National Nurses United

M AY | J U N E 2 0 1 7 W W W . N A T I O N A L N U R S E S U N I T E D . O R G N A T I O N A L N U R S E 11 WRAP-UP REPORT California ST. ROSE HOSPITAL rns at st. rose Hospital in Hayward approved a new contract in May that includes important gains in economic secu- rity, significant improvements in healthcare benefits, and an improved orientation program for new nurse graduates. The agreement, which covers 300 nurses over a four-year term, will enhance the hospital's ability to retain and recruit RNs after years of significant loss of nursing staff to other hospitals in the region. St. Rose provides care for up to 15 percent of the most indigent residents of Alameda County and has turned over half of its nursing staff over the past four years. "Quality patient care very much depends on the retention of experienced nursing staff," said Patricia Mathews, a medical-surgical RN. "We are very proud of this agreement because it will support us in providing quality care to our community." KECK MEDICINE OF USC registered nurses at Keck Hospital of USC and USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center voted overwhelmingly in May to ratify a new four-year contract covering around 1,110 nurses at the USC facilities. Besides conceding no takeaways, the agreement secures important patient protections, helps recruit and retain experienced nurses, and provides critical educational opportunities for nurses. "Our number-one job is to advocate for our patients, and we're so proud that we were able to use our collective voice to win an agreement that will benefit patient care in our community for years to come," said Richard Kibler, RN. "With everything that's happen- ing politically, nowadays, having strong work- er protections is more important than ever, and this is a big win for nurses and our patients." Among other staffing improve- ments, USC will now hire additional "resource nurses" who are scheduled as back- up/assistance for RNs in the event of an influx of severely injured or ill patients. Nurses will also enjoy across-the-board wage increases of at least 15 percent, making the facility more competitive in wages for the region. Kentucky and West Virginia registered nurses at nine Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) hospitals in Kentucky and West Virginia voted by an overwhelming majority in May to ratify a contract they say will help recruit and retain the most qualified nurses for communities served by the hospitals and lead to improved patient care. The three-year agreement covers about 700 RNs represented by National Nurses United. "We worked hard to negotiate this agreement, and I'm proud of nurses for standing strong in the name of quality patient care," said Anita Jones, RN, of Hazard ARH Regional Medical Center, in Hazard, Ky. Contract highlights include a new wage scale to help recruit and retain experienced regis- tered nurses, as well as improved paid time off and call-back pay. Ohio registered nurses from Affinity Medical Center in Massillon, Ohio held a food drive May 1 in response to hospital management's decision to discontinue stocking snacks for patients in nursing units—a move that's harmful to patients, say RNs. "By not providing snacks for our diabetic patients, and now removing much of the snack food from the floor, the hospital puts our patients at risk for dangerously low blood sugars during the night and early morning hours," said Michelle Offenberger RN, of the medical telemetry unit. Other nurses reported delays in medication administration due to a lack of applesauce or pudding, which is used to give crushed medications to patients with impaired swal- lowing. Snacks are also useful to provide nutri- tion and comfort for patients who may be so fatigued or nauseated that they are unable to eat an entire meal. Nurses also reported that it has become exceedingly difficult to secure bereavement trays for family members at the bedside of patients who are dying. Two weeks prior to the food drive, the hospital notified nurses that, in order to cut costs, it would no longer be stocking snacks and all snacks must be ordered by patients along with their meal trays, even though some patients may not be capable of ordering or may be away from their rooms for labs or tests during ordering times. This change came on the heels of dramatic cuts to support staff at Affinity in March. The hospital is owned by Quorum Health Corporation, a spin-off created by the troubled Community Health Systems hospital chain. —Staff report From left: USC nurses cheer ratification of a new contract; Affinity Medical Center RNs in Ohio show donations from a food drive they held after the hospital stopped stocking snacks for patients.

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