Uniforms

WSNA is aware that nurses are being asked to remove or cover up their WSNA clothing.  The contract is clear - nurses are allowed to wear WSNA insignia.  Please refer to the back of the contract to a Memorandum of Understanding titled "Staff Nurse Uniform Policy" - "Nurses shall be permitted to wear Union insignia."  Your officers raised this at Conference Committee last week but did not receive a response from the hospital so a grievance has been filed. If you are asked to remove or cover your WSNA uniform, you should ask if failing to do so would result in discipline.  If the answer is yes, you should follow the instruction and reach out to WSNA. You can find your contract here.

Per Diems and holidays

At least some per diems were notified this week that the hospital is implementing a new policy that per diems must sign up for holidays. Per diem requirements are clearly listed in the contract and the hospital is not permitted to unilaterally implement such a policy.  WSNA has not received a response from management about this issue so will be moving forward with a grievance on this matter.

Staffing law enforcement

Starting July 1, the hospital must track and report to DOH when a unit is out of compliance with its staffing plan.  Unfortunately, VMFH has made the decision to only track staffing at the beginning of a shift and not throughout a shift.  Per DOH, hospitals are required to maintain compliance with their staffing plan throughout each shift and must document every time its staffing is out of compliance.  This includes the use of break buddies because using a break buddy system would take a unit out of compliance with its staffing plan while one nurse is relieved of duty and another nurse took on that nurse's patients.  Capturing a snapshot of staffing only at the start of a shift would not show if there were admissions that resulted in a need for more staffing, if nurse or PCT was floated off the unit, if break buddies were utilized or if for instance if a PCT converted to a sitter which removed them from the staffing on the unit.  Despite the hospital being provided with information from DOH including the reporting forms which clearly state, "compliance is to be maintained throughout each shift," management is refusing to comply.  Stay tuned as WSNA continues to work to resolve this matter.

What can you do to help?  Please report the use of break buddies using the QR code found at the timeclocks and/or fill out an ADO. If your staffing is not in compliance with your unit staffing plan, please fill out an ADO. Please note, many units have resource nurses and IVT noted in the "other" section of the staffing plan. Yes, the hospital must staff these roles as identified in the staffing plan to maintain compliance. Please fill out ADOs if these staff are missing on a shift.  You can find your unit's staffing plan under the hospital staffing plan here:  https://doh.wa.gov/sites/default/files/hospital-policies/VirginiaMasonMedicalNS.pdf

Questions?  Contact one of your officers or your nurse representative.

In solidarity,
Chair - Hannah Collins-Lewis
Vice Chair - Michael Salters
Secretary - Kimberly Travis-Carter
Grievance Officer - Kim Adekoya
Staffing Co-Chair – Nicole Vernon
WSNA Nurse Rep Sara Frey, sfrey@wsna.org