Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.
Issue link: http://outpatientsurgery.uberflip.com/i/625030
Seeking out new employment opportunities is one possible solution to an inequitable salary. But some respondents note that one's own person- al circumstances or preferences might limit her ability or motivation to pursue those opportunities. The prospects of traveling longer distances to, or relocating for, work, or of considering a job switch with just a few years to retirement, commonly cause hesitation to start again elsewhere. "I considered a change, but while it would improve my salary, I would lose 25 years of seniority and benefits," says one hospital manager. Keep in mind, though, that no obstacle is insurmountable if the opportunity truly appeals to you. Even when higher-salaried positions exist nearby, many respondents — especially those at ASCs — say they're unwilling to trade away their preferred work situations and schedules. "I'm a nurse, aren't we always looking? But no nights or weekends here," says a charge nurse at a Texas ASC. Jackie Dayton, RN, the nursing supervisor at the Surgery Center of Ophthalmology Consultants in Fort Wayne, Ind., recalls taking a pay cut when she left her former hospital for the ophthalmic ASC in 1997, but she also gave up working overnights, call, holidays and weekends. "I traded a lot for that $8 an hour," she says. "I could easily make more money at a hospital facility, but I'm sure my stress would increase and my satisfaction would decrease. My happiness at my job is everything to me." Way back when, Ms. Dayton became a nurse in order to care for sur- gical patients. Even as her career led her into management, patient care was still at the top of the to-do list. Then the 3 physicians at the Surgery Center of Ophthalmology Consultants became 5, and the baby- boom generation's need for cataract surgery booked up the OR sched- ule. The Fort Wayne, Ind., ASC outgrew its waiting room 10 years ago. "I used to be able to do my role as a manager and also as a staff member at the same time," says Ms. Dayton, the center's nursing super- 4 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6