Posted on 03/03/2024 2:53:49 PM PST by NobleFree
Des Moines, Iowa — The Iowa House has voted to set limits for the pay of temporary nursing staff working in Iowa hospitals and nursing homes.
A traveling nurse could be paid no more than 150 percent of the statewide average wage being paid to full-time healthcare staff who provide nursing services. The bill is a priority for House Republicans, who contend temp agencies are reaping too much of the extra money the legislature has provided nursing homes. Representative Timi Brown-Powers, a Democrat from Waterloo, is a therapist at Covenant Medical Center in Waterloo, She says the bill addresses a big budget problem for hospitals and nursing homes.
The bill passed on an 80-to-17 vote. Representative John Forbes, a Democrat from Urbandale who opposed the bill, says there appeared to be some price gouging going on as healthcare employment agencies responded to workforce vacancies during the pandemic.
None of the House Republicans outlined their reasons for voting for the pay caps during the six-minute-long debate of the bill, which now goes to the Senate for consideration.
“When I traveled, I was better educated and trained than the nurses I worked with...”
Before I spent time in treatment, I had no idea that travelers (sorry, I first think of ‘Irish travelers’ when I hear the term) were a thing. Now every nurse I encounter talks about it, so I guess it’s a pretty common thing.
As others have pointed out, legislation is not the answer.
They still have to pass the NCLEX-RN or LPN, get a credential review, etc.
It sounds like the legislature has thrown taxpayer money at the nursing homes and this is their fix. Maybe a little less vote-buying on the taxpayer’s back would be better.
“ Travel nurses won’t work in Iowa then, if I understand correctly.”
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For sure since they are in high demand just about everywhere in the US.
My daughter is a traveler in Texas, Emergency Room Radiology, she is getting paid more than double than she was as a full time employee at the local Hospital, she was a year ago.
Dumb move.
Am I mistaken in believing that most of these traveling nurses work on a Per Diem basis and do not get benefits and are most likely paid a gross amount without any withholding. If that is true their real wages may already be in line with what full time staff nurses earn. I doubt it is more when the numbers are run.
They will get far fewer nurses who will be willing to leave home for weeks or months at a time, and Iowans will suffer.
It seems very communist. I’m not sure why they feel they need to be democrats.
You’ll have to find ones who have passed the US NCLEX exam, and THOSE aren’t going to work cheaply.
(Married to a Filipina RN).
...because central planning from politicians and bureaucrats has such a great track record.
A lot of traveling nurses are needed in small rural hospitals. People don’t want to move there and the way to get the help they need is pay enough to make it worth it. This says a nurse working in BFE cannot be paid more than 150% of what a nurse in a large city who works close to home makes. Expect to see this changes fairly quickly or rural hospitals to close.
Dumb. Criminally dumb.
I get that hospitals don’t want to pay for help, but this is not the way to help that. Maybe cut back on the bonus for admin.
The GOP is trying to kill themselves.
The reason for that is supply and demand.
Many nurses make very little. So there is a reluctance to enter the field. The gap is supplied by contract workers, who get paid more upfront but don’t have the same benefit package.
The real correct response is to increase the wages of regular workers. The market price for nursing staff is not what most medical providers want to pay, so rather than do the right thing they are doing the socialist thing. And the Iowa GOP fell for it.
This will result in a lot of nursing shortages, and smaller offices and hospitals screaming they will have to shut down.
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