Good for Patients, Good for Nurses

Studies have shown that having enough nurses on staff during each shift can literally make a life-and-death difference in the quality of care.  Every time staff nurses show up for work they should be guaranteed proper staffing—for the well-being of themselves and their patients.  Many UAN contracts include

• Numeric staffing ratios to protect patients and nurses
• Language mandating patient acuity systems to facilitate safe staffing and prohibitions on floating RNs to units in which they haven’t been trained
• Premium pay of $5/hour for all time worked as a float nurse
• Language allowing for the closure of a unit where there is inadequate staffing to meet patient needs

UAN facilities across the private and public sectors, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, have developed assignment despite objection processes and forms when RNs are assigned to a unit or shift which jeopardizes their safety or violates their contract.

UAN contracts provide resources and access to contract language on nurse-patient ratios, skill mix, acuity systems, float-pool incentives, crisis nurse programs, eliminating non-nursing duties, practice committees, professional autonomy and delegation and quality indicators.

If you’re an affiliate staff member, review some of the cutting edge contract language in-force in other UAN bargaining units through the password-protected UAN Contract InfoBase.