registered nurse

surgical technician

nurse technician

registration

nurse

Aspirus Health

On a normal day VNA workers will drive ourselves to a client's home and assist with any number of chores or activities, from housework and shopping to outings, personal cares such as baths and assistance with medication or wound management, and act as the "eyes and ears" of nurses and social workers by verifying the client's safety and progress. At times, we also do respite care and hospice/end of life care. I have worked in all of these contexts, including helping around 5 individuals pass peacefully, reporting at least two incidents of domestic violence or elder abuse, and often have to pay special attention to a client's home and personal status, take detailed records, and report factual evidence to social workers and nurses, in addition to helping with physical therapy and wound care, such as dressing and applying medicines. One memorable case was when I found an infection that doctors, nurses and family members missed and could have cost my client her foot.
I gained a strong foundation of medical and social service knowledge as I became familiar with my clients' financial and social needs, such as how they paid for care, what they were going through physically and emotionally, and how to communicate with family. Often, I have worked as impromptu/informal insurance agent, emergency medical technician, social worker, counselor, and crisis manager.
My supervisor is an outstanding individual. Barb is kind and gentle with words, yet assertive in getting both clients and workers what they need. Several times she has gone above and beyond to find me additional hours. While Aspirus's mission is one I strongly relate to (Passion for excellence, compassion for people), it also, admittedly, provides little job security (in my position, while the rest of the company enjoys low turnover), lower pay than other companies in our field, and at times a very high-stress and frustrating job, Barb works to help the caregivers be caregivers as much as she serves the clients. I remember a time when after a particularly abusive client verbally abused me, Barb put a nice note and a gift card for coffee in my mailbox, after she met me at the door with a hug.
My coworkers are a diverse bunch, and while we don't usually see each other we all have the client's best interests in mind. We communicate clearly via notebooks in clients' homes since we don't see each other, and only once in about 5 years of working for Aspirus have I ever had a dispute with a co-worker, which was quickly and constructively resolved. On the contrary, while I haven't met many of my coworkers (we are often not in the same place at the same time), there have been numerous times in which clients are behaving inappropriately and my coworkers and I have defended each other, especially when the co-worker in a given situation is to shy to approach the client. This is, of course, generally when clients are being inappropriate, either verbally or physically, due to a specific trait of a given worker - shy, ethnically different, have an accent, etc. In cases where clients confide in a worker that another worker was behaving inappropriately, in all cases I am aware of the worker has taken that case to our supervisor, Barb, who has investigated it and acted appropriately. In no case, to my knowledge, have my coworkers bad-mouthed a coworker or supervisor, even while they had ample opportunity too.
The hardest part of my job is working with clients who are abusing the system. More than once have I had a care plan that claimed this client was incapable of certain activities which I see them perform with ease, they tell me straight out they are lying to get more benefits, they are seeking benefits for attention and a real issue is not being addressed, or, rarely, an individual who is intentionally harming themselves for the purpose of gaining benefits, which are paid for by the state in most cases. In such cases I take detailed, factual notes (forgoing my opinion) and make suggestions for more appropriate action that the social worker or case manager may have missed, due to large caseloads or client dishonesty.
However, this is rare, and while some may consider the most difficult cases - those that require 24/7 full care, hospice, dementia, or other intensive care - I consider it the best part of my job. If I must work hard, then my work is meaningful and I am making a difference in my client's life, either by helping them heal, live to the best of their potential, or pass this life with comfort. Often I have asked my supervisor to please give me those cases, because it is there I feel most useful, learn the most, and grow the most.

They offer 9:30am- 6pm morning start times for new hires. Every other weekend/holiday required for new hires. 8am-4:30pm start times and every 3rd weekend/ holiday available by seniority. 4pm- 12:30am for night shift. After 4pm, you are paid an extra $1 per hour. Starting pay was $11.40/ hr. Overtime was offered but had to be approved first by signing up, first come first served.
Duties: Day Shift cleaned patient rooms, discharged rooms, emergency rooms, nurses stations, public bathrooms, stairwells, break rooms, waiting rooms, handled biohazard and chemical waste, etc.
Night Shift cleaned public bathrooms, locker rooms, labs, offices, emergency rooms, operating rooms, etc. 
Most new hires are floaters and placed wherever is needed in the hospital. However, if a department opens up. Who ever signs up first keeps the department as their assigned spot for all shifts. Unless they relinquish it after 3 months.

