The NJNU quarterly newsletter is called, "Nurses' Notes".
KMC TENTATIVE AGREEMENT
The NJNU Bargaining Committee successfully negotiated a collective bargaining agreement that addresses our members' critical concerns - staffing, wages, and job security. The highlights are as follows:
1. Duration: May 1, 2007 through April 30, 2009.
2. Union Bulletin Boards: The Employer has agreed to provide the Union with unlocked bulletin boards on most of the units throughout the Medical Center.
3. On-Call: The language has been revised to address the issue of being "called in", as follows:
4. Staffing: There will be a joint management/labor committee which would have the primary responsibility to address staffing issues such as, acuity, staffing levels, and other trends in healthcare. The committee will meet on a monthly basis.
5. FMLA: Management has agreed to distribute as well as post on each unit, a memo educating all bargaining unit members on FMLA. The Union participated in drafting the memo in order to fully explain to all employees what their rights are and how to take their leaves.
6. Job Postings: The Union will be provided copies of job postings every month.
7. Breaks and Lunches: In the event that the issue of breaks and lunches does not improve over the next 45 days, NJNU will reconvene with management to address.
8. Kentucky River: The Employer has agreed to not seek to remove charge nurses from the bargaining unit for the contract term.
9. Smoke Free Facility: In the event that the Employer enacts a smoke free policy, it must be administered and enforced uniformly to all employees at the facility.
10. Wages: Effective August 1, 2007, eligible employees will move onto the "current scale". Effective August 1, 2008, every member on the scale will move one step.
The agreement provides for an approximate 6% increase over the contract term.
Effective August 1, 2007, all per diem RNs will receive a flat increase of $1 per hour.
11. Differentials: April 30, 2008, the parties agree to reopen the agreement regarding on-call pay, float assignment differential, and per diem rates.
12. Job Security: There has been an agreement made between the parties in the event the facility is either sold or required to close.
ABOUT BREAKS & LUNCHES AGAIN
NJNU strongly encourages every member to take their breaks and/or lunches if the opportunity arises. While we understand that patient care is the primary focus of our members, your health and well-being is just as important. It is not enough for someone to run and get their lunch so that they can eat at the nurses' station. Each nurse should be able to leave the unit and take their full break and/or lunch if staffing permits.
NJNU will monitor this issue closely over the next few weeks to see if there is any change on the units. In the meantime, the following process should be used every shift with respect to breaks and/or lunches:
1. Contact your nurse supervisor, and notify them that you would like to take your break or lunch. If they are able to provide coverage, then you should leave the unit and take your full break/lunch.
2. If they are unable to provide coverage, then you should notify them that you will need to write "+ 30 min" on your time card for that shift.
3. Send NJNU a short staffing form for the shift and indicate that you were unable to take your break/lunch.
It is imperative that you follow these steps to ensure that you are paid correctly for the time. Also if management advises you to take a break or schedules you for lunch, then you should make every effort to leave the unit. If you are offered a break or lunch and refuse, you will forfeit your ability to write "+ 30 min" on your timesheet for that shift.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the office or see your local delegate.
WORKERS' COMPENSATION
According to the Department of Labor, more than 12,000 workers are injured on the job every single day. In the event that someone is injured or becomes ill on the job, they are entitled to worker's compensation benefits, under New Jersey law, which provides income and medical benefits for the affected workers. If you are injured on the job you should do the following:
Please be advised that there is a 2 year Statute of Limitations period in New Jersey that applies to all worker's compensation cases. For specific accidents, a formal claim must be filed within 2 years from either the date of the injury or the last payment and/or authorized medical treatment. For occupational exposure cases, such as hearing loss, the claim must be filed within 2 years from the date the worker first became aware of the condition and its relationship to employment.
If you were injured on the job and would like more information, please feel free to contact the office.
NJNU PROTESTS HEALTHCARE
On June 18, 2007, NJNU participated in the Scrubs for SickO campaign which hosted the New York City premier of the new Michael Moore movie, "SickO". Susan Montgomery, a NJNU co-chair, joined the delegation of nurses from organizations like CNA, NYSNA, HPAE, CWA as well as many other healthcare professionals in an effort to bring national attention to the state of healthcare in America.
Michael Moore paints a vivid picture of a broken healthcare system using everyday people to tell their stories. The film spotlights the millions of Americans without health insurance as well as those that are made to suffer because their health insurance company refuses to cover the prescriptions or procedures that they may need, meanwhile the costs continue to rise.
