Agency Nurses. Volunteers from the shift and work unit.
Agency Nurses. In my view, no demonstrated need existed for the “clarity note” the Chair has decided to issue. The evidence was that in the last fiscal year that ended March 31, 2020, only 35 of the Participating Hospitals used agency nurses. 96 did not use agency nurses at all. Of the 35 Hospitals that did use agency nurses, it appears that ONA ‘s concerns were with 10 hospitals (9 of which were in the GTA) although the 10th ranking hospital in terms of actual agency hours utilized is really not that high compared to the others in the group and probably isn’t much, if any, of a concern. The Chair points out in paragraph 42 of his award that the dispute relating to the use of agency nurses has been ongoing since 2003. He points to an award of Arbitrator Xxxxxx in 2003 that said that the use of agency nurses was only permitted on an ad hoc basis. Xx. Xxxxxx also imposed a threshold limit for ad hoc agency use with a financial penalty for usage over the threshold. The penalty for usage over the threshold was increased from 38 cents per hour to 62 cents per hour in an interest arbitration award of a Board chaired by Arbitrator Albertyn between these parties on September 7, 2016.That same Board also lowered the threshold for usage to 1.5% from 2%. Despite XXX’s concerns about the use of agency nurses, they don’t appear to have done much about it. The Chair points out that he has dealt with 3 rights arbitration cases involving what he referred to as excessive use of agency nurses at GTA hospitals. We know that one of the Hospitals was Humber River because an award was issued in 2019 . The Chair summarizes that case at paragraph 44 of his award. I have read the award (which was put before us) and it is very comprehensive. It sets out in plain language what the hospital did wrong and what it should have done and what it should be doing in future. The other 2 agency nurses cases that the Chair had before him were settled. Other than the Humber award there have been no arbitration awards involving the agency nurses language in the collective agreement since the Xxxxxx award in 2003 Before our Board ONA sought to have awarded a proposal that would entirely eliminate the use of agency nurses. The Chair rightly, in my view, found that such a proposal went too far and he rejected it. But then he comes up with a clarity note and awards it. I fail to see why this is needed let alone justified. XXX doesn’t appear to be having any problems with 121 out of the 131 Participating Hospitals....
Agency Nurses. Except in cases of emergency, agency nurses shall not be called in to work on units and shifts which the Hospital has identified as requiring a reduction of FTEs.
Agency Nurses. All shifts that agency nurses are working either per day or subcontracted shall be clearly marked on the scheduled as “Agency.” Agency Nurses shall not be scheduled during pre-posting period. Agency nurses shall be pulled or reassigned before bargaining unit employees.
Agency Nurses. A bargaining unit nurse who is scheduled below FTE shall have the 38 right to bump a per diem agency nurse off the work schedule up to four hours prior 39 to the beginning of the shift.
Agency Nurses. Agency Nurses (an associate of a subcontracting employment agency) shall not be covered by the provisions of this agreement, provided however, that Agency Nurses shall not be used to defeat the right of bargaining unit Nurses as specifically provided for in this agreement.
Agency Nurses. Agency Nurses are Nurses that are scheduled through a subcontracting employment agency on an as needed, daily basis. Such Nurses shall not be covered by the provisions of this Agreement, provided however, that Agency Nurses shall not be used to defeat the right of bargaining unit Nurses as specifically provided for in this Agreement.
Agency Nurses. An agency nurse will be included in the low census rotation by working as supplemental staff which will be recorded in the low census rotation per unit practice.
Agency Nurses. Section 1: The parties agree that full and part-time nurses employed by the Hospitals are most likely to provide the desirable level of nursing care, to provide care to patients at an economical cost and to provide the necessary balance in assignment of shifts. The Hospitals' basic policy shall be to use their registered nursing staff to the exclusion of agency nurses from outside agencies except in situations where no other means of providing appropriate staffing are available.
Section 2: Agency nurses shall be used only as a supplement to and not to replace nurses employed by the Hospitals. Prior to using an agency nurse, the Hospitals shall attempt to cover a shift or partial shift with its own nursing staff. Before making any use of an agency nurse, the Hospitals shall offer each shift or partial shift to the members of its own staff within the affected unit who are qualified to perform the work.
Section 3: An agency nurse shall not be assigned leadership or charge nurse responsibilities, unless the agency nurse has had appropriate charge nurse experience at the Hospitals. The agency nurse shall be expected to otherwise perform substantially the same functions as Hospital staff nurses.
Section 4: Agency nurses will be issued appropriate identification. Prior to assignment on any patient care unit, the agency nurse shall present their identification to the nurse in charge of the unit.
Section 5: No Hospital nurse shall be displaced from an assigned unit by an agency nurse in order that the Hospital nurse can be pulled to another unit until the Hospitals have first attempted to assign the agency nurse, if qualified, to such unit and have attempted to fill the vacancy in such other unit from the staff of such unit.
Section 6: Agency/traveling nurses shall, when practical, receive a minimum of four and one half (4 1/2) hours of orientation. During the orientation process, competencies of agency/traveling nurses will be evaluated in accordance with standards applicable to registered nurses working in University Hospitals. Staff nurses who have concerns about clinical skills of an agency nurse should report such concerns to their nurse managers.
Agency Nurses. The least senior Nurse, regardless of his/her status
