Nurses at St John’s Hospital will begin industrial action in the form of a work to rule from 8am on November 23 until further notice.
Nurses at St John’s Hospital will begin industrial action in the form of a work to rule from 8am on November 23 until further notice.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) have released a statement saying that the industrial action is due to the Health Service Executive allowing short-staffing to persist in the workplace.
Nurses are concerned for their safety and the safety of their patients in the workplace.
INMO Assistant Director of Industrial Relations, Mary Fogarty said: “INMO members will begin industrial action in St John’s Hospital from tomorrow morning following failed local engagement related to nursing workloads caused by persistent short staffing. St John’s Hospital is an eighty-nine-bed hospital and there are over 30 nursing vacancies.
“The pressure this is placing on our members is exceptional and they have articulated very clearly to management that it is having a significant impact on the safety of patients attending the hospital and their own well-being in the workplace.
“The inability of management at St John’s Hospital to recognise the impact substantial nursing vacancies are having on our members and their failure to curtail services to safer limits to match the availability of nurses has compounded the dispute.
“This is not a decision that INMO members in St John’s Hospital have taken lightly but because of the staffing restriction they cannot provide safe care therefore they are left with no option but to ensure the nursing care of their patients is prioritised.”
The work to rule will encompass the following:
- Routine clerical administration duties will not be undertaken by nurses.
- INMO members will not attend meetings except clinical meetings, or meetings with families of patients.
- Weekly putting away of pharmacy stores will not be undertaken by nurses.
- Routine trips to pharmacy for collection of drugs will not be undertaken by nurses.
- Nurses will not move beds except for IP&C or MAU needs.
- Cordless phones will not be utilised except one phone for IP&C and Bed Management.
- Pre-assessments for endoscopy and day ward patients will not be undertaken by day ward nurses.
- Routine overruns in theatres will not be staffed by INMO members, the last patient must be in recovery in the day ward by 3pm and by 4pm in main theatre.
- Routine cleaning and disposal of waste in the theatres will not be undertaken by INMO members.
More to come as news unfolds.