Education Leave Available. Regular full-time and part-time nurses shall be provided paid education time per year for purposes of attending educational meetings approved in advance in writing by their manager, such as workshops, seminars, and educational programs in at least the following amounts: sixteen (16) hours per year for nurses working an average of less than .5 FTE, twenty-four (24) hours for nurses working an average of .5 to .8 FTE and thirty-two (32) hours for those nurses working an average of .9 FTE and above, provided the number of nurses wishing to attend does not jeopardize Medical Center services. The term “educational meetings” is defined as those conducted to develop the skills and qualifications of the nurse for the purpose of enhancing and upgrading the quality of patient care and shall not include any meeting conducted for any purpose relating to labor relations or collective bargaining activities. Upon request, nurses certified by XXX or a specialty nurse organization who are working in the area of their certification shall be provided an additional sixteen (16) hours of paid education time per year pursuant to this provision for the purpose of attending educational meetings directly related to their certification. The Employer will provide tuition reimbursement for continuing education classes and courses necessary to obtain and maintain certification, and for the certification exam when certification is a job requirement. Attendance at courses required by the Medical Center, such as Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), will be paid at the applicable rate of pay for time worked. Attendance at such courses will be scheduled in advance by management, subject to accommodation for a nurse’s previously approved PTO.
