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BARGAINING UPDATE #5

August 12, 2005

UNION PRESENTS PROPOSAL TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF CARE

The goal of this proposal is to improve the standard of care to patients, save large costs in hospital expenses, increase revenue, shorten length of stay, minimize malpractice litigation and prevent adverse outcomes to patients by providing a more efficient, functional, and integrated infrastructure that will enable the RNs and Medical Professionals to work to their capacity.

1.         Patient admission, including paperwork, key plate, and placement in the computer will occur within 1 hour of the decision to admit the patient, so the patient will appear on the unit census for the appropriate shift to maintain accurate census and staffing.

2.         Trained transporter will be available within 30 minutes of request.

3.         Clean patient rooms within 1 hour of patient discharge. Terminal room cleaning within 1 hour when patient with multi-drug resistant infection is transferred.

4.         Stat lab results within 1 hour.

5.         Prescribed drugs placed on profile within 1 hour of prescription being written.

6.         Adequate supplies and equipment to care for patient, e.g. functioning patient call lights, fetal monitors, fax machines, fax cartridges, toner, paper supplies, wall units for meds, clean linen, lift equipment for patients, functioning thermometers, blood pressure machines, cardiac monitors, beds, chairs, stretchers, wheelchairs, air conditioning and clean air ducts, timely filling of omni cells for each shift.

7.         Adequate support staff so than RNs and Professionals can perform RN and Professional duties.

8.         Placement of patients on inpatient units appropriate to their diagnosis and care needs, e.g. telemetry unit, if monitoring is needed.

9.         All maintenance work orders prioritized and completed within 2 weeks.

10.       Adequate nurse education for new nurses and adequate cross training as indicated by nurse and supervisor as necessary to care for patients in each unit.

11.       A nurses’ patient assignment will be adjusted downward when the nurse is acting as preceptor.

12.       Interpreter available within 30 minutes of request. (Spanish, Creole).

13.       Same day surgery patients scheduled for a given day will receive surgery/procedure on that date.

14.       Access to appropriate treatment areas and monitoring facilities for emergent patients within 1 hour of patent’s presentation to the ECC.

15        Up to date computer technology for all departments with electronic medical records.

16.       Authorized employee access to all aspects of the patient’s electronic chart.

17.       Access to, and education about, hospital policies and procedures.

18.       Adequate security to ensure patient and employee safety.

While management continues its demoralizing position of takeaways, the RN and Professional Bargaining Teams are presenting proposals to improve quality of care and work place efficiencies to ensure patient and employee satisfaction.

Our next step is taking our position to the County Commissioners so they truly understand the needs of Jackson Memorial Hospital when they make decisions about the hospital’s budget and our contract.

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