs are created, getting rid of them is next to impossible. The bureaucrats will stick together and destroy the business before they'll give up their positions.

[151949]

Unfortunately this will not be rectified anytime soon because the powers that be at the top don't even think of those who are doing the work that makes the money that pays them their huge salaries as any more than endentured slaves or beasts of burden.They just keep piling more and more and more on everyone until they either break and end up on disability or just die with their white shoes on. Believe me - it is not at all unusual for nurses to have to work a 16 hour shift because someone calls off, and they get around the state's labor laws about how many hours in a row you can work or needing 8 hours off between shifts by saying you are "on call". Unfortunately, the only solution to this is for nurses and other hospital workers to unionize but when they do - if they have to strike to get the POB to pay attention to them - the community will support the hospital not the union members.

[terrier3]

On 2/2/2014 gardenman said:

Don't be overly impressed by the VP title. Some companies hand out titles like VP like they're candy. Employees like to pad their resume, so a company will make pretty much anyone a VP of something or other. A janitor with six months on the job may be VP of building and grounds maintenance. Titles don't really mean much these days.

As to hospital staffing, the last official number I saw (and this was years ago) showed that there were twelve paper-pushers/bureaucrats for every person who had direct contact with a patient. I personally think that type of a ratio is a little nuts, but bureaucracies tend to grow way too big, way too quickly. Once bureaucratic jobs are created, getting rid of them is next to impossible. The bureaucrats will stick together and destroy the business before they'll give up their positions.

The local newspaper article said that 5 hospital administrators made over one million dollars a year - the top guy made 2.5 million - and the average VP salary (excluding the top 5) was $150,000.

The board said that this was an excessive number of administrators vs. caregivers. They are looking to merge with another hospital to save on administrative costs.

BTW - the nurses and healthcare workers are unionized at this hospital system.

[Chalcedony]

An average VP salary of $150k causes me to also think they are very liberal with the VP titles in that organization, as the "average" number implies that many salaries are lower than that. In that case, the statistic is very misleading.