Lock Out in Monterey County

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Specializes in Critical-care RN.

Watsonville RN's are striking for nurse/ratio law.... http:// www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_16434494 :yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah:

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Specializes in Critical Care,Recovery, ED.

Strike vs lock out, they are weapons used by both sides during a labor fight. Strike by the union and lock out by the employer. If one side chooses to use this weapon it should not be a surprise if the opponent replies in kind.

I am curious to see how this resolves.

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And yet the unions would like everyone to think that they hardly ever strike.....Hmmm

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.

Doesn't California already have mandatory nurse: patient ratios?

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Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.

Some hospitals break the law.

Most common are facilities that assign an LVN to 5 patients and an RN to 5 patients in med-surg. The RN is to "cover" the patients of the LVN so the RN is responsible for 10 patients.

Some assign the maximum allowed regardless of acuity. That is a violation.

Some don't provided break relief. That is also a violation.

And the state has cut the budget of evaluators.

Maybe these are some of the problems.

http://www.calnurses.org/media-center/press-releases/2010/june/rns-blast-six-months-of-inaction-by-california-health-dept-on-unsafe-care-at-university-of-california-davis-hospital-uc-officials-also-ignore-dangers.html?print=t

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Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.

..."they've cut staffing to the quick," said tim thomas, an operating-room nurse and the california nurses association's chief rep at watsonville community hospital.

"i can take care of five patients, but if i'm on my own, how can i lift them? how do i get a break?"

nurse-to-patient ratios are regulated by law in california--unique among all states--but thomas said it takes a strong union to enforce those rules. union bargainers have waited nine months for management to respond to their proposals around meals and breaks. ...

[color=#333333]http://www.labornotes.org/2010/11/unions-reach-short-strikes-stop-concessions

so the hospital is failing to provide nursing assistants (maybe clerks too). this is in violation of a sentence in the first paragraph of hospital regulations that states:

staffing for care not requiring a licensed nurse is not included within these ratios and shall be determined pursuant to the patient classification system.

regulations effective january 1, 2004

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but seriously, how do we fight this type of thing otherwise. over & over hospitals cut the aides and really what can we do? there is no bite to the ratios laws. nurses are forced to fight for the protection of the law. the worse thing is how many people are watching & waiting for us to fail to uphold it.

hospitals have the profits to pay the fines for breaking ratios. it is cheaper than hiring one more fte for a year.

so the hospital is failing to provide nursing assistants (maybe clerks too). this is in violation of a sentence in the first paragraph of hospital regulations that states:
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Specializes in Critical-care RN.

Another MONTEREY COUNTY Hospital, WHO HAS HIRED Huron/Wellspring to end all union contracts. :mad::mad::mad: http://www.thecalifornian.com/article/20101103/NEWS01/11030305/SVMH-layoff-renegotiations-sought

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