In this issue:

• Palliative Care RNs Unanimously Vote to Join WSNA
• Nuclear Medicine RNs Joining the Union
• Wage Adjustments
• CBC Grievances Update
• Return of Nurses with Medical and Religious Exemptions
• Cafeteria Time Returns in May!
• Pyxis and Medication Discrepancies
• Celebrating Nurses Week
• Low census Information
• Important Advisory about the Right to Representation
• Staffing in the New Peds Unit

Palliative Care RNs Unanimously Vote to Join WSNA

Congratulations to all the palliative care nurses who voted to join WSNA on Apr 17, 2023. Who voted? Every. Single. Nurse. And all of them voted yes to having a seat at the table and a voice in deciding how best to serve their patients. Our officers have supported their fight despite management’s objections to the group being part of the St. Joe’s bargaining unit.

The Palliative Care team is now looking forward to partnering with their new WSNA colleagues to negotiate an MOU, bringing them under the protection of the contract. This is an exciting new chapter for all of us. They will join the ranks of nurses who have organized before them, like the Hospice Home Health and Hospice House nurses who previously joined the St. Joe’s contract, and inspire future RNs to organize in Bellingham. Bravo!

Nuclear Medicine RNs Joining the Union

More good news! Two nurses in Nuclear Medicine are now covered under your WSNA contract. We are thrilled to welcome them as new members!

Wage Adjustments

Until a few contracts ago, nurses’ wage rates were calculated based on hours worked, not years of service as an RN. This contract language changed with the 2016-2019 contract. We learned that some nurses working at St. Joe’s prior to that recently requested reviews of their step rate. Fortunately, their steps were increased to align with the current contract language. We encourage everyone who has worked as an RN continuously at St. Joe’s prior to 2016 to submit a ticket to MyHR. Request a review of your wage rate and an adjustment to match your years of service as an RN.

CBC Grievances Update

Nurses continue filing grievances in the CBC. Two more were filed in March, which brings the total to eight grievances since 2022. Several have been resolved or withdrawn. Usually, we can resolve conflicts at the lowest levels, sometimes even before an issue becomes a grievance. Unfortunately, in the CBC, this has not been the case. The nurses pushed all the way to the top, firm in their convictions that working conditions have to become better in the CBC.

One significant grievance that was recently resolved is the 3-hour callback grievance. The issue arose when nurses were called in on their mandatory call shift. They were instructed to stay the entire 3 hours even if their scheduled call shift had ended. According to management, if nurses wanted to leave at the end of their call shift, they had to forfeit their guaranteed 3-hours of callback pay. The nurses pushed back and won! The agreement reached is as follows:

1. Nurses who are called back will only be required to stay after their call shift ends:
   a. To maintain patient safety, or;
   b. Finish a procedure where a replacement is unavailable.
2. Nurses are not required to waive their 3-hour callback premium if they have finished their case and can leave before the 3 hours have passed and their call shift is ending.

The other open grievances in the CBC include:

• Mar 29, 2023--Mandatory low census and forced to be on call. RN was notified of mandatory low census and told they must be on call, which is incorrect.
• Mar 28, 2023--Unilateral changes to schedule patterns. Management posted schedules that resulted in significant hardships for many nurses and their families. This included scheduling nurses on consecutive weekends without their consent. Schedule changes were posted after the 1^st of the previous month, which did not allow adequate time for nurses to request PTO 0.00.
• Sept 2, 2022--PTO denied: The unit’s policy of one RN off per shift in L&D and one in MBU/SCN is inadequate when compared to the amount of PTO CBC nurses earn collectively. In turn, this means that nurses are prevented from utilizing their right-fully earned benefit.

Return of Nurses with Medical and Religious Exemptions

Management informed us that the nurses who were forced to take unpaid leaves of absence in September 2021 due to COVID vaccine medical and religious exemptions are able to return to on-campus work if they agree to follow the employer’s requirement to wear masks. WSNA has demanded to bargain the conditions of their return.

Cafeteria Time Returns in May!

Beginning May 2, 2023, your WSNA Officers will be holding Cafeteria Time from 1130-1500. Stop by and say hello. Bring your questions and concerns. You can enter a raffle drawing and grab a piece of candy. We are all looking forward to seeing you in person again.

