FEBRUARY 2019
A NEWSLETTER FOR NYSNA RNs AT WESTCHESTER MEDICAL CENTER
Westchester Region Nurses Unite at Inter-Regional Meeting More than 80 NYSNA nurses gathered on February 6th at the Westchester/Hudson Valley Inter-regional meeting for a robust discussion about the upcoming state legislative session, and about solidarity actions we can take in support of public and private sector nurses in New York City.
All in for Safe Staffing Westchester Med nurses brainstormed with our fellow Westchester/ Hudson Valley nurses various strategies for winning safe staffing this legislative session. We were buoyed by the Governor’s budget announcement that the Department of Health will begin studying how to ensure safe staffing to improve patient safety. This study is the first step toward creating regulations that improve staffing ratios in facilities throughout New York State. The Safe Staffing for Quality Care Act (A2954/S1032) has also been reintroduced this session, and NYSNA nurses intend to travel to Albany on March 6 and April 2 to lobby for its passage. We came so close last year, and with a new Democratic majority in the State Senate thanks to the efforts of nurses and organized labor around the state, we have improved our chances of winning a legislative victory. Ten elected officials attended the Inter-regional meeting, including Yonkers City Council President, Mike Khader, Council Members from the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 6th Districts, two Westchester County Legislators, and the Deputy County Executive. They all affirmed their support for safe staffing, and Assembly Member Kevin Byrne (AD-94, R), along with a representative from the office of State Senator James Skoufis (SD-39, D), committed to getting safe staffing legislation passed this year!
“The Inter-regional brings together nurses from different facilities to support one another and to learn about what’s happening in politics that affects nurses,” said Carmela Sansone, RN. “After going to Lobby Day, I saw how important it is that bedside nurses explain safe staffing to elected officials, because they hear from the opposition so much about costs alone, that they really don’t understand the whole issue. I’m going again this year, because when you talk directly to them, they begin to understand the whole costs of unsafe staffing in terms of patient safety, readmissions, nurse retention, and overall patient care.” Since the Inter-regional meeting, Yonkers City Council passed a unanimous resolution in support of the safe staffing bill, citing Council Members’ meeting with nurses as the reason they took swift action. It is critical that nurses mobilize and demonstrate the continued and urgent need for safe staffing. Already, nearly 100 nurses from our region have signed up for the April 2 Lobby Day. Register today at http://bit.ly/nysnalobby2019
Nurse Solidarity is Strong At the meeting earlier this month, Westchester/ Hudson Valley nurses also expressed deep solidarity with our neighboring New York City nurses, and committed to support the nearly 9,000 NYC Health + Hospitals nurses who begin contract negotiations in June, as well as the 9,000 private-sector NYC Alliance Nurses (Montefiore, Mount Sinai, NY Presbyterian and St. Luke’s) in negotiations right now. With negotiations stalled, the NYC nurses may well go out on strike in March. They will need our continued solidarity. Talk to your Westchester Med delegates or NYSNA Representatives about how you can lend support.
WE ARE NURSES, WE ARE NYSNA!
POAs are a powerful tool in protecting our nursing licenses when we experience an unsafe patient load, and also for making the case for improved staffing in specific units.
In 2018, the NYSNA members of Westchester Medical Center filed 8,620 Protest of Assignments. There were 8,620 incidents in which a RN reported to work and needed to notify Medical Center Administration that in their professional judgement, the assignment they were given was unsafe and placed the patients at risk due to one, more, or all of the following: • Unsafe RN staffing;
Documenting Staff Staffing
• Inadequately trained ancillary staff;
Nursing is an evidence-based profession, where we are continually improving our practice based on documenting and interpreting facts. That’s why when it comes to advocating for safe staffing, nurses bring more than just anecdotal evidence of the need for safe staffing, we bring Protests of Assignment (POAs)! “My unit is the largest ICU unit in the hospital and we are often short staffed,” explained Danielle Hill, RN, in the Neuro ICU. “Inadequate staffing seems to be the standard, resulting in our unit completing some of the highest numbers of POAs in the entire facility. Poor staffing has resulted in increased sentinel events— many of which are preventable. The administration expects us to work with whatever limited resources we have, whether it be staff or supplies, but ultimately patient care gets compromised. Nurses sometimes take the POA lightly because it’s a piece of paper, but it’s really all we have to protect our licenses and our patients.”
• Inadequate number of qualified ancillary staff; • High patient acuity; • Volume of admissions and discharges; and/or • Lack of supplies such as equipment or medications. The chart on the next page demonstrates the percentage of day and night shifts during 2018 that place patients on a specific unit in a situation where RNs in their professional opinion felt the hospital placed patients at risk for unsafe care. Congratulations to nurses who diligently fill out POAs to advocate for their patients and themselves. By doing this documentation, NYSNA and Westchester Med management can better determine which units are in need of the greatest intervention and take appropriate action.
