Some of you have contacted us about an email that came out regarding floating, and it sounds like there is a lot of confusion about the contract and the plan going forward. We would like to clarify a few things, so everyone is on the same page and you are all getting the same information.

Hold on Floating

There is currently a hold on floating out of NICU and into Mary Bridge. The contract language specifies that all floating will be delayed until 4 months from the ratification date. This means the NICU nurses are not subject to mandatory floating, and volunteers will not be sought at this time.

During these months, Mary Bridge will provide cross training for nurses who wish to train to other units and should be providing new employee orientation to all nurses because MB is a different facility. Additionally, we are trying to work with UFCW to complete the MOU regarding NICU nurses working within their bargaining unit, and it is necessary to have this completed before nurses work in those areas.

What happens after the 4 months?

After the 4 months has elapsed, nurses may begin to float if all the above conditions have been met. Specifically, the MOU is complete, the 4 months have ended, and the nurse has had the following training provided:

1. Full training of skills, abilities and competencies, as well as new employee orientation and orientation to the unit when taking a patient care assignments, OR
2. New employee orientation and orientation to the unit when acting as helping hands/ extender nurse, or a sitter.

Please note that competencies are not required to be a sitter or to act as helping hands/ extender nurse. You are not assuming primary care of patients in this role. Also, while the contract does guarantee that patient care assignments are for ages that are typically seen in the NICU, the sitter and helping hands/ extender roles do not have this guarantee because you are not taking patient care assignments.

Mandatory floating

Mandatory floating is unlikely but can happen. The floating order places non-volunteer, FTE, NICU nurses last to float after volunteers, all MB agency/ travelers/ per diem, all MB nurses, and all NICU agency/travelers/per diem staff.

Mandatory floating can include patient care assignments or being a nurse extender/ helping hands, or sitter, but only if the conditions above (number 1 and 2 ) have been met.

Mandatory floating cannot be used to supplement LCD’s, and NICU nurses cannot be sent to another unit because NICU census is low.

Volunteering

Nurses are welcome to volunteer for cross training on other units now.

Nurses who have already worked in other MB units and are oriented to the hospital may also volunteer to float (for example, to avoid an LCD day, or to avoid using PTO) provided that all efforts to staff the unit with UFCW staff are exhausted. The decision to allow nurses to float within MB is ultimately at the discretion of MB management and must be done with their consent.

We did speak to management about the recent email that went to NICU staff. They have reassured us that they had no intention of violating the CBA language and that the intent of the email was to alleviate the fears of low census by providing options for nurses in the coming weeks. They are still seeking volunteers for cross training in IVT, and possibly PICU. Please talk to your management team if you have interest in either of these areas.

Please contact your nurse rep, Brenda Balogh, with additional questions at bbalogh@wsna.org.