Lovella Flores
509-460-1264
Posted Jun 30, 2023
The officers brought Big Wheezy’s delicious BBQ for the RNs to enjoy for this year’s Nurses Week Celebration. We fed a lot of RNs and relished the solidarity that this bargaining unit has created. The RNs at Sunnyside provide the community, patients, and their co-workers with exceptional care.
The Washington State Nurses Convention took place May 17-19 at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center!
We had three beautiful days at the Tacoma Convention Center, soaking in the phenomenal speakers, gaining CNEs, enjoying vendors, entertainment, and food. The best was the connections we made with fellow RNs. Astria Toppenish was well represented with Julia Barcott, Clara Bucio, Susie Cervantes, Luz Alvarez, Evette Kendall, Lisa Bullek and Chris Sinkula.
(David) Jacob Garcia David MBA, MSN, BSN, RN, PCCN is a staff RN from the M/S unit. He ran for Vice Chair of The Cabinet on Economic & General Welfare and as an AFT delagate securing both positions in the election!
“I want to continue and expand the growth of WSNA and lend WSNA my experience and knowledge to help us continue to grow as a profession and as an organization.“
In June 2022 he was elected to the American Nurses Association Board of Directors in the staff nurse position
Jacob was awarded the Joanna Boatman Staff Nurse Leadership Award at Convention for his significant contribution to the advancement of professional development and advancement of the economic and general welfare of nurses.
May minutes should be posted on your unit bulletin boards. We met on June 27. Once the minutes are approved, they will be posted.
IBD notification issues- RNs are continuing have difficulties on being notified on the awarding of the shift and if the shift is being awarded by the MOU Eligibility:
All full-time and regular part-time nurses shall be eligible for the Incentive Bonus Days Program (IBD). IBD Program: An Incentive Bonus Days (IBD) shift is an extra shift(s) that a nurse signs up for after the final monthly schedule is posted. All extra IBD shifts will be posted on the final schedule as a "need." Shifts to be filled because of sick leave shall be considered lBD shifts. IBD shifts will be assigned on a first come, first serve basis after the final schedule has been posted for at least twenty-four (24) hours. Requests for IBD shifts must be in writing (dated and timed) and submitted to the department director or designee. Per diem nurses will have the first opportunity to pick up extra shifts before the final schedule is posted. Once the final schedule has been posted, per diems may pick up open shifts but will not be allowed to "bump" regular nurses who have previously signed up for IBD shifts. An IBD shift is paid at double the nurse's applicable rate of pay. Incentive bonus hours will be paid on the nurse's regular payroll check.
April minutes should be posted on your unit bulletin boards.
If you find yourself in a situation that you believe creates unsafe conditions for patients or for you, complete the Staffing Complaint / ADO (Assignment Despite Objection) form as soon as possible.
By completing the form, you are helping to make the problem known to management, which creates an opportunity for the problem to be addressed. Additionally, you are documenting the facts, which may be helpful to you later if there is a negative outcome.
Types of situations where you should complete a Staffing Complaint / ADO form:
Link for ADO on the back of your RN Badge Buddy - https://www.wsna.org/union/ado.
If you are notified by you manager that you must attend an investigatory meeting, please invoke your Weingarten Rights (On the other side of your badge buddy) You have the right to have your Grievance Officer (Janice Schell) or your Nurse Representative (Laurie Robinson) to attend. If there is an outcome meeting with any corrective action, a grievance may be filed. This must be done within 30 days of a disciplinary action that is received.
The CBA language describes a low census pathway. A traveling nurse who is employed on a contract basis for a defined period of weeks shall participate in the rotation of low census with other full-time and part-time employees. There was an “out of turn” that forced an ICU RN to be on Low Census over a travel RN and there was no offer for the RN to float to ATH per the MOU. Therefore, the two RNs prevailed and were paid the shifts that they were forced to be on Low Census. In the future, if you are asked to be Low Census, you may ask that you may float to ATH as an option. If you have not been oriented to the facility, this would be a great time to do this on a Low Census day!
We will see a wage increase across the board of 4% on July 1. See the WSNA/ASH webpage for your increase.
For any questions or concerns please contact one of the Officers or Nurse Rep
Lovella Flores- ICU Co-Co Chair
Marisela Aguilar FBC Co-Chair
Lori Rojas- PACU- Secretary
Cheryl Bofman PACU- Membership Officer
OPEN-Treasurer (Let us know if you are interested in this position!)
Janice Schell ED- Grievance Officer
Laurie Robinson Nurse Representative
Cell: 206-620-4136 lrobinson@wsna.org
WSNA Membership: If you are not a WSNA member please consider completing a membership application today! Just click on the link! (This works on a computer easily, or set your smartphone google chrome and the setting to request a desktop site.
May 01, 2023
Jan 24, 2023
Dec 01, 2022
Aug 19, 2022
Jul 11, 2022
May 18, 2022
Supporting Nurses Health and Well-Being: The Path Forward will both celebrate nurses and address some of our most challenging issues.
If you find yourself in a situation that you believe creates unsafe conditions for patients or for you, you should complete a Staffing Complaint / ADO Form as soon as possible.
By completing the form, you will help make the problem known to management, creating an opportunity for the problem to be addressed. Additionally, you will be documenting the facts, which may be helpful to you later if there is a negative outcome.
WSNA also uses your ADO forms to track the problems occurring in your facility. When you and your coworkers take the important step of filling out an ADO form, you are helping to identify whether there is a pattern of unsafe conditions for you or your patients at your facilities. This information is used by your conference committee, staffing committee, and WSNA labor staff to improve your working conditions.
As a union member, you have the right to have a representative present in any meetings with management that could potentially lead to disciplinary action against you.
If called into a meeting with management, read the following to management when the meeting begins:
If this discussion could in any way lead to my being disciplined or terminated, I respectfully request that my union representative be present at this meeting. Without representation present, I choose not to participate in this discussion.
Find out more about this crucial right and how to exercise it to ensure your fair treatment and protection.
Enhance your professional competency with WSNA's free online courses.
Earn CNE contact hours through topics like Cultural Humility, Telehealth Assessment, Workplace Violence Prevention, and more. Convenient and self-paced, our courses provide practical knowledge for your daily work. Expand your skills and stay up-to-date with the latest nursing practices.
Visit cne.wsna.org to access our courses and earn CNE contact hours.