NICU Night Call for Meeting to Address Staffing Concerns

On July 11, 2007 a large group of NICU nurses, some on their night off, came together for a staff meeting with their manager, Marianne Cummings, and acting CWN director director, Detta Quigley- Lavoie. The meeting was called by the night shift nurses. They chose the date and time and asked their manager to be present. The issue - a change in staffing and nurse/patient ratios on the night shift.

In the couple of months leading up to the meeting, many nurses brought concerns to their MNA representative about the detrimental changes in staffing. The census and acuity were at an all time high, and the NICU at one point actually reached 140 percent capacity. The unit was operating only by having many nurses regularly doing overtime and there was no end in sight. More than one nurse heard the nurse manager say that the assignments on the night shift were going to change and she talked about how it is done on other units. Charge nurses shared what they had been told to do and what not to do regarding staffing. They were stuck in the middle. For example, they were not to replace sick calls to make assignments in the step down area appropriate; the intermediate care units would work short. The nurses felt that this was unacceptable and called the meeting to address the current state of the NICU staffing at night. They were also concerned because several staff nurses left their positions and had not been replaced; their jobs had not even been posted.

A statement was prepared which included the information collected from the staff that addressed the issues of staffing and their declining ability to provide quality and safe care to the NICU babies. The nurses then spoke individually and gave management the opportunity to respond. They wanted to know why this was happening, and what plan was being put in place. Unfortunately, they left the meeting without any real explanation. The nurses were dissatisfied with the response but felt the meeting was a success. They brought forth the issues to an Advisory (labor/management) meeting with hospital leadership. In that meeting the nurses received an on-the-record statement from Chief Nursing Officer Mairead Hickey stating that there are no plans to decrease staffing in the NICU or to change the nurse/patient ratios. The nurses will hold administration to their word. The night shift nurses of the NICU are to be commended for their commitment to quality care and safe practice. They brought forth a concern, chose a way to address it, and got results. Our collective voice is much louder than our individual voices and when we need to, we will use it.

Point of emphasis: you have a right to call for a meeting with your manager.