|
Home | Medical-Newswire.Com:
|
(Medical-NewsWire.com, November 25, 2012 ) San Francisco, CA -- Dozens of nurses gathered in front of the MetroWest Medical Center’s Leonard Morse Hospital on Monday. They did so in order to let the public know of their unhappiness regarding the staffing and facility at the center.
"We want safe working conditions, we want safe care for our patients," said Johanna Mancuso, who has worked at the hospital for about a decade and who hung a sign around her body saying "Nurses standing together for our patients."
Drivers honked as they past buy the 50-some nurses, who are each part of the Massachusetts Nurses Association. The nurses participated in the two-hour informational picket on Union Street. According to sources, the local union has been in contract negotiations with the hospital for almost one full year.
The nurses association claimed that staffing at the Natick hospital is the worst in the region. The facility is owned by Vanguard Health Care. Hospital administration states that the data to which the claim is based is archaic and there have been increases in staffing since then.
"We’re very confident in our ability to provide quality care," said Dr. Donna Gemme, chief nursing officer at MetroWest Medical Center, on Friday.
She stated that the union withdrew a proposal that would have increase levels over the summer. Union leadership stated it wants to try a different approach.
"We’re there at the table to bargain in good faith," Gemme said. "We’re willing to sit down and listen to their concerns, but we’ve addressed any staffing (issues)."
On Monday, Gemme stated that the Department of Nursing added 11 nursing positions to the yearly budget between Framingham and Natick campuses.
A Milford resident, Mancuso stated that nurses have to pick up duties of personal care assistants, and handle post-operative care. That constitutes work that ought be handled by other positions.
"Overall we’re taking on more hats and not getting any help," she said, noting nurses also have concerns about overtime pay.
Gemme stated that nurses, on average, have four or five patients and occasionally six if they have an assistant. She noted those levels are adequate for a community hospital that does not treat severe illnesses.
About A1 Nursing:
A1 Nursing (http://a1nursing.com/) gives visitors information of a widerange of nursing salary and benefits. Learn what one should be making in a position, or preparing for a possible financial future with a1nursing.com. Learn more about a registered nurse salary, what a nurse salary should be, along with travel nurse, a travel nurse salary at the website.
A1 Nursing
Customer Service
4157669098
support@a1nursing.com
Source: EmailWire.Com 
Source: EmailWire.com
|
|
|
|
