Nurses at Fitz OK 4-year deal

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

...Under the terms of the contract, Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital agreed to be prepared for maximum capacity every day. "In the past, we would have staff assigned to the unit based on what we had needed in previous months. But if a unit can hold 24 patients, we should be prepared to care for 24 patients," said Marcy Keating, R.N., an ICU nurse and member of the negotiating committee. The hospital also agreed to hire an additional 24 full-time registered nurses. A float pool, which will assign nurses at the beginning of their shift to cover unexpected gaps, will be established.

The agreement also includes a minimum wage increase of more than 18 percent...

http://www.delcotimes.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1675&dept_id=18177&newsid=13161203&PAG=461&rfi=9

http://philadelphia.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2004/10/04/daily46.html