MISSOULA — Providence St. Patrick Hospital nurses are in the middle of contract negotiations, hoping for what they say is better pay and better workplace safety.
They have not yet been able to reach an agreement with a federal mediator and the hospital in Missoula.
"Nurses have been waiting for four years to change our contract,” said Kate Marmorato, who is Local 17 Nurses Union Co-President and registered nurse at St. Patrick Hospital.
The union is currently in negotiations for new contracts for their nursing staff. Top of mind for the nurses I increased pay and workplace safety.
"Recruitment and retention of the best nurses, safe staffing and we have some issues with workplace violence,” Marmorato said.
Nurses say that inside the doors of St. Patrick Hospital, it’s common to see nurses working their regular shifts but also working extra shifts to keep up with the demands around the hospital.
“It’s tough our resources are stretched, it's not uncommon for nurses to doing their full-time gig and nurses picking up shifts on the side to fill those staffing holes. We do care about our coworkers and we care about our coworkers and patients and were going to do it,” Marmorato said.
"We want them to know that we are deeply rooted in this community, we matter and were supported and were hoping that the takeaway message is we count too,” Marmorato said.
So far there have been ten days of mediation between the nurse's union and St. Patrick Hospital but a deal has not been struck. Three more days of mediation are set to begin on March 20, 2024.
MTN reached out to St. Patrick Hospital numerous times to request an on-camera interview.
They sent the following statement:
It appears that certain concerns have been shared by the Montana Nurses Association regarding workplace violence, staff safety and turnover at Providence St. Patrick Hospital. St. Patrick Hospital does not agree with the perspectives shared by the union, and we believe our position is supported by the information outlined below.
For perspective, Providence St. Patrick Hospital has been negotiating a new contract with Montana Nurses Association – Local 17 since January 16, 2024. Four, multi-day bargaining sessions have been scheduled through March.
St. Patrick Hospital is committed to reaching agreement on a fair contract that will help us recruit and retain the best nurses while staying true to our mission of sustainably serving all members of our community.
We have a long history of collaborating with Montana Nurses Association on contracts that advance the nursing practice, are market competitive, and meet the needs of our nurses and our ministry.
Current contract proposal includes enhanced staffing models, nurse involvement in addressing turnover rates, updated safety standards and pay/wage increases.
StaffingSafety
- As a Magnet-accredited Hospital since 2013, St. Patrick Hospital uses the Shared Governance Model as part of the Magnet Framework. In Magnet-designated organizations, the input of bedside nurses matters. Providing nurses with the opportunity to have a meaningful say in aspects of the day-to-day running of our hospital is a vital part of our nursing culture.
- A new Chief Nursing Officer, Krissy Petersen, was hired in July 2023.
- In November 2023, a nurse Staffing Council was created with a goal of involving bedside nurses in a collaborative approach to developing staffing plans.
- National annual hospital nurse turnover rate in Dec. 2023 was 22.5%, according to Becker’s Hospital Review. St. Pat’s turnover rate is much lower at 15% and has been improving the last several years.
- While many dynamics impact nurse turnover, no one solution can resolve it. We are proud of the progress we are making and are committed to focusing on this issue.
- Violence against health care workers has increased across the nation, following the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Our goal is to protect all caregivers and provide a safe environment for everyone.
- Providence has a ZERO TOLERANCE policy for all forms of aggressive behavior and involves local law enforcement as needed.
- Providence St. Patrick Hospital has enhanced its workplace violence and safety policies and procedures by implementing a new workplace violence reporting system, increasing the number of security officers on patrol, workplace violence training for all staff, updated cameras inside our hospital and around the hospital campus, and restricting building access.
