HPS Per Diem Substitute Nurse Pay Rate Increase
HPS Per Diem (Substitute) Nurse Pay Rate Increase Proposal Lee Waingortin, BSN, RN, CCM, NCSN Director of Nursing Hudson School Committee Meeting March 15, 2017
Per Diem School Nurses are Essential • Absences • Field trips • Complete mandated health screenings • Supportive -student meetings (IST, 504, IEP) -teaching -data collection
Per Diem School Nurse Responsibilities • Administer medications and treatments • Provide care for acute and chronic health conditions • Provide emergency care for injuries or illnesses • Communicate with parents/guardians, health care providers and staff • Follow individualized health care plans and 504’s for students • Document all medications, treatments, student encounters and communications
Current HPS Per Diem Profile • • 4 Active 3 employed in hospitals (high pay rate) 1 employed as school nurse Longevity: 2 of our PD Nurses have been HPS subs for over 5 years
Results From School Spring Postings FY 17 • 5 Applicants • 1 hired • 1 pending hire
Reasons for Lack of Per Diem Nurses
1. Limited Pool of Registered Nurses • Aging Population of RNs -Over half of all RNs in U. S. are age 53 or older -One third of MA RNs are between 56 -65 year of age (retirement age) • Majority of RNs are working full time Sources: (BLS 2011), ( MDPH, 2016)
2. High Salaries for Registered Nurses Massachusetts is the 3 rd highest paying state for registered nurses after California and Hawaii $43/hour -Average hourly rate (MA) (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016)
3. Minimum Qualifications • Licensed as RN • Minimum of 2 -3 years of Nursing experience required -School Nursing/Pediatric/Community Health • Current CPR/AED and First Aid certification • Computer skills, including use of electronic health record software, SNAP • Prefer Candidates with: -Bachelor of Science in Nursing -DESE license as School Nurse Schoolspring. com
4. Competition with other Districts • All share same geographic pool of qualified RNs • Per Diems may work for several school districts limiting availability • Higher paying districts may attract and retain more candidates
Per Diem School Nurses are our Future School Nurses In the past 3 years five HPS Per Diem Nurses became school nurses One per diem is now our Quinn/Farley Nurse
Daily Per Diem RN Rate Comparison HPS rate : Central MA : $120/day ($16/hr) $143 (CM SNL Poll, 2016) Marlboro Public Schools : $150 day Average nursing agency fee $392 ($56/hr)
Low Per Diem Pay Ø Deterrent to potential applicants ØThreatens loss of current subs ØOut of line with professional compensation ØCompetes with child care costs
Reasons to Increase Pay Rate 1. Increase number of per diem school nurses 2. Retain current per diem employees 3. Attract qualified, experienced nurses to care for our students 4. Minimize burn-out
Rationale • In order to provide adequate nursing coverage we need to increase and then maintain the number of trained, experienced PD SNs • Offer a competitive and professionally aligned rate that reflects the nurse’s experience and the substantial responsibilities • Frequently, PD SNs are required only a few hours a day, not resulting in the full daily PD rate • Minimal increased cost to district -DPH grant funding supplements majority of district per diem budget for substitute school nurses (through end of FY 19).
Questions?
- Slides: 16