Staffing Committee Members Needed! – Are you interested in a position on the staffing committee? This is a great opportunity for professional development and the ability to represent your peers by serving on this important committee. The committee develops and approves staffing plans and reviews and helps problem solve ADOs. The committee meets on the second Monday of most months from 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. This is paid time and your manager must plan to cover you to allow you to attend. If you are interested, please contact your nurse rep.

Assignment Despite Objection (ADOs) – Thank you to everyone who has been diligently filling out the ADO forms which assist the staffing committee doing their work. ADOs alert everyone that there was a staffing issue that could not be resolved in the moment. There are other things covered by ADOs but they are primarily a staffing tool which fulfills a requirement in the staffing law of having a mechanism where nurses can file complaints about inadequate staffing. Please note the following about ADOs:

• ADOS help identify patterns of inadequate staffing and the need for increased staffing on a particular unit.
• ADOs assist with fixing one-off staffing issues so they do not reoccur.
• ADOs may protect you in an adverse event that may have been the result of inadequate staffing.
• ADOs help WSNA work with lawmakers to improve the staffing law and justify the need for staffing plans.
• Fill out an ADO at your earliest convenience. You do not need to do it in the moment. If you are exhausted at the end of a shift, complete it in the next day or two.
• Be sure to follow your chain of command in the moment to try to resolve the issue.
• Expect that your manager will likely reach out to you for more details
• If you miss breaks and meals, please fill out an ADO but also be sure to claim it when you clock out. You need to be paid for time-worked.
• Per the law, there can be no retaliation or intimidation for filling out an ADO.
• ADOs are reviewed at each staffing meeting. Managers come prepared to review them and the committee votes to determine if they are resolved or unresolved and need further monitoring.

On-call requirements
Questions have been recently raised about having a “back up” list to the on-call list on some units in case someone calls out. You cannot be required to be on-call unless you are 1) scheduled when the schedule comes out and 2) you are being paid to be on-call, even if it is back up to the primary call. The hospital can certainly utilize a list that rotates to seek volunteers each time however, it must be optional. Nurses may be out of town, have ticket to a show, may have had a drink with dinner, etc. If you are told you must report to work and/or must assume call duties, please let WSNA know ASAP that you were required to take call when you were not scheduled to be on-call or paid to be available as a back-up.

Grievance officers needed
WSNA is seeking at least one grievance officer to fill a mid-term opening. Would you like to help represent your peers in a variety of capacities? Grievance officers attend investigatory meetings with their peers, process grievances, and assist with contract administration. No training? No problem! We will provide the training. The WSNA nurse rep is always available to assist the grievance officer with his/her role. Please contact your nurse rep, Sara Frey, if you are interested in this rewarding position or would like more information.

Residency Agreement
WSNA and the hospital have been working towards a residency agreement that would provide current RNs with potential opportunities to move to a new area of practice. A nurse would have to commit to a period of time in the unit and at the completion of the time served, there would be a bonus. If a nurse were to leave early and without extenuating circumstances, there would be a payback obligation. Stay tuned for further details.

Questions? Contact WSNA Nurse Representative Sara Frey, JD, BSN, RN at sfrey@wsna.org