Problems continue with managers and directors not being versed in the Clinical Ladder Program per our Union contract. Notices are now posted for monthly meetings so interested nurses can attend and learn how to apply and utilize the Clinical Ladder program. Nurses throughout the hospital have voiced concerns regarding how management instructions differ unit to unit.
Self-scheduling remains an issue on most units in the hospital.
These two issues have been taken to the Labor Management Committee and Darlene Scafiddi has promised to investigate and help inform management of contractual language in both matters.
The huge topic of concern for nurses throughout the hospital the last month or more has been SAFE PATIENT CARE. Ratios continue to be disobeyed at all times in every unit and many nurses have been reporting situations where patient care has been compromised. The bedside nurses continue to place patient safety first and have used the chain of command to express safety concerns. Safety is their most important issue. Nurses have their license to protect and they want to safeguard the reputation of the hospital. PVHMC RNs state that they don’t think their concerns are being given the proper consideration by management. Complaints include: multiple extra hours of work, no support staff, missing appropriate equipment and supplies, charge nurses taking assignments, increased workload, inadequate training for new systems, not enough computers for the increased computerization, less time with patients and families so fears that patients are not receiving the teaching they need and an increasing concern that the hospital is writing up experienced nurses who have more than 20 years at the hospital.
Assemblywoman Norma Torres appreciated all of the PVHMC nurses who donated items to her Toy Drive for families of the military. The huge amount of donations (four huge boxes) was a wonderful way to say “thank you” to our troops and their families.
Our Union Representative Debbie Pendergraft would like to thank all of the nurses who have worked with patience and tolerance around so many alterations and transformations in the units as the hospital is trying to get their retrofitting started and completed. Administration has been accumulating funds for this event since Change 2000! It would be awesome if Change 2000 put patient safety first and included respect for its RNs and healthcare workers.