Pros: great benefits- offered tuition reimbursement, retirement, dental/ vision/ healthcare (even domestic partner care), PTO, paternity/maternity leave, workman's comp, and much more. Co-workers are pretty awesome and always try to help each other out. You can transfer into another department after 6 months for another department in the hospital. You have at least 1 week of training. You have to take two 1-week vacations in the year to use up your PTO. Weeks are decided by seniority.

Cons: lots of turnover, understaffed, and overworked. Work for night shift as they have the most staff. Days are very understaffed. Mondays, Fridays, and weekends are the worst as most staff are scheduled off for those days. When understaffed, it was common to get 2-3 different areas of the hospital to clean, which were hard to finish within our shift. Especially if there were a lot of discharged rooms we were called for. Most of the rooms did not have equipment and hazardous waste taken out by the nurses or cna's (this is their job), which made cleaning discharge rooms take longer. Very poor communication with other hospital departments. Management would sit in their offices instead of assisting workers on busy days. A few times, the department would adopt a new way of cleaning without training or informing senior employees. So you didn't know if you were doing something the right way until you were spoken to. Sometimes you'd get a rude patient, but there were also plenty of kind patients to clean for.

Unrealistic Expectations and Overwhelming Workloads: Employees are regularly expected to operate at full capacity, resulting in undue pressure and burnout, with the IT department bearing the heaviest burden.

Return-to-Work Mandates Lacking Structure: The return-to-office policies are enforced without clear guidelines, strategic communication, or comprehensive execution plans, leaving employees uncertain about expectations.

Fragmented Communication and Collaboration: There is a significant lack of cohesive communication and cross-team collaboration, resulting in inefficiencies and missed opportunities for synergy.

Insufficient Recognition for Employee Contributions: Employee achievements are seldom acknowledged unless their work is prominently visible or directly aligned with leadership's current priorities.

Absence of Empathy During Organizational Changes: The company demonstrates a noticeable lack of empathy and humility towards employees, particularly during acquisitions or "partnerships," which are often communicated with little regard for employee well-being.

Erosion of Employee Trust: A prevailing narrative of distrust between employees and leadership has emerged, exacerbated by the issues mentioned above, which further undermines morale and engagement.

Financial Prioritization at the Cost of Quality: While financial considerations are understandable in light of the challenges facing the healthcare industry, the prioritization of profit has come at the expense of quality care and long-term employee retention.

One CNA for an Entire ICU.  For the most part my RNs were excellent to me, but there were others that couldn't operate without me.  The hardest part of my job was knowing more than your average CNA, as I was in Paramedic School at the time.  Having a CNA with their ACLS when some of your RNs don't have it, isn't great.  The most enjoyable part of my job was being able to assist in ICU Procedures, and learn from my Nurses, RTs, and Intensive Doctors.  The hardest part of the job was learning time management, and telling my Nurses 'No' when I was assisting other Nurses.  The Management watched me like a hawk, and only ever pointed out the negatives in my work.  A typical day would be to get in at 7am, and get report from the night aid. Before you even get to do a Par check on supplies, RNs are asking for your help, trying to get their requests in before other RNs because there's only one of you.  And if you go to help the RNs before your Par Check, you'll get yelled at for the Supplies not being stocked.  Most of the RNs are good about using equipment for boosting and lifting, but some RNs prefer the "old" way of doing things and will have you risking your back doing lifts that are no longer the Gold Standard.  The RNs don't understand how hard of a job this is mentally and physically, and often you will run from one room to the next assisting with cares for hours on end.  I had a heart of gold before I started this job, and finished having injured my knee and back, and being mad at the RNs that I worked with for using and abusing me to the point that I no longer wanted to be a CNA.

I don't even know where to start. Working here has been a lesson in frustration. Here’s why:
HR is a mess – They don’t communicate. Ever. It's impossible to get a straight answer. Emails are ignored. Questions go unanswered. 


No leadership – Managers are completely out of touch. No support, no guidance, no clear direction. Just a lot of “figure it out” and "just do your job." 


Constant turnover – People are quitting left and right... And it’s obvious why. The lack of respect for employees is glaring. 


Unorganized – The company has zero structure. Nothing’s planned. Everything is chaotic and reactionary. No one knows what’s going on or who to report to. 


No growth opportunities – If you’re looking for advancement, forget it. They promise growth, but it’s all talk. No effective development programs or promotions. 


Toxic work culture – There’s a lot of gossip, backstabbing, and passive-aggressive behavior. No one knows how to address issues professionally. 


