Literature Review

800+ California nurses to receive 22.5% pay hike Becker's Hospital Review; by Kelly Gooch; 5/10/24Members of the California Nurses Association have approved a new labor contract with Washington Hospital Healthcare System in Fremont, Calif. The four-year agreement covers roughly 840 nurses, according to a union news release. It was approved by union members May 3 and by the Washington Township Health Care District board of directors May 8. ... According to the CNA, the new deal includes a 22.5% across-the-board increase in wages over four years. It also includes "precedent-setting standard expanding infectious disease protocols and workplace violence protections"; language that protects union members' ability to take meal and rest periods; and protections for part-time positions, according to the union.Editor's Note: These new terms reflect nationwide trends of healthcare/nurse strikes and reasons for leaving their jobs, ie., pay, patient safety, workplace violence, work/home life balance, and more.

Investing in employee engagement can add a competitive advantageHomeCare; by Jeffrey Knapp; 5/9/24You cannot pay people enough to care. But it is possible to attract and retain great talent and bring out the best in them by fully engaging employees in a shared purpose, giving them a sense that their work is worthwhile and that they are making a difference in the world. That is the culture effect on health care staffing. ... For leaders who want either to start building or to invest more in a culture infrastructure, do not forget these essential steps: 

Lawmakers press nursing home chains on corporate spending amid staffing rule fight The Hill; by Nathaniel Weixel; 5/6/24Congressional Democrats demanded information about the corporate spending by the operators of three of the country’s largest public, for-profit nursing homes, after the companies said they can’t afford the Biden administration’s new minimum staffing threshold. In letters sent to the companies Sunday, ... [they] pressed for information about buyouts, dividends, and salaries to executives and shareholders. The lawmakers aim to contrast that with the salaries for nurses and nursing aides, amid widespread industry opposition to the new staffing requirements because they are too costly.  

27 hospitals, health systems cutting jobs Becker's Hospital CFO Report; by Kelly Gooch; updated 5/3/24A number of hospitals and health systems are reducing their workforces or jobs due to financial and operational challenges. Below are workforce reduction efforts or job eliminations announced this year. ...

Highlighting Nurses Week: Best, worst states for nurses in 2024 Becker's Hospital Review; by Erica Carbajal; 4/30/24 WalletHub has deemed Washington the best state for nurses to practice in 2024 — a recognition based on an analysis of earnings, job growth and working conditions. For the annual ranking, the financial services company compared 50 states across two key dimensions: opportunity and competition, and work environment. Twenty metrics were grouped into those two dimensions, ... Here are the 10 best and worst states for nurses in 2024, per the ranking:  ...

Updated guidance on workplace harassment covers misgendering pronouns, bias over bathroom use, more McKnights Senior Living; by Kathleen Steele Gaivin; 5/2/24 Final guidance published last week by the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission aims to clarify for employers, employees and others their obligations related to harassment in the workplace. ... This is the first update to the guidance in 25 years, aimed at enforcing more recent changes in federal law. EEOC clarified that harassment by any person — including employers, coworkers, customers and clients — can violate federal law. ... According to the EEOC, the new guidance “updates, consolidates and replaces the agency’s five guidance documents issued between 1987 and 1999 and serves as a single, unified agency resource on EEOC-enforced workplace harassment law.” Among other guidance, the EEOC calls out asking intrusive questions about a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, gender transition or intimate body parts as forms of harassment. ...

Penn State Hershey Medical Center nurses ratify new contractNBC WGAL TV 8; by Lori Has More; 4/27/24 More than 2,000 registered nurses working at Penn State Hershey Medical Center have ratified a new three-year contract. The union says their new deal will increase pay rates by an average of 22.5%, include more time off and new initiatives to address staffing needs. Editor's Note: These changes reflect national trends for recent healthcare strikes and high turnover rates: pay rates, work-life balance, and staffing. Additionally, we're seeing demands for improved workplace safety as a common theme for healthcare professionals.

How leaders are building the healthcare workforce pipeline Becker's Hospital Review; by Kelly Gooch; 4/24/24 The workforce is top of mind for hospitals and health systems, and executives are investing in retention and upskilling to address shortages and reduce reliance on contract labor. ... "We've got to start thinking about it differently and probably getting to people a lot earlier than we do now," Laura Hurst, administrator for Cooper Green Mercy Health Services Authority, an affiliate of Birmingham, Ala.-based UAB Health System, told Becker's. ... These strategies include working more closely with high schools, community colleges and other schools to help provide instruction and support and highlight the benefits of working in healthcare.

Beyond compensation: Culture as a benefit HR Daily Advisor; by G Hatfield; 4/24/24 Compensation is not the only factor that nurses consider when choosing a health system. Benefits packages, workplace culture, safety, and flexibility all play a role in the decision-making process. CNOs should take a look at their health system’s offerings to make sure they are attractive to new nurses and that they are staying competitive in the industry. During the HealthLeaders’ Nurse Labor and Compensation NOW Summit, Robin Steaban, Chief Nursing Officer at Vanderbilt University Hospital, spoke about  innovative perks to attract and keep nurses, and how workplace culture and safety play a role as benefits alongside compensation.

Providence employees awarded $98M in wage suit Modern Healthcare, by Hayley Desilva; 4/22/24 A jury awarded more than $98 million to Providence Health and Services employees in a class action lawsuit over claims the health system illegally denied meal breaks and pay for time worked. King County Superior Court Judge Averil Rothrock, who presided over the case, also ruled Thursday that the health system willfully withheld wages, which under Washington state law could entitle workers to double the amount of damages awarded.

Marijuana Legalization Review: A guide for employers in a complex legal landscapeForbes, by Alonzo Martinez; 4/19/24As marijuana legalization sweeps across the United States, employers face a complex legal landscape regarding its use among employees. What was once a clear-cut issue of termination for positive drug tests has evolved into a complex assessment, with federal, state, and local laws offering conflicting guidance on how to navigate marijuana use in the workplace.

Help Serenity Hospice workers win their unionSEIU503; 4/18/24Workers at Serenity Hospice have been organizing for pay equity, adequate raises, affordable health care, regular hours, PTO, and the ability to manage trauma and compassion fatigue. The workers unanimously decided to form a union, and asked management to voluntarily recognize them. Serenity’s parent company (Addus Healthcare) already has SEIU-represented employees at its home health agency in Eugene. Instead, Addus hired one of the most expensive union-busing law firms in the country, and has been paying them hundreds of dollars per hour to spread anti-union propaganda. Workers are sticking together and staying strong, and plan to vote YES in their union election next week. Editor's Note: Hospice & Palliative Care Today's posting of this article denotes neither support nor opposition to this action. Rather, we are reporting it for hospice and palliative care leadership awareness. Unions and strikes among healthcare professionals--for these same cited reasons--continue to be a growing trend, nationwide.