"SickO" also focused on the nursing shortage in general which continues to plague our nation's hospitals. It demonstrated how the shortage leads to thousands of preventable deaths and injuries as a result of having too few nurses to care for too many patients.
There are many working families are forced to pay more for their coverage in copayments, deductibles and premiums while their benefits are continually reduced.
NJNU encourages everyone to try to attend a screening of this very important documentary. The movie opens nationwide in theaters on Friday, June 29, 2007. if you would like more information on this issue or to show support for comprehensive healthcare reform please click here.
HELP WANTED
NJNU is seeking motivated individuals to join us in our efforts to address the staffing issues within our facility as well as the healthcare industry as a whole. Both SBMC and KMC/SBBH have put together a joint labor/management staffing committee as per their respective collective bargaining agreements. The primary responsibility of this committee is to focus on an acuity measurement system, the Department of Health staffing guidelines, and other trends in the healthcare industry.
This is an extremely important opportunity for anyone interested in making real changes in their workplace as well as advancing legislation that promotes safe nursing standards.
NJNU has joined forces with CWA , HPAE, and other healthcare workers in an effort to have real staffing levels through pending legislation in Trenton and Washington, DC. In addition to staffing, they are addressing legislation that would protect healthcare workers from being attacked while delivering quality patient care.
We encourage everyone to participate on some level which includes but is not limited to: sending letters, making phone calls, attending meetings, filling out short staffing forms, etc.
Also if you are interested in learning more about the benefits of having a voice on the job or would like to help nurses at other facilities, please feel free to contact Dawn Baker.
If you would like more information, please feel free to contact your local officer or call the office.
SBMC BENEFITS UPDATE
It was brought to NJNU's attention that non-union employees at SBMC had a different vision plan from the plan used by members of NJNU. NJNU immediately addressed the issue with management in an effort to rectify the matter.
Effective immediately, all NJNU members are eligible to receive the same vision benefits as those of the non-union employees. According the HR, NJNU members only need to show the provider a copy of your SBHCS health insurance card in order to receive the appropriate discounts on your frames and lens. Also, NJNU members should go to an ophthalmologist that participates in the SBHCS plan, which would require a $25 co-pay. After your visit, take your prescription to a participating provider like Pearl Vision with a copy of your health insurance card. The savings from the SBHCS Vision plan are up to as follows:
60% Frames
45% Bi-Focal Lens
20% Contacts
If you would like more information concerning the plan or participating providers, you can either check the SBHCS website or call (800)804-4384.
Should you require further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact our office.
GRIEVANCES & ARBITRATIONS
SBMC
KMC/SBBH
Attendance issues continue to be on the rise at all facilities. If you think you have an absence that may qualify for FMLA coverage, please feel free to contact the office at (973)992-6568 or (732)987-7702.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION CONCERNING CASH BALANCE
On Wednesday, February 14, 2007, SBMC notified NJNU that there will be revisions made to the SBHCS Cash Balance Pension Program effective April 1, 2007, and that the current participants in that Program will be informed of the changes on February 15. The changes is that the interest you will earn on your Cash Balance Account (should you choose to go into that Program) will be 1% annum less than it was before. This applies to all participants in the system. The reason given to us is that the Saint Barnabas Health Care System is experiencing financial difficulty and must undergo several cost saving measures.
Every bargaining unit member should have received literature in the mail that describes the Cash Balance Plan in general as well as all financial information applicable to you, based upon your salary, age, years of service, and other related data unique to you. In addition, there will be various meetings held in which our members will be afforded the opportunity to not only hear how the Cash Balance Plan works, but to discuss your own financial information privately so that you can make a decision as to whether it is best for you to switch into the Cash Balance Plan or to stay in the current Legacy Plan.
NJNU encourages every member to review the literature carefully, and to attend one of these meetings, and bring with you the financial information given to you so that you can discuss it privately at the end of the meeting. You should also take all of the information to your personal financial advisor prior to making any decision concerning your financial future. Should you decide that it is in your best interest to switch into the Cash Balance Plan, you will be given to you so that you can discuss it privately at the end of the meeting. But should you feel that it is in your best interest to stay in the current Legacy Plan, or if you are uncomfortable with any of the new changes that have been made to the Cash Balance Pension Program, then you will have the right to remain in the current "Legacy" plan. The literature will tell you the date by which you must make your decision. If you do not make a selection, you will automatically default to the Cash Balance Pension Program.
