New WSNA Nurse Representative

My name is Janet Stewart, BSN, RN. I have been a nurse for 35 years, with my most recent employment at SJMC Tacoma in the Critical Care Department. I was a WSNA local unit officer there and participated in 2 rounds of negotiations and served on the WSNA Cabinet for 2 terms. I have a passion for advocating for nurses and am excited to be working for WSNA as a Nurse Representative. Please feel free to contact me to chat or ask questions.

ADO Form/Online Staffing Complaint form – Use it!

This online staffing complaint/ADO form was developed by a coalition that included WSNA, other unions and WSHA representatives. Completing the form serves many purposes, including data tracking, bring issues to light, supportive documentation, and discussion tool to make things better. It is not punitive.

This form is to be completed for issues including but not limited to:

• The unit is not staffed according to its staffing plan or if mid-shift staffing adjustments are inadequate. (In order to know if your unit is not staffed according to its staffing plan, you must first know what the staffing plan is for your unit. Staffing plans, including nursing and unlicensed staff, are required to be posted on every unit.)
• Missed breaks or earned time denied
• Equipment issues
• Workplace safety concerns
• Concerns with working conditions
• System Failures

If you have reason to complete this form, you first should speak with your manager or charge nurse for that shift in order to try to resolve the concern as quickly as possible. They should escalate in real time if they cannot fully address your concerns. When you complete the online form, you are required to include your manager’s name and email.

The purpose is to ensure your manager is aware of the situation so they can follow up with you and attempt to resolve the problem. This should be a professional conversation and there should be no retaliation or discouragement for completing ADO forms.

After you complete the form a copy of the submitted form immediately goes to you, the WSNA chair and co-chair, WSNA Rep, staffing committee co-chairs, and your manager. The Nurse Staffing Committee will review the complaint at their next meeting if it is a staffing concern. The Nurse Conference Committee will review the complaint at their next meeting if it is of other concern.

Your ADOs provide valuable data to the Staffing Committee. Your Nurse Staffing Committee Chair will report Staffing Concerns that have not been resolved over 6 months to the Department of Health.
Find the staffing complaint form at wsna.org/ado.

Low Census, Standby, Standby-Call Back

Some nurses were concerned about being placed “On Call” in units where that has not been practiced. After investigating, it seems these nurses were being placed on Standby Status for a Regularly Scheduled Shift. This means, rather than placing them on “Low Census,” they are put on Standby, and could be called in at any time to work the remainder of the shift. If called in, this is “Standby-Call Back” and they are paid Standby Pay for the time they were at home and paid 1.5 X for the time they come in and work. See article 6.6 in the contract, pages 14-16; and articles 9.2 and 9.3 on page 22. To view the contract, click the contract link in the banner bar at the top of this web page.

Seeking Unit Representatives

Ideally, every unit should have one or more unit reps. The responsibilities include: Being a resource for your RN co-workers on union matters; Showing co-workers how to find the Union Contract or On-Line ADO Form; Keeping your union bulletin boards updated; Being a liaison between union members and WSNA Officers and Nurse Representative; Communicating with your co-workers during contract negotiations; Participating in distribution of Union Swag/Gifts to members. Don’t feel like you have to know everything; we’re all learning. Virtual Unit Rep Trainings will be offered; and the WSNA Nurse Representative will arrange occasional meetings to touch base.

In order to create a current unit rep roster, please let me know if you are a current unit rep or are interested in becoming one by filling out this very brief 5 question form.

In Solidarity!

Cheryl Howe, Chair, skaternurse@gmail.com
Mindy Thornton, Co-Chair, melindaleeann@gmail.com
Dawn Morrell, Griev­ance Officer, fivecentd@gmail.com
Aaron Bradley, Treasurer, plankeye02@juno.com
Stephanie Troft­gruben, Secre­tary, stephenieburr@gmail.com
Janet Stewart, WSNA Nurse Representative, jstewart@wsna.org
(206) 735-6484