Nursing Assistants Protest Outside Hahnemann

Certified Nursing Assistants are protesting a new plan that will only include Registered Nurses.

Dozens of nursing assistants and other employees are protesting outside Hahnemann Hospital in Center City.

The Hospital is implementing a plan beginning next Monday which will only include Registered Nurses. This means 127 Certified Nursing Assistants could lose their jobs.

The hospital released a statement regarding the new model:

Hahnemann leadership continually works with its nursing team to explore ways to improve quality of care and patient safety at the hospital. Last year, based on a wealth of existing data which supports that increasing the skill level of the care givers results in better quality and patient outcomes, Hahnemann decided to pilot a new patient care model.

There are currently 600 registered nurses at the Hospital. The new plan will include the hiring of around 60 more.

Hahnemann began piloting the all-RN patient care model back in March of 2011 on a 50-bed unit. They then extended the model to an additional unit last August after claiming the results were successful.

Hahnemann claims the pilots showed improved patient, employee and physician satisfaction. The Hospital also says the new model includes a patient-center meeting between nurses at the bedside during nurse shift change.

“Nurses who participated in the pilots reported the new model gave them the opportunity to spend more time with patients, increased their awareness in changes with their patients’ conditions and allowed for fewer opportunities for errors and miscommunication,” said Stephanie Conners, the chief nursing officer at Hahnemann University Hospital.

The new model will mean the elimination of the certified nursing assistant positions over time.

“It is always difficult to make decisions like this,” said Michael P. Halter, the chief executive officer at Hahnemann. “We will work with the union to ensure that these nursing assistant employees are transitioned fairly. We know this change is in the best interest of our patients.”

The CNAs were informed of the plan two weeks ago. They immediately opposed the decision and began protesting on Tuesday at 3 p.m.

North Broad Street is currently closed in both directions between Race Street and Vine Street as the demonstration continues.
 

Contact Us