Structured orientation has been a significant concern for some of you. We have taken this matter up with management and suggested the following:

• Insure that new grads orientation/preceptorship is sufficient enough in length so they are qualified to manage a patient assignment of their own.
• Any nurse who is selected as a preceptor should have a minimum of 1 year nursing experience at Kindred Riverside.

Undertraining is a direct result of staffing issues at Kindred Riverside. The turnover and shortage of experienced nurses have led to challenges. To address this, we have suggested contract language that mandates nurses to only care for patients for whom they have confirmed competencies. This ensures that the right nurses are assigned to the right tasks.

We are aware of the issues with non-functional equipment. We have proposed language that details a process for nurses to report problems, and sets requirements and a timeline for Kindred to rectify them. We have also heard about instances where necessary equipment is not available at all. If you are facing difficulties in lifting or turning patients due to the absence of Hoyer lifts, please let us know.

There are numerous issues that we need to tackle in the upcoming weeks. Please stay updated as we anticipate hearing back from the management about these urgent matters with contractual confirmation. Our next bargaining sessions are scheduled for June 13 and 25.