registered nurse

nursing assistant

registered nurse - medical / surgical

registered nurse - emergency room

registered nurse - icu

McLaren Health Care

Working in the emergency room provides an opportunity to make a meaningful impact on patients who are in urgent need of care. However, the reality of the job often differs from expectations. While many patients are genuinely in need of medical attention, there are others who may be seeking attention, pain medication, or have been transferred from other facilities due to being difficult to manage. This dynamic can create challenges in providing care, but over time, one becomes accustomed to the fast-paced and unpredictable environment.  It is important to note, however, that often the performance of staff does not always seem to matter as much as what is reflected in the records, which can sometimes overshadow the actual quality of care provided.

A significant issue is the lack of necessary equipment. It’s common for essential equipment to be broken or unavailable, and nurses and techs frequently show remarkable resourcefulness in making do with limited resources. However, this often creates additional stress and can hinder the delivery of the highest standard of care.

Teamwork in the department is mixed. While many staff members are dedicated professionals who are passionate about their work and consistently strive to provide the best care, there are others who do not demonstrate the same level of commitment. Some staff members, particularly techs, may avoid taking on responsibilities, which puts extra pressure on those who are actively involved. Additionally, a few nurses tend to disappear for long periods, leaving the already short-staffed ER nurses to care for patients without immediate support. However, there are also several nurses who go above and beyond, offering exceptional clinical knowledge and a willingness to mentor and share their expertise with colleagues. These dedicated individuals are crucial to maintaining a positive and effective team dynamic.

Training for new hires can sometimes feel rushed, as there is a strong emphasis on getting new staff quickly acclimated to the fast-paced environment. This can leave some feeling less prepared for the role’s demands. While some experienced nurses are available to offer support and guidance, the senior staff may adopt an "eat their young" or "sink or swim" approach. Though this tough method is meant to ensure new nurses can handle the pressures of the job, it may not always be the most effective way to train others.

Management is an area that could benefit from improvement. In the past, there have been instances of unprofessional behavior among management, which has contributed to an unstable work environment. However, a new management team has recently taken charge and seems to be trying to foster a more approachable, "we can be friends but we’re still management" atmosphere. While they encourage staff to voice any concerns, this approach has yet to fully translate into the kind of supportive environment they are aiming for.

Additionally, there have been some issues with a few physicians who seem to prioritize covering their own interests rather than supporting the team. This has resulted in situations where nurses have been unfairly blamed in situations, leading to frustration and, in some cases, causing nurses to leave the department.

Despite these challenges, the pay remains competitive compared to other positions in the area, and the work is both demanding and rewarding. While the job is not for everyone, those who thrive in fast-paced, high-pressure environments will find it to be a fulfilling experience, with ample opportunities to make a real difference in patients' lives. The challenges are significant, but the chance to work alongside passionate, dedicated colleagues makes the experience worthwhile.

I love working at McLaren Lapeer region. I would get in around 6:30 in the morning. When I get in I would print diet orders and labels. The labels would be for the meal tickets. I would do one for each meal for all of my patients that I have which is usually around 40-45. After that, I would check my diets with the breakfast tickets that were filled out the previous day; if there was to be a new patient I would make a ticket for them. While checking my diet orders I would see if there was any tube feeds that were needed for the day (I would bring the tube feed up with the breakfast cart). Around 7 am is when I would start making my breakfast cart. I would all the cold items on the tray, and would call for any hot item I might need, then I would put the tray in my cart. Then I would check diets again, but this time with the unit clerk. After this, I would pass patient trays out (have to ask "what is your name and birthday" with each patient receiving a tray). Now, I would check to see what needed to be restocked in the pantries. I give the patients about an hour to eat, and go pick up all the trays from my patients. If they are not finished I would leave the tray so they could finish. After I bring my cart down 
I would go back upstairs to get menus for lunch. If a patient is done with there meal at that time I would put their tray in the soiled utility until the next time I pick up trays. After I get all the menus, I would go back down to my desk and tally all the hot items for the cooks, and then tally all the salads and cold sandwiches for the person on salads for the day. At that time, I would also write myself a tally with all the pops, side items (side salads, cottage cheese, jello, fruit cups, pudding)- this is so I can have everything ready for lunch time. Then I would repeat everything for dinner time. I usually leave around 7-7:30 at night.
I have learned that even if you have a job that is meant for only one person, it is still a team effort to get everything done. I have noticed by some employees that if you have a bad attitude it could rub off on the patients and other co-workers, so try to stay positive, if you need to take a couple minutes for yourself that is okay. Lastly, I have learned that if one day of work is bad that does not mean your other works days will be as bad as the other day.
All the staff is willing to do what it takes to make sure that all the tasks are completed for the day. Management is all ways there if you need help with your work, just want to chat, or get advice about your personal life. I feel like I could talk to my co-workers or management about anything that is on my mind.
The hardest part of my job would be how many patients I am feeding. Each Catering Associate is suppose to be feeding 30 patients at max. Lately, we have been feeding around 40 on a good day. This makes my job more difficult, but it is still do able. Another hard part of my job is dealing with call ins. Also, there has been a Catering Associate calling off once a day. When there is only three Catering Associates on at a time it makes it hard to do the work of the person that called off. Management does try to help out when they are able to, but they also have all of there things that need to be done. Lastly, the pay is not that great. For me, it is enough to barley get by. It would be nice if McLaren paid all of the hospitals the same (by department). I think employees would be more happy if that would happen.
There are many things that I love about my job. First, I like being able to make the patients feel better by talking to them. I have noticed not all patients have family that would visit while they are in the hospital. I do try to at least talk to them for about 10 minutes a day, I know that does not seem like a lot but it real does help. I also love the management team, they are very good at making their employees feel important. If it is your birthday they will sing to you, at Christmas time there is a party and they buy gifts for all of us. then, there are other times in the year that they surprise us with different things.