Please be advised that NJNU is currently reviewing our legal options concerning the reduction in the interest rate on the Cash Balance Plan Accounts, and we will update our members appropriately. However, you should make your decision based upon the literature and information provided to you by the Medical Center, and within the time period that they provide to you, and should not wait for the outcome of any legal action we might take, and you should not assume that any legal action we might take will affect the interest rate. Should you have any questions concerning this matter, please feel free to contact our office.
THE HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY AND REPORTING ACT
Have you heard about the "Healthcare Professional Responsibility and Reporting Enhancement Act? Does it sound familiar to you? You, as a professional nurse should know what it's all about; after all, it affects you and could quite possibly affect your nursing license should something go wrong while you're on the job.
We all know who Charles Cullen is. Cullen, a former nurse, plead guilty and received multiple life terms in prison for killing up to 40 patients in his care. It's because of this man, that New Jersey enacted and passed the HPRRE act. It behooves you to know what it's all about.
Under this law, health care facilities and practitioners, including nurses, now face stringent guidelines designed to protect patients under their care. All reporting goes to the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Law and Public Safety. Health care facilities, amongst other employers of health care professionals, must report all disciplinary actions related to a professional's "impairment, incompetence, or professional misconduct". It even goes as far as making the health care facility report the prior seven (7) years. It also includes an employee's job performance as it relates to patient care.
Licensed health care professionals also have their own obligation to report a co-worker when impairment, gross incompetence, or unprofessional conduct presents an imminent danger to patient care.
Because the Act is so new, it only states what incompetence or misconduct ISN'T. Determining what is reportable is much more difficult. The way the act is interpreted, it's almost certain that everything is reportable, except attendance issues. For example, "functioning outside the scope of nursing practice by prescribing medications or intentionally falsifying documentation" is and will be reported.
To sum it up in a nutshell, everything you do while functioning as a nurse, can and will be reported to the Division of Consumer Affairs. Depending on the severity, you can count on an investigation that could last months and could put your license in jeopardy.
NJNU can't stress enough how important it is for you as a nurse to be informed about this act and to make sure that you comply with all hospital policies and procedures. Remember... if it's not documented, it's not done and if you did it, document it. That goes down to giving a diabetic, juice and crackers. If you medicate your patient, make sure it's documented everywhere it needs to be documented. If you put your patient in restraints... fill out the flow sheet, in its entirety, correctly. If you transfused blood, fill in the lab's blood sheet at the time of infusion. Cross your T's and dot your I's. It is your patient and it is your responsibility to provide safe, quality care. It is also your nursing license! Are you... is anyone, really prepared to change their profession on account of an error that could have been avoided?
FINANCIAL COUNSELING FOR SBMC MEMBERS
NJNU is having an independent financial advisor available for all members to assist in making this decision. Eric Zakarian, First Vice President of Morgan Stanley in Short Hills, will provide individual counseling sessions to NJNU members as well as review any financial data that you present. These counseling sessions must be scheduled in advance.
We recommend that you attend the sessions that are being provided to you by SBMC as well as visit with an independent advisor. If you are interested in meeting with Eric Zakarian, please contact the office at (973)992-6568 to schedule an appointment. Please be sure to bring all of your financial data to any counseling sessions that you may attend.
RESTRAINTS AND DOCUMENTATION
There has been a recent focus at SBMC on the restraint and documentation policy. SBMC conducted a mock survey to evaluate the effectiveness of their current policy. Several flaws were revealed, much to the surprise of nursing administration. It seems as though there were some nurses that were unaware of the proper way to document once it becomes necessary to restrain a patient. It became apparent rather quickly that SBMC had not done a good job educating our members concerning this new policy and launched an educational campaign in an attempt to rectify the situation.
While NJNU understands SBMC being on edge as a result of their prior transgressions, we feel as though they were overly harsh concerning the members that made harmless errors. NJNU is in the process of grieving all disciplinary actions that our members have received as a result of their lack of proper education. On the other hand, it is imperative that we complete all required information on our restraint patients going forward. If you are unsure of the process, you should seek advice from the supervisor on duty.
Lastly, there were several nurses that signed documentation acknowledging that they understood the changes in the restraint policy when that was not the case. DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING UNLESS YOU FULLY UNDERSTAND THE INFORMATION FOR WHICH YOU ARE SIGNING!
BIG BROTHER'S ALWAYS WATCHING
It seems amazing when you think of how much technology has changed everyday living, in some ways good and some bad. In the new information age nothing is sacred, not even the ability to come to work early just to sit in your car and think. I was recently advised that SBMC routinely monitors the time that their workers swipe into the parking lot as well as the time that they actually punch in. Furthermore, they conduct studies to see how long it takes each individual to get from their car to the building to punch in.
