As part of our negotiated contract agreement, all RNs working at EvergreenHealth on the date of ratification (June 20, 2019) will be entitled to a Ratification Pay bonus equal to 3% of their total income earned between January 1, 2019 and June 29, 2019. This pay is slated to show up on your August 2 paycheck. This delay is due to the amount of calculations required to determine each payout and the ability to get this on to the next pay check cycle. Thanks for your patience!

This bonus was the result of a long-fought battle with management over money your team felt strongly all registered nurses were entitled to as a result of our drawn-out negotiations.

It is also important to note that you will be receiving a 3% raise increase as of June 30, 2019. This too will be reflected in the first full pay period following this date. For questions or concerns about this raise and how it impacts your wages, please contact WSNA Nurse Representative Ed Zercher at ezercher@wsna.org

In the wake of new laws that bolster hospital staffing committees around the state, WSNA is working hard to make a difference at EvergreenHealth. Your team will soon consist of representatives from all of the units around the hospital. All representatives must be WSNA members in good standing.

Look for Nomination forms to be sent out over the next several weeks that allow you to nominate yourself or a colleague. The goal of this committee is to review staffing ratios around the house, make recommendations to the CEO for acceptance or change, and review all staffing complaint forms to ensure that the employer is committed to resolving these rather than just categorizing each one as an anomaly.

This is a two-hour montly meeting that is paid time for all RNs in attendance.

Once we have a full compliment of nominations from all the units, the WSNA LU leadership will elect an RN from each unit.

Be on the lookout for a nomination form coming soon.

Get involved today and make a difference!

For RNs working in EvergreenHealth Home Health and Hospice, you are likely familiar with the RWAs.

RWA stands for “Reduced Work Assignment” form that allows an RN working beyond their regular shift on any given day, to request those hours be credited as time off on another day. The employer has two weeks to arrange the time off before having to pay that time worked beyond the regularly scheduled shift at overtime rate of pay (time plus one half).

This RWA form is now available to both Part Time and Full Time RNs working in Home Health and Hospice.

It is important to fill out an RWA request every time that you work additional hours beyond your regularly scheduled shift on any given day. Failing to do so will only pay you those hours as straight time worked. It is vital to fill out an RWA and an ADO (this is the WSNA form titled Assignment Despite Objection/Staffing Complaint Form) every time you miss a break, miss a lunch or find yourself in a position where staffing is inappropriate. These forms are discussed during our Conference Committee meeting.

You can fill out and submit an ADO online.

HEALWA monthly educational webinar - HEALWA is hosting FREE monthly webinars in 2019. Learn how to set up your free access to the HEALWA collection, observe best practices for finding reliable and current evidence-based information in HEALWA’s databases, e-books and full-text journals—all while earning 1 CNE credit! Next sessions are July 10 and August 15.

Take the mandatory Suicide Prevention Course hosted by the Seattle Children's Hospital. Jul 15, 2019, 8 a.m.–3:30 p.m. or October 21, 2019, 8 a.m.–3:30 p.m. . More information is available on the WSNA education page.

Take the TrachSafe Emergency Airway Management course - This five-hour course will educate healthcare professionals to prepare, practice and prevent airway emergencies in a child with a tracheostomy.

Thanks again to all the RNs that turned out to vote on a great contract that will be in effect until October 31, 2021!

Questions? Contact WSNA Nurse Representative Ed Zercher at ezercher@wsna.org or 206-575-7979, ext. 3022.