Every absence counts against you, there are no excused absences.  You work around sick people and if you get sick, too bad so sad.  You get 10 days and then you are done.  Kids are sick? Too Bad.  Your loved one died?  Too Bad.  You have the flu?  Too Bad.   Your vehicle breaks down? Too Bad.  You have to pick up your kids because their school has a bomb threat?  Too Bad.  Your child has an accident at school and broke their arm?  Too Bad.
They want you there working at 7 minutes before the hour you are scheduled, but you aren’t paid until the top of the hour.  They tell you that it is your responsibility to be logged in, open all the programs you will be using, and be ready to work at the time you are scheduled.  If you are supposed to start at 8am, then you need to be working 7 minutes prior, but NOT be paid because the Kronos time keeping system will not pay you until 8am.  They also want you to work right up to 5pm taking calls on the patient jump line, which is open 9-5, but in order to finish helping the patient and close all the programs and punch out it takes you another 6-7 minutes of which you are NOT paid because Kronos will bump you back to 5pm clock out.  There is no overtime allowed either, so they want you to work FREE 14 minutes a day and that equal 1 hour and 10 minutes of YOUR life every week that you are not being paid.  Nice right?  Who cares about you?  It's all about them.  This organization takes and takes and takes from you, but doesn't want to give back.  
You are forced to use any accumulated vacation time when you miss ANY scheduled hours for any reason, so basically you can't take a real vacation with your time because there isn't any available because they apply it at their discretion instead of giving you the choice of using it or not.
They consider you tardy at one minute past your scheduled time, no exceptions.
I have never worked anywhere that you don't have a cushion of at least 5 minutes before being counted tardy.
They will not allow you to request a day off in advance if you do not have vacation hours at the time of your request, even if you will have the hours available by the time the requested day comes up.  If there is a doctor’s appointment that you have had in place and can't switch with someone to have the day off, you have to keep rescheduling your appointment.  Some specialists are booked six or more months out, so it is nearly impossible for you to keep any important appointments.
You only get 30 minutes for lunch, so you can't work any errands into your lunch break.  You do not get any additional 10 or 15 minute breaks either.
Dealing with the insurance companies to get prior authorizations for patients in place before their procedures is very stressful and you are yelled at if a patient gets through without one.  They are constantly picking at you about little things that you did incorrectly ( even if you had no clue you doing it wrong because of bad training), but never give you credit for everything you are doing right.
You only get small percentage raises on the pay (currently $12.91 per hour) that you hire in at, so you will NOT get anything more no matter how long you work there.
The work itself is very tedious, they want you to collect money from patients over the phone, and if you don't meet the quota, it is counted against you at your performance review.

I loved my job in the fast paced life of the ER at Mclaren Macomb.  A typical day, usually wasn't "Typical" at all.  You ever knew what was coming through the door next. After all, it was a Trauma Center, and that's what I loved about it!  

  I would come in, sign in on our computer system, and get started.  Where ever there was a flashing light next to a room number on my mobile computer, that's where you would find me. If I wasn't there, I was in the Trauma room identifying a patient, and getting further information. 