Pyxis and Medication Discrepancies

Robin Cully, WSNA Co-Chair, Co-Authored by Nurse Rep Hanna Welander

Grievance Officers have recently been called to multiple investigatory interviews for delayed wasting, Pyxis discrepancies, and medication documentation. It was reported that PeaceHealth implemented a new audit system in November 2022. These audits are flagging many more nurses. Management has issued numerous corrective actions (disciplines). The union is fighting all of them (on behalf of the nurses who contacted us). We believe some of these are systems issues. There is a lack of clarity and education. Equipment, such as scanners, may malfunction, or computers may be unavailable. Nurses have been told to go back and read policies. Of note, nurses have been told in multiple ways on some units that narcotics must be administered or wasted within 30 minutes; while this is not always reasonable, this is the goal. The pharmacy has stated that 30 minutes is the goal, 31 is not concerning, but some wastes are being done hours later. Please waste as close to the 30-minute mark as possible. However, nothing is written in the policy and procedure that states that.

Here are some recommendations:

1. Waste in real time as often as possible; we understand that this is not always possible, but it should be done as often as you can.
2. DO NOT re-dose fentanyl (or any other non-re-dosable med), it is hard to be so wasteful, but fentanyl vials are not designed to be re-dosed out of; draw your dose, waste the rest.
3. Scan your controlled substances; if a scanner is broken or not working, fill out an unsafe staffing report, IT ticket, or incident report. If you are curious about your scan rate, check your nurse scorecard in EPIC.
4. If you have a problem with a controlled substance, get the NTL and house manager involved in real time! A few situations have been able to be resolved/avoided as a result of real-time action.
5. Run a pyxis report towards the end of your shift and double-check that everything is accounted for; you should be prompted each time you log in if you have an undocumented waste.

Celebrating Nurses Week

We have purchased cool water bottles with infusers for everyone to celebrate Nurses Week. We will ask Unit Reps to pick them up and get them distributed.

Low census Information (not applicable to units that manage their own LC)

Low Census Line—(360) 738-6318, select option 2

We have had lots of reports of low census notices coming late. The order for low census has not been followed correctly. Staffing asked us to pass on a message. When you leave Staffing a message, please clearly and slowly give the following information:

• Your first and last name
• Your shift
• Your unit
• The date(s) you are volunteering for low census

This will help them keep accurate low census lists of volunteers. In the meantime, we are working on getting impacted nurses the 4-hour report pay. These include nurses who arrived to their unit and were told to turn around and go home; others had already arrived to the hospital when they got the call. If this happens, please inform your manager that you should receive Report Pay for 4 hours. Notice requirements are 1-1/2 hours for evening and night shifts and 1 hour for day shifts. If this happened to you, please contact WSNA Nurse Rep at hwelander@wsna.org.

7.16 Report Pay. Nurses who report for work as scheduled shall be paid a minimum of four (4) hours’ report pay at the straight time rate, unless the Employer makes a reasonable effort to notify the nurse by telephone no less than one (1) hour prior to the beginning of the scheduled day shift, or one and one-half (1½) hours prior to the beginning of the scheduled evening or night shift, that he/she should not report. Calling the nurse at the nurse’s most recently furnished telephone number and, if there is a message machine, leaving a message constitutes a reasonable effort to notify under this paragraph, provided that such call is documented.

Important Advisory about the Right to Representation

If you are told management wants to conduct an investigation, even if you think you have done nothing wrong, do not go alone! Always ask if a meeting can or will lead to discipline. If the answer is yes, call one of your officers! Access the list of names and contact information at https://www.wsna.org/union/st-joseph-hospital.

Staffing in the New Peds Unit

We met with management in February 2023 to discuss the new Peds Unit, currently managed by CBC leadership. We had questions about staffing, break relief, and more. We agreed to a contract change to remove 2NT and Pediatrics from the clinical groupings. We expected some problems during the transition but didn’t expect that nurses would be left to fend for themselves without another nurse on the unit, inadequate break coverage causing missed meal and rest breaks, and a lack of sitters. We are working on setting up a meeting with the new Peds Unit nurses because of these concerns. Afterward, the Peds nurses and WSNA Officers will ask for a meeting with management to address the problems.

Questions? Contact your officers or WSNA Nurse Representative Hanna Welander at hwelander@wsna.org.