`kasparov' Doesn't Deep-six The Fish 
Expose A King And It Will Get Sacked. Immediately. And There Will Be No Second 
Chance.

2 Win Jackpot

Saturday, June 22, 1996 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





WVHCS nurses feel contract would protect them and their patients &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Within the health care community the hottest topic of debate these days
seems to be the desire of the RNs at Wyoming Valley Health Care System (WVHCS)
to organize as a bargaining unit and thus ensure wages and benefits through a
binding contractNot unlike the physicians at WVHCS, we professional nurses
continuously strive for a higher standard of care for our patients using the
resources available to us at the facilities. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Many critical care nurses attend classes, conferences, and seminars on our
own time and at our own expense. Those of us certified in our specialty areas
must meet national standards to maintain those certifications and, again, do
it at our own expense since the WVHCS has eliminated all educational expenses
paid to the nursing department. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Administrators' expenses have not been eliminated, and it is those
administrators who have no patient contact who are dictating how patient care
is to be delivered in this age of "managed health care." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Lower reimbursements have led to lower profit margins, but capital
improvements have not been jeopardized. Look at all the new additions and
buildings. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Losses are being recovered by reducing nursing staffs, thereby crippling
the nurse/patient ratio. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 When approached, no one in administration had any desire to address the
concerns of inadequate staffing until our organizing effort gained momentum.
Now they are showing the utmost interest in our concerns, and the hiring
freeze has been lifted. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 We are not organizing to threaten or engage in a strike that would
jeopardize health-care delivery to our families and community; a "no strike"
clause can be put into the contract. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 We are organizing to guarantee a binding contract for wages and benefits
and to have input in how health care is delivered at Wilkes-Barre General and
Nesbitt Memorial hospitals. We are the ones at the bedsides. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 We don't want to provide substandard care. We do want to see WVHCS services
expand, but only if safe and adequate RN staffing ratios are provided. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The people of our community deserve this. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 I see PSEA Health Care as an organization much like the AMA (American
Medical Association) -- an organization to which most physicians belong. They
pay dues to belong and their lobbyists are paid to direct and protect their
causes and concerns. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The administrators at WVHCS and the physicians of General Medical Services
(GMS) are provided with a contract. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Why is it so appalling for RNs at WVHCS to desire the same privilege? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Patricia Mike Trusa &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Nanticoke &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Wvhcs Nurses Feel Contract Would Protect Them And Their Patients 
Within The Health Care Community The Hottest Topic Of Debate These Days Seems 
To Be The Desire Of The Rns At Wyoming Valley Health Care System (wvhcs) To 
Organize As A Bargaining Unit And Thus Ensure Wages And Benefits Through A 
Binding Contract.