Welcome to the first of hopefully many updates to all you Peace Island nurses!

Your team is here and working on your behalf to help make this the best place to work. Here’s just a sample of what we are working on.

Conference Committee

Conference committee is the venue to discuss all manner of things which affect your working conditions. We will tackle issues such as protocols, processes, policies and equipment issues. We receive updates about each single unit within PeaceHealth Friday Harbor at this meeting. We hold the staffing committee accountable for reaching solutions to staffing issues. This committee is bound by the contract and reflects an agreement between management and you – the nurse as the caregiver – to ensure that you have everything you need to take great care of the community you serve.

If you have ideas or concerns, please make sure you contact one of your local unit team officers to bring this to our attention. This way we can act quickly to address items and bring you an answer.

Staffing Committee

Staffing concern forms are all reviewed in this committee. Ideally each department should have a representative on the committee. This member works with their manager to investigate all concern forms and arrive at a solution to resolve the issue that was identified. This committee is a legal requirement of the hospital and must have 50% bedside nurses as participants.

Completion of the WSNA ADO form (also known as the staffing concern form or the assignment despite objection form) is critical to the work that this committee does. The online form has check boxes for things like no equipment or equipment malfunction or not enough support staff or patient acuity was too high etc. It covers all manner of issues and concerns. If it is not a staffing issue directly, the same form is used in the Conference Committee to be addressed there. So, every concern is addressed at one committee or the other.

Did you know you can actually complete the form on your cell phone? You do not need to be at work to complete it. In fact, often you think of things that would have helped the situation after the fact. You can be at home in your fuzzy slippers sipping your chardonnay and fill out the form. Suggestions for improvement are greatly encouraged. The form can be found at www.wsna.org/ado and the minute you click submit it automatically sends a copy to yourself, your manager, the two co-chairs of the staffing committee, your local unit chair (Melissa) and your nurse representative (Sue).

Please note. The ADO form is not to be used for disciplinary action. There will be no repercussions for completing this. This is designed to open honest discussion on real life situations you all face each and every day. This is not a negative grade against your manager.

Clinics

We are super lucky to have the clinic nurses as part of our bargaining unit. Clinic nurses right now are playing an even bigger
role in the community’s lives and contributing to the health of the community. Did you know that all surrounding counties have their health department doing community COVID testing but in Friday Harbor that role/task falls to the nurses at the clinic? They are doing this duty on top of their regular duties.

Your team took this situation to the conference committee and because of this, additional attention is being focused on appropriate staffing as well as preparation for inclement weather. The hospital has committed to addressing these concerns and will be taking action to protect nurses while they undertake this critical task. Your WSNA officers also became aware that the clinic nurses who are on the frontline of COVID, were not being afforded the same benefit of hospital laundered scrubs and the additional protection that this offers. Again, this was taken to the conference committee and discussed with management and your team is very pleased to report that the nurses are now afforded the same access to hospital scrubs that the rest of our caregivers have.

Nurse Representative Update

I am so blessed to be working with all of you at Friday Harbor and just want to say a personal note that WSNA and myself are committed to working for every nurse. While I may not be able to magically transport myself to your location instantaneously, I am committed to responding to each of you. Please feel free to email me directly at sdunlap@wsna.org or call me at 206-575-7979 ext. 3005.

Thank you for all that you do to care for the community and to care for each other. Please stay safe and stay healthy!

I look forward to meeting you all and getting to know you personally.

Sue Dunlap MSN, RN, COS-C


Remember you can always contact one of your WSNA local unit officers for any questions or concerns!

Melissa Aylward, BSN, RN, CNOR – Local Unit Chair
Larry Wall, BSN, RN, CEN - Local Unit Co-Chair
Elizabeth Schaltenbrand, BSN, RN, CMSRN – Local Unit Secretary
Julie Bielau, RN – Local Unit Treasurer
Zanna Cochran, RN – Local Unit Grievance Officer
Auralee Jameson, BSN, RN – Local Unit Grievance Officer
Arna Robins, MSN, RN, CFRN, CEN – Local Unit Grievance Officer
Cari Williams, RN – Local Unit Grievance Officer