GMC Nurses working in ER III today may be surprised to learn that they do not exist. 

Also, breaking news for Nurses who have ever heard or responded to a Rapid Response call in ER III: No, you didn’t.

After all, what are you going to believe - your own eyes, ears, and experiences, or what management says at the bargaining table?

Here’s what happened. During a discussion of the safe floating areas proposal that your Union bargaining team presented (more on that below), Nurses attempted to clarify with management how decisions are made regarding staffing assignments and orientation in [the area formerly known as ER III, alias: ER Overflow].

Management’s response: there is no such department as ER III. In the actual reality that GMC Nurses live and care for patients in, patients are admitted to this area, Nurses are assigned to care for these patients, Nurses are floated to this area from throughout the hospital, and there are major issues with very high acuity patients, lack of training, and lack of staff in this department, whatever name it goes by.

Management’s conflicting terms for this area point to an overall lack of clarity from management that puts nurses in positions where they feel that patient safety could be put at risk.

LET'S FIX FLOATING

Your Union Bargaining Team presented proposed changes to the contract’s floating language that will make floating assignments safer by clarifying which Home Units may float to which Destination Units.

We also presented proposals on: Public Health Emergencies, Discipline, Unscheduled Absences, and Holidays.