NURSES' PAY b) Increase cost of contracts in order to be able to raise occupational health nurses' pay.

Core health financial management entails multiple reports on cost from external as well as internal sources. The issue of raising pay for registered nurses has been found of great concern for both the nurses as well as the management. This because in raising the pay of nurses it would mean health institution would have to incur more cost. What these institution have devised is to shift the bulk of the increase in pay which is around 2.5% to insurance. Hence at the end of tenure, the nurses does not really get their pay as their contract dictates but rather they get the same amount to start with. Meanwhile those personnel in the tech department of the hospital have the same amount increase in their pay but they reap the financial increase at the same time. Many nurses object to the unfair package and policy the hospitals have adopted in issuing contracts that apparently shows a higher pay but in fact nurses are not taking home the same amount. The discrepancy of this tactic stem from the fact that the health industry is already seeing a crunch from budget set backs. Hospitals are not getting the same kind of subsidy which they were getting in the previous decades. On the other hand the economy is also experiencing a recession, which require institution to increase pay scale. But they do not have any inflow to back these extra costs. As a result they opt for insurance policies which could be payable anytime by the hospital to the insurer. This strategy allow institution a passing excuse to delay their cost but eventually they also realize that they will have to pay the large amount due to increase in nursing pay. Bound by their contracts these institutions will have no choice in the future. The only solution to their problem is that the government decides to offer subsidy once again.

References

Morrison, Thomas G.; Dunbrack, Lynne A., Contract-management systems: the next addition to your application portfolio? (operations management). Vol. 15, Health Management Technology, 04-01-1994, pp 28(4).

Better pay, respect will attract nurses. St. Petersburg Times, published August 17, 2001 available at; http://www.sptimes.com/News/081701/news_pf/Pasco/Better_pay__respect_w.shtml