One of the key issues members identified as a priority to be negotiated with management during our new round of talks for a new union contract, was the need to secure language to ensure safe RN staffing in all areas of the hospital. For example, a recent study by a leading nurse researcher has determined that staffing in the LGH emergency department ranks among the bottom five for hospitals in Massachusetts, with longer wait times for our patients and poorer outcomes. To address this concern, not only for the ED, but for all areas of the hospital, we have drafted a contract proposal which specifies safe RN-to-patient limits for each area of the hospital, along with a call for a charge nurse without an assignment on every unit, and improvements in ancillary staffing. A link to the proposal can be found below.
As we proceed with negotiations, we also want to survey the membership for your opinions on the staffing levels on your unit and the quality of care you are able to provide. Follow the link below to download a document that contains both our staffing proposal and a survey for you to fill out and return to a member of the union negotiating team. There is also a link to the survey that you can fill out on line.
- Click here to view our proposal for safe RN staffing
- Click here to download a hardcopy of our RN staffing survey
- Click here to fill out our staffing survey online
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