  While in my ten years in the ER I learned a lot of things. As an example, we were taught to look for signs of heart attack in our patients.  As we know, some conditions are worse than others, and need to be handled with quick and precise medical treatment.  If I didn't understand something about a medical condition I could always ask and a Physician or nurse, and they would explain it to me.  After all, Mclaren is a teaching hospital!    

   There was day Supervision, and afternoon supervision.  They would check in with staff occasionally to see how things were running. If we needed further assistance it would usually be provided (unless we were short staffed).

  The key is teamwork!  I had a good set of co-workers that were on my shift.  At times, it was stressful when volume was high.  We all worked hard as a team, and helped each other out as much as possible, until the job was done, and patients were being cared for.

  The hardest part of my job in the ER was seeing family members grieve after learning their loved one had passed away.  Our desks were right by the "Green Room" as we called it.  That's where family members were ushered upon arrival, and where Physicians had to deliver the horrible news.  Some of the deaths were horrific, some things I will never forget.  As staff, the only thing we could do was try to comfort the grieving family members as best as we could, and (when it was time) assist them into the Trauma room to see their deiced loved one.  

  The most enjoyable part of my job was never knowing what was going to come in next!  It kept the day moving at a brisk pace, we were always busy. I also like to work with the public, I am a people person!

I managed an occupational health clinic where we faced significant challenges, primarily due to the limitations of our software. Unfortunately, the system is not user-friendly, and even minor errors—such as accidentally clicking "cancel" instead of closing a window—have led to the termination of otherwise competent employees. This created a stressful work environment where staff often felt on edge, fearing job loss over small mistakes.

The clinic operated under a very high patient load, compounded by the inefficiencies of the systems we were required to use. The constant pressure, combined with these systemic issues, contributed to a tense and overwhelming atmosphere.

Leadership, particularly at the mid-senior levels, seemed disconnected from the realities of the day-to-day operations. Despite being informed that employee retention issues stemmed from long hours, strict policies (such as not allowing any flexibility for call-ins), and the denial of lunch breaks during 12-hour shifts, the response was typically defensive. Constructive feedback was often met with reprimands rather than solutions.

The leadership culture, especially at the mid-level, was problematic. New employees often experienced unnecessary conflicts with their managers, leading to high turnover. This lack of support for new hires made it difficult to retain staff for more than a couple of months.

Additionally, there is a noticeable absence of male employees across our locations, which raises questions about the hiring process. While it’s unclear whether this is specific to the occupational health department or a broader issue, it’s an odd dynamic worth noting.

Overall, the work environment was highly challenging due to a combination of systemic inefficiencies, leadership issues, and questionable policies. Addressing these concerns could significantly improve employee morale, retention, and operational efficiency.

Work is typically very busy because hiring new employees needs to have documentation to prove a need which even though you have documentation and staffing level data, still nothing will happen unless one of the over paid conultants say it is ok.

Numerous employees with 35+ years of service are leaving for various reasons that senior management does not appear to care. I personally have heard as well as been told by other employees, it is to bad they are leaving but we can find a replacement. ( One employee even commented that this would be her last management meeting (ODT) and was told not to make any rash decisions, talk to the COO first, her reply - I already have and was wished good luck.
From our EVS employees to our middle management employees, there is still the Patient First feeling, we know we owe them the best care and will always provide it for them, so anyone.coming through the front doors or through ER, please know you will get our best care because you are more important than our problems with senior administration. We enjoy that part of our jobs, we just don't plan on any thanks or communication of appreciation from the top 3 admininstrators when you leave after giving numerous years and hours of yourself. You will hear them asking for your money though for there new "State of Art" hospital. Ask lots of questions what they consider "State of Art" then check with other hospitals before you donate you hard earned money or if you know a hospital emploee closely ask them what they feel. Ask about parking, ask what they are doing to improve safety and security. What about parking, are they going to control employees who illegally park and taking prime parking from the cancer patients, OB patients, seniors and other visitors.

Typical Shifts are 7:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 a.m.  If you clock in too early you will be docked that time off of your pay card. If you clock in too late you may face backlash as well.  You are supposed to get 4 (15-minute breaks) and a 1/2 hour lunch, but good luck getting them. The cafeteria food is decent, but expensive. 
You can opt in or out of the union. I recommend opting in. Medical, dental and optical is offered, but extremely expensive and they charge you more if you are part time and want healthcare coverage.  The hourly pay for general staff is extremely lacking . I have a bachelor's degree and started out at $15 an hour. I know housekeepers that started out at $12. Pretty much, if you are not a doctor or a nurse, you probably are barely scraping by. The hospital is a revolving door of employees. You are allowed 4 absences per year before getting a write up and will then, be threatened with termination. On my unit, if I ask for a day off or a schedule change, it is an automatic "NO" unless I find another tech to switch with me.  They will hire you part time, but want you available 24/7. They do not work well with parents that have kids or individuals that have second jobs. I LOVE my co-workers and the patients and LOVE working with and helping people, but corporate and management have zero compassion and could care less. The hardest part is not making enough money and having to deal with management. The easiest and most enjoyable part is helping and working with the patient. Also, equipment is outdated or in disrepair  making some job tasks difficult. After one year you can get FMLA if their is a need, but doctors submit claims and FMLA states they never receive them, causing more problems. Claims are often denied and then re-submitted before being approved. This causes tons of extra stress and extra paperwork. 

