Nurses at Tacoma General Hospital plan for a week to refuse to take extra shifts or voluntary overtime to protest hospital work practices. The boycott of extra shifts is scheduled for Nov. 10-17, according to a news release from the Washington State Nurses Association.
The last nursing shortage more than a decade ago ended when a surge of nursing graduates filled many positions, and the Great Recession led older nurses to delay retirement. But as the economy improves, nurses who held on to jobs through the uneven recovery are now retiring or cutting back hours, say recruiters. The departures come as demand for nurses has increased, thanks to expanded insurance coverage from job growth and the Affordable Care Act.
Twin Cities Community Hospital in Templeton is facing new complaints this month from more than 50 registered nurses who say the hospital is violating California labor law, according to a press release from lawyers representing the nurses. According to a lawsuit, the hospital, owned by Tenet Healthcare, has routinely violated the nurses' workplace rights.
Methodist Health denies allegations that its hospitals routinely dock non-exempt nurses of pay for lunch breaks they never take during busy shifts. A nurse filed a collective action lawsuit in August, saying the system's automatic meal deduction policy fails to properly compensate staff for hours they actually work.
Attorneys for Ebola nurse Nina Pham and Texas Health Resources told a judge Monday that they are close to reaching a settlement, according to sources who asked not to be named. Both sides have agreed on the terms, but no paperwork has been signed and the settlement is not final. The deal could fall through.
UPMC is launching the second phase of a new model of nursing home care this month that will dramatically change the way participating facilities are paid. The project, Reduce Avoidable Hospitalizations using Evidence-based Interventions for Nursing Facilities in western Pennsylvania (RAVEN), is supported by a $20 million grant from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.