Inconsistent policies – The rules change daily, and nobody can explain why. One day you’re told one thing, the next day it’s something completely different. There’s no consistency or accountability. 


No recognition – Hard work is ignored. If you do a good job, don’t expect recognition. The focus is on who you know, not what you do.

Title: Challenging Work Environment with High Turnover

I worked as a phlebotomist at this company, and my experience was quite tough. The main management was rarely present during the night shift, leading to a lack of supervision. Unfortunately, workplace gossip was prevalent among coworkers, even for someone like me who avoids such discussions.

One notable issue was the constant complaining, even over minor matters like requesting an extra shift after training. The workplace culture was unfriendly, with instances of bullying, making it difficult for coworkers to get along. Moreover, the supervisor's occasional verbal abuse created a hostile atmosphere.

It's worth noting that the supervisor is known for downplaying the issues, claiming that "a lot of the people that were a problem are gone." However, this is misleading, as the workplace culture persists, leading to a high turnover of employees. Potential applicants should be aware of these challenges before considering a position at this company. My review is based on my personal experience, and I hope it provides valuable insights for others.

If you love working in a toxic environment where you are just a number, then this is the employer for you. If you love seeing patients get treated like a dollar sign instead of a human, then this is definitely where you want to work. Horrible benefits that barely cover basics and extremely limited network. When they took over our hospital, dozens of upper management left in droves, other employees left quickly or retired early. Everything is cold, corporate, and robotic. They fire you for trivial or made up reasons after you put in a 2 week notice. They are also money hungry and will tell you that you aren't a profit earning department so you have to cut costs, which includes getting rid of completely necessary positions that they feel aren't needed.  They expect you to work with less staff than is actually needed. Main campus micromanages absolutely everything and will randomly stop in to tell you you're doing stuff wrong and give you a convoluted way of doing a simple process. 

Working in registration will teach and show you a lot about the healthcare industry if you are someone who doesn't have a degree/training in actual healthcare. You get to see the crazy things that happen in the emergency room and gain a great appreciation for doctors and nurses. That being said (especially during COVID), they expect ALOT out of you - often times you are the only person registering ER patients during the peak times of the day and you will have multiple emergency visits piling up, as you have to screen patients and let them in the door when there are no COVID screeners, check them in, and run back to get the next person. Often times it is incredibly stressful due to the fact that these are EMERGENCIES and there is only one person to even LET THEM IN. This is the worst part of the job, aside from people being sick on the floor or bleeding all over. It is crazy that people are forced to line up at the door when they have emergencies. Other than that, you will be multitasking alot, answering phones, and preregistering people, but that is all manageable busy work. Pay is pretty good, hours can be all over the place.

Do you like having your benefits taken away? Do you like expensive insurance?  Do you like being insulted with cheap branded items in lieu of bonuses? Do you like working in a field that requires a degree but pays like retail? 
If you answered yes, then Aspirus is for you.
As Aspirus grows they have froze wages while slashing staff. 
If you're lucky, with an excellent evaluation you'll see an annual 2-3% wage increase. No spot bonuses. In fact bonuses only come when news of large upper management bonuses leak to the news channels. 
Insurance is ridiculously expensive. 
Paid holidays, sick days, bereavement, etc all come out of your PTO. 
Once an employee hits 15-20 years they are likely to have met both the salary and PTO cap.
Observed holidays have been taken away and the only offices closed on Good Friday, Christmas eve, etc are those that don't generate revenue  (i.e. HR, CEO, CFO) all under the guise of patient care. You read that right, only the highest paid people with the most comfortable offices are gifted that luxury. 
My department management and team are fantastic and the only reason I work a stressful job for fast food wages.
Aspirus cares - about money, not you.

Typical work day can consist of traveling to multiple sites.  Management was top heavy,  micromanaged, and basically treated their NP/PA as children, do as you are told mentality. As a provider, I was performing 5 people jobs and getting paid for one, as I was doing the clerks job, MA job, lab collection,  cleaning the room, and discharging them.   For those considering employment in similar environments, it's crucial to: •	Seek out detailed reviews from current and former employees. 	Ask specific questions during the interview process about support staff, management structure, expectations around travel, and how decisions are made within the team.•	Clarify any promises about job conditions or support in writing within the job contract.


Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Registered nurse 6 salaries reported	$72,333 per year
Surgical technician 57 salaries reported	$17.25 per hour
Nurse technician 20 salaries reported	$18.00 per hour
Registration 28 salaries reported	$19.57 per hour
Nurse 5 salaries reported	$48.27 per hour

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