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS! Jess Gallocci Adult Emergency Room
Amy Ahlmen Neuro Stepdown
Joseph Martin 4 South
Courtney Vorce Ambulatory Surgery
Nicole Mihatov NICU
Allison Sarchino 5 North
Dana David BHC, B1
Aleksandra Pogon NICU
Samantha O’Meara 7 NW
Deborah Roberts Case Management
Taylor McCarty PICU
Daniela Torres 7NE
Megan Haughton Case Management
Carly Nednetzky PICU
Jose Saire 7 South
Joshua Rubin CTICU
Frances Addiss PICU
Mary Donahoe Medical Records
Latasha Parker 4 South
A Newsletter for NYSNA RNs at Westchester Medical Center
FEBRUARY 2019
Protests of Assignment: 2018 Report NIGHTS
DAYS
UNIT
POA #
Shift #
% Unsafe Shifts
POA #
Shift #
% Unsafe Shifts
PEDS
17
8
2.20%
48
11
3.01%
PICU
23
4
1.10%
21
4
1.10%
L&D
81
20
5.48%
53
13
3.56%
NICU
103
11
3.01%
142
9
2.47%
2S
31
9
2.47%
8
3
0.82%
A1
11
11
3.01%
28
27
7.40%
A2
21
20
5.48%
115
93
25.48%
B1
55
45
12.33%
40
30
8.22%
B2
87
50
13.70%
126
64
17.53%
B3
101
50
13.70%
129
58
15.89%
7NE
170
51
13.97%
147
42
11.51%
5N
169
78
21.37%
141
73
20%
CCU
110
41
11.23%
108
42
11.51%
CTICU
231
58
15.89%
195
46
12.60%
HI
0
0
0%
3
1
0.27%
Cath Lab
0
0
0%
55
13
3.56%
CDU
69
29
7.95%
54
18
4.93%
ER
176
28
7.67%
175
33
9.04%
STAT
0
0
0%
13
11
3.01%
BURN
10
5
1.37%
41
14
3.84%
MICU
56
13
3.56%
161
31
8.49%
SICU
94
28
7.67%
93
30
8.22%
TICU
538
92
25.21%
162
34
9.32%
NEICU
301
44
12.05%
671
93
25.48%
NSDU
52
20
5.48%
19
10
2.74%
3SW
244
111
30.41%
184
80
21.92%
4N
434
117
32.05%
389
144
39.45%
4S
199
89
24.38%
278
103
28.22%
5S
121
28
7.67%
271
60
16.44%
6NW
134
33
9.04%
142
48
13.15%
7NW
87
48
13.15%
51
27
7.40%
7S
112
26
7.12%
67
38
10.41%
NCC
7
5
1.37%
13
7
1.92%
7S NPs
0
0
0%
158
95
26.02%
PMR
140
82
22.47%
119
71
19.45%
6S
70
42
11.51%
77
28
7.67%
OR/PACU
0
0
0%
6
6
1.64%
CHOR
0
0
0%
13
8
2.19%
ENDO
0
0
0%
14
3
0.82%
NCC
8
6
1.64%
15
9
2.47%
Staging
0
0
0%
13
8
2.19%
TOTAL
4062
1302
4558
1538
UPCOMING EVENTS
(For more information or to register, ask your NYSNA Rep)
✚
LEADERSHIP TRAINING PT. 1
✚
LOBBY DAY
✚
MEDICAL MISSION AND DISASTER RELIEF
✚
LEADERSHIP TRAINING PT. 2
✚
LOBBY DAY
✚
MEDICAL MISSION AND DISASTER RELIEF
✚
CHARTING WITH A JURY IN MIND PT. 1
February 27, NYSNA Tarrytown Office
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Claire Maggio, RN, President Nursing Operations David Long, RN, 1st Vice President CCU Debra Coyne, RN, 2nd Vice President 5N
March 6, Albany March 27 - April 3, Guatamala March 28, NYSNA Tarrytown Office April 2, Albany April 23 - May 9, Brazil
Zina Klein, RN, Grievance Chairperson Telehealth Corinne Noonan, RN, Grievance Co-Chair 4N Deb Cava, RN, Night Chairperson Nursing Supervision Jayne Cammisa, RN, Secretary NYSNA Release Time Representative
May 3, NYSNA Tarrytown Office
NEW EXPOSURE HOTLINE! 914-493-1277 If you are exposed to blood or bodily fluids, inform your supervisor and call the hotline.
NYSNA nurses celebrate safe staffing resolution passing at the February 26 Yonkers City Council meeting
GET ANSWERS/STAY IN TOUCH
HEALTH BENEFITS
NYSNA WMC Office: Phone 914-493-8329 Fax 914-493-7175 Email jayne.cammisa@nysna.org Integrated Disability: Phone Lisa Okoro 914-493-2630 Email IntegratedDisability@WMCHealth.org NYS Retirement System: Phone 866-805-0990 or www.osc.state.ny.us/retire/retirement_online/customers.php NYSNA Welfare Funds: Phone 800-537-1237 or www.asonet.com Payroll Services Hotline: Phone 914-493-2704 Email Payroll_Services@WMCHealth.org Kronos Help Hotline: Phone 914-493-246793 Email KronosHelp@WMCHealth.org Corporate Compliance: Phone 866-545-0038 or 914-493-2600 Personal Protection and Safety Hotline 24/7: Phone 844-492-1321 SPAN: Phone 800-457-7261 WMC Health Benefits: Phone 914-493-7144 Email BenefitsHelp@wmchealth.org Aetna Medical/Rx: www.aetna.com and www.aetnanavigator.com Aetna EAP: www.resourcesforliving.com Teladoc: www.teladoc.com/aetna Cigna Dental: www.mycigna.com EyeMed Vision: www.eyemedvisioncare.com WageWorks FSA & Commuter Benefits: www.wageworks.com
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