I would like to share my experience regarding the restructuring process implemented by the recent CEO Lynn Boggs at Porter Hospital.
Last November, after working 39 years as an LPN on the medical/surgical unit at Porter Hospital, myself and three other LPN’s were told at a meeting with David Fuller, human resources; Charleen Ryan, vice president of patient care; and Shelley Whitehurst, nurse consultant, that our positions were being eliminated.
Lynn Boggs was not in attendance so I tried to contact her by phone, and even wrote a letter explaining how I’ve seen through the years nurses come for a short period of time, then leave. I was told it cost approximately $20,000 to orient a new employee on the unit. Traveling nurses are also hired, get paid more, and usually work 13-week assignments. I never received a response from her, which I requested.
Ms. Boggs was hired to improve the financial status of the hospital, but while doing so she took away the most important part of the equation: the human factor. LPNs are an integral part of the nursing team and are committed to providing quality patient care.
Wouldn’t it be prudent to retain employees who have many years of experience and knowledge rather than rely on travelers or orient new hires?
I was offered a job at Helen Porter Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, which I accepted, and I’m thankful. This experience will not deter me from giving the kind of patient care that I have always provided.
Brenda Haskell, LPN
Salisbury