In my opinion, it is one thing management to track the times that nurses punch into the facility and at that point you are on their dime and SBMC is responsible for your safety. I find it extremely troubling that they track how long it takes you to get to the building from the time you pull into the parking lot. I just happened to be sitting in on a disciplinary meeting in which a time study sheet was done on an individual showing that it took 5 minutes to get from their car to the building prior to their shift on some days however it only took 2 minutes after their shift. They seemed to imply that maybe the individual was punching out prior to their actual shift ending without considering some other major factors such as the synchronization of their digital devices.
It really makes you stop and think about what else do they keep track of. They have the technology to find out when we come and go but can't figure out how to staff the hospital properly so that our nurses aren't forced to work voluntary overtime on a regular basis. Go figure.
BLUE THURSDAY
The KMC/SBBH negotiations are scheduled to begin on Wednesday, March 21, 2007. NJNU is asking every member to wear blue scrubs every Thursday in an effort to promote solidarity and to send a strong message to management. Management understands that good contracts are not won at the bargaining table but in the workplace, therefore we need to show them that this year we mean business.
NJNU has many important issues to address in our upcoming negotiations. Our primary focus is to address the working conditions for our members. Over the past two years, our members have expressed their concerns about many issues. There are a lot of important issues on the line just like the many other nurses around the state that stood firm on the issues they believed in.
In addition to pensions and healthcare, the nurses at Englewood, Robert Wood Johnson, and St. Barnabas have fought hard to make significant improvements in their working conditions. Staffing is an issue that concerns every nurse in KMC/SBBH. We are facing an employer that has begun to cry broke before we have even begun negotiations. They are seeking to recoup their losses from bad business decisions at the expense of our members' licenses. So stand up for your rights and wear blue on Thursdays. For more information contact your local delegate.
GRIEVANCES & ARBITRATIONS
SBMC
KMC/SBBH
Attendance issues continue to be on the rise at all facilities. If you think you have an absence that may qualify for FMLA coverage, please feel free to contact the office at (973)992-6568 or (732)987-7702.
SAFE PATIENT HANDLING
There is a bill pending in Trenton which would require the state to implement effective safe patient handling programs for our healthcare workers. The current bill is S-1758 and is sponsored by Joseph Vitale and Loretta Weinberg.
Nursing personnel consistently rank among the top ten occupations for work-related musculoskeletal injuries and is rapidly increasing. Inadequate staffing, increased patient acuity, and an increasing prevalence of obesity are among the leading factors which contribute to the injuries.
Research shows that implementing a Safe Patient Handling program, (which includes the use of patient handling equipment, training on how to use the equipment, and policies that limit manual lifting to emergent or life-threatening situations), is the most effective strategy to reducing the injuries and costs associated with patient lifts and transfers. Research has shown that facilities that have implemented the Safe Patient Handling program have saw sufficient reductions in workers compensation costs which cover the costs of equipment and training.
EMPLOYEE FREE CHOICE ACT
The Employee Free Choice Act, (H.R. 800), would give workers greater freedom to make their own decisions about joining a union to bargain for a better life by:
The current election process allows employers to coerce, intimidate, and harass employees. When workers try to form unions, 25 percent of employers fire at least one employee for union activity, 75 percent hire consultants to make it harder for workers to form their union and more than 90 percent require workers to attend mandatory anti-union meetings. However, workers would have the freedom to choose a National Labor Relations Board election if they so desire, the issue is that they would have more of a choice.
VIOLENCE PREVENTION IN HEALTHCARE FACILILTIES ACT
Nurses are assaulted and threatened by their patients or the patient's family members on a regular basis. As a result,there is a bill pending in Trenton (S-1761) that would impose statewide violence prevention standards for healthcare facilities.
Many of our members, (in particular, those working with the mentally ill), have reported being kicked, punched in the face, choked, bitten, hit with objects and threatened. There are several factors that contribute to this rise in violence such as, patients being frustrated with long waits, increase in drug and alcohol users, understaffing, trauma patients and distraught family members in the emergency rooms.
Violence in the workplace impedes the recruitment and retention of staff, as well as creates additional costs for health care facilities, including workers compensation costs, legal expenses, and property damage, disrupts operations, and ultimately destroys the trust that our patients, should have in the safety of their hospital.
The proposed legislation would set standards that would include creating joint labor management violence prevention committees, ongoing risk assessment, improved security, as well as additional security personnel, and ultimately the reporting of workplace violence incidents.
If you would like more information on this pending legislation, please feel free to contact our office.