Most of the nursing literature has overlooked the role of unions and collective bargaining in the healthcare field. In this regard, most of the literature has focused on issues such as best practices and evidence-based practices. However, it is imperative to note that nursing like other fields requires the protection of the workers’ rights. Hospital unions are essential in solving some of the workplace issues that affect the performance of a nurse (Litwin, 2017). For instance, hospital unions are crucial in addressing nursing shortages, which greatly degrade the working condition of the nurses.
Furthermore, there is a need for nurses to be motivated through the appropriate compensation and reward system. Individual nurses may not have the authority to argue for minimum wages. However, unions and the concept of collective bargaining are instrumental in ensuring that the nurses are provided with the ideal salary packages (Sojourner, Frandsen, Town, Grabowski, & Chen, 2015). Furthermore, unions and collective bargaining also highlight why it is important for nurses to be provided with some benefits that are considered as standards in the market. Consequently, the absence of unions and collective bargaining means that the hospital has the power of dictating the salaries and accordingly nurses do not have the motivation to perform optimally (Coombs, Newman, Cebula, & White, 2015).
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In this regard, nurses should have a meaningful authority over the policies that influence their provision of healthcare services. In addition, unions and collective bargaining also help employers to engage in the right recruitment and training strategies that will reduce the employee turnover rates. Nevertheless, unionization and collective bargaining are influential in ensuring that the wellbeing of the nurses is protected and subsequently they can execute their duties of caring for the patients in an efficient manner.
References
Coombs, C. K., Newman, R. J., Cebula, R. J., & White, M. L. (2015). The Bargaining Power of Health Care Unions and Union Wage Premiums for Registered Nurses. Journal of Labor Research , 36 (4), 442-461.
Litwin, A. S. (2017). Collective Bargaining and Technological Investment: The Case of Nurses’ Unions and the Transition from Paper‐Based to Electronic Health Records. British Journal of Industrial Relations , 55 (4), 802-830.
Sojourner, A. J., Frandsen, B. R., Town, R. J., Grabowski, D. C., & Chen, M. M. (2015). Impacts of unionization on quality and productivity: Regression discontinuity evidence from nursing homes. ILR Review , 68 (4), 771-806.
