St. Vincent's Strike

By Chris Pope, Worcester Telegram & Gazette 

WORCESTER, Mass.—As a federal mediator asked both sides in the 33-day-old Worcester Medical Center strike to return to the bargaining table, the state Department of Public Health reported that three replacement nurses hired by Tenet Healthcare Corp. have been fired.

According to DPH reports released yesterday on conditions at the Tenet-owned medical center, two of the nurses -- part of a contingent of 125 brought in by Tenet from Denver-based U.S. Nursing Corp. -- were terminated after leaving a surgical patient unattended last Tuesday in a post-operative recovery room.

The third nurse was fired after delivering a newborn to the wrong mother for nursing. That incident took place Friday, according to the report.

"This should not happen under any circumstances," said Paul R. Jacobsen, deputy state commissioner of health. He said the incident is being investigated by state health officials.

Paula L. Green, medical center spokeswoman, confirmed that the nurse responsible for the baby mixup was employed by U.S. Nursing. She said the hospital regretted the incident.

"This was a very unfortunate situation," she said. "We're sick over the fact that this occurred."

Ms. Green said the nurse, who was experienced in neonatal care, was fired after failing to match the identification bracelet attached to the baby with one worn by its mother. She said the error was discovered after the misidentified baby's real mother went to the hospital's nursery and found her child missing.

While the error was discovered and corrected quickly, Ms. Green said the nurse was terminated for violating procedures designed to make sure that such misidentifications do not occur.

"We very much regret the emotional distress caused to both mothers and their families," she said.

Ms. Green said the incident involving the patient who was left unattended in the recovery room for about an hour was the result of a misunderstanding between two nurses.

"Each left thinking the other was still there," she said.

Ms. Green said that because the patient suffered no harm as a result of being left unattended, the hospital was not obligated to report the incident to the DPH. She said the hospital reported it anyway as part of its full disclosure policy concerning patient care during the strike.

DPH monitors have been in the hospital since the start of the strike. The monitors have sent daily written reports to public health officials, noting their findings, but those reports have been made available to the media only since Friday.

Ms. Green said the decision to terminate the nurses was made after determining that they had violated hospital care standards.

"We felt as professionals it was their responsibility to make sure coverage was there," Ms. Green said.

David J. Schildmeier, spokesman for the Massachusetts Nurses Association, which represents the striking nurses, said both incidents confirm the striking nurses' contention that the medical center has been unable to maintain adequate care standards during the strike.

"It's compatible with reports that we have been receiving daily on the quality of care being provided," he said. 

"We feel we're maintaining a high quality of care," Ms. Green responded. "But unfortunately, these things did occur during the strike, if not necessarily because of the strike."

Meanwhile, the federal mediator assigned to the nurses' strike has called for the two sides in the dispute to meet at 10 a.m. Thursday.

The meeting, at a site yet to be determined, would be the first between Tenet, owner of the hospital, and the Massachusetts Nurses Association since a 20-minute session ended without progress April 21.

Sandra A. Ellis, spokeswoman for the striking nurses, said the union's negotiating team is looking forward to the resumption of talks.

"Anytime the two sides get together is an opportunity to reach a settlement and end this," Ms. Ellis said.

Ms. Green said the hospital bargaining team, led by Chief Executive Officer Robert E. Maher Jr., would attend the session. Ms. Green said she was not aware of any changes in the medical center's bargaining position, however.

  The main issue separating the sides in the dispute remains mandatory overtime. In a compromise from their initial position, the nurses have said they would work up to two hours of overtime each shift, and would work an additional two hours of overtime per shift in emergencies. The nurses' proposal would allow nurses who feel too tired to provide safe patient care to refuse overtime.

The hospital, which essentially has stuck to its original bargaining stance, wants the ability to require eight hours of overtime per shift with double wages. In the alternative, the hospital said it is agreeable to a flex policy that would give management the right to send nurses home without pay on low patient census days. 

© 2000 Worcester Telegram & Gazette  

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