A typical day started at 7am to review physician office appointment schedules;  morning staff huddle to outline activities for the day and ensure we were all on the same page.  This role (practice manager) solidified for me the meaning of "TEAM" and the importance of listening and relying on each other. My co-workers (practice staff and other practice managers) were wonderful.  We would share ideas without hesitation.  The work environment at times was strained by staffing limitation and lack of cross-trained personnel but each practice manager would help the others out.  A cross-training program was implemented throughout the 2 practice managers I worked with and this aided in the coverage.  The hardest part of the job was not always being able to make a difference in the patient lives; the staff lives.  I wanted to be sure we were all able to achieve our personnel and professional goals which is not always possible. T
The most enjoyable time was seeing a patient finish their treatment with success and "graduate" with the ringing of the bell!  Watching the faces of the staff as we celebrated the event. Another part of my role was to work with staff members having a hard time with the patient population and then see them mature to being some of the most involved, caring, empathetic and supportive staff members. The people I worked with could not have been better- everyone wanted the best for each patient and each other.  We were a team and most of all a family.

If you want to loose your respiratory skills, this is the department for you. You will not use your RT skills.  You will be a neb jockey and a vent knob turner.  You will be told what to do from nursing and will have little respect from the Pulmonary doctors. Nursing will demand breathing treatments on everyone without understanding the side effects of a bronchodilator or a therapy and also will write you up if you don’t think it’s best for the patient. It’s workplace bullying at its finest.  RTs even bully each other because no one is kept on the similar skill set and there is no expectations for continued learning.  One RT will be getting slammed while other RTs sit in the department reading or sleeping. Nobody is held accountable because this is the way it has been for years and it won’t change.  Very few coworkers actually work together well, without writing each other up for pitty things.  TONS of write ups from coworkers and the hospitals nursing management actually encourages this hostel behavior.  If RT has a write up from anything, the RT management doesn’t stand up for her own department, and there has been situations where management was physically there and they had to continue the investigation.   There is no support from
Management, daily workplace bullying, no teamwork, and low workplace morel due to older coworkers that refuse to change for the better of the department.  Management continues to cut RT positions here as the RTs can’t justify what they do because there is very minimal charting to be done and refuse to actually spend time and perform specific therapies with their patients.  If you are starting in your career, this is not the environment for you.  Also, there is never any incentive pay being offered, even though nursing gets it daily.  This is a very unhealthy and unprofessional department to work for. 

I have worked at Mclaren Port Huron for years now, and I find that anyone in the management area are completely self serving. They strive for the numbers they want and just step on the backs of the employees. Very accusitory without proof. The training that is given, IF it is given is only offered to the favored employees, they promote RN's that have very little experience in the position and they never look at how that nurse actually works before giving it to them. They will listen to the complaints of the nurses, then just throw the complaint in the trash. None of the problems at Mclaren Port Huron with staff are EVER fixed. Management makes huge promises then never follows through. If they see a problem with a nurse or even have an idea on how a nurse can improve their work, they ignore it until there are complaints and they just write them up instead of being proactive and trying to improve the person. Management goes out of their way to make you look like the worst employee ever. They promote that the hospital is a place where you feel like you are family, but it is complete bullcrap. The few nurses that are there who try their hardest to be a good nurse because they truly want the best care for their patients are the ones that get stepped on the most because they aren't the managements favorite. No one gets rotated so they get the experience they need in all areas, only the favored. Experience means nothing.  Complaining does nothing. CNO, CMO, any other C_O does nothing to respond to employees wanting to meet or improve the workplace.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Registered nurse 95 salaries reported	$43.08 per hour
Nursing assistant 18 salaries reported	$19.31 per hour
Registered nurse - medical / surgical 47 salaries reported	$43.86 per hour
Registered nurse - emergency room 49 salaries reported	$44.52 per hour
Registered nurse - icu 28 salaries reported	$44.67 per hour

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