Members of WFSE Local 793 met with the Governor today to discuss on-going safety issues at Western State Hospital (WSH).
The members are seeking action to make WSH safer for both staff and patients.
Here's a review of the actions requested:
STAFFING FOR PATIENT CARE AND A SAFER WORKPLACE
- More direct care staffing on wards (MHT's, LPN's, PSN, PSA, IC's)
- Fill open positions by use of recruitment center and effective hiring/recruitment practices
- PERT (emergency response) staff available to all shifts.
- Limit use of non-permanent and on-call staff by hiring permanent staff. This includes transitioning long-term non-perms permanent.
- Restore float pool for weekend shifts to reduce overtime.
- No more manager hires. Ward administrators and RN3's are not direct care staff.
TRAINING TO KEEP UP SAFE
- Hands-on training beyond CPI, sucha s Personal Safety Training.
- De-escalation tactics training is needed — not "retreat and run" as taught in CPI training.
- Daily briefings on patient acuity needed for all areas.
- One-on-one training.
ACCOUNTABILITY
- Protocol for protecting staff when violent behavior is proven and reported.
- Direct care staff need to be involved in decision-making on patient treatment plan following an assault to ensure future staff safety.
- Permanent seats for WFSE members on the Nursing Staff Effectiveness Committee.
- Ad Hoc Safety Committee with Governor's Office.
- Labor and Industries Safety Office on site at Western State Hospital.
- Timely incident investigations.
- Review of assaults on staff in the past six months.
- Yearly Security Incident Response (SIRS).
- Workplace Injury Reports and administration report of incidents.
- Thorough review of "felony flips" and "no Axis 1" diagnosis patients and assaults.
- Approve assault benefits
RESPECT OUR RIGHTS
- Respect our right to file charges with law enforcement.
- Not fair that RN's and Psychiartrists can file charges when assaulted but direct care staff are prohibited. This needs to change.
[PHOTO: Sue Henricksen, Council President; Greg Devereux, Council Executive Director, Matt Zuvic, Council Lobbyist, Eliga Sacks, Local 793 President, John Hansen, Local 793 Vice President, Maria Claudio, Mike Yestramski, Craig Gibelyou).
