Reference no: EM133519039

In 2017, the NNU, which is the biggest union of registered nurses in the United States, started discussions with the UC system, which is made up of five major academic medical centers. About 14,000 nurses who work in UC hospitals and clinics were covered by the deal. The discussions were about many things, like wages, staffing numbers, and safety in the workplace (CNA/NNU, 2018).

Staffing Levels: The NNU stressed safe staffing ratios for patient safety and nurse-patient ratios. They claimed understaffing caused patient injury and nurse burnout. The union wanted contractual staffing ratios and procedures.

Payment Increases: To address the competitive nursing market and reward their patient service, the NNU asked for compensation increases. They maintained that higher compensation were needed to retain skilled nurses and sustain care quality.

Workplace Safety: The NNU promoted workplace violence prevention and infectious disease protection. They wanted contractual provisions for training, security, and resources to prevent workplace risks (CNA/NNU, 2018).

The NNU and the UC system finally settled their differences in March of 2020 after months of debate and several strikes. Wage increases, enhanced safety measures, and a mention of personnel levels were all part of the contract. Both sides felt that they had to give something up to agree upon a contract (CNA/NNU, 2018).

According to the Ten Simple Rules, the roles of management and the union are to respect one another and reach an agreement that allows for improved working conditions for employees and patients.

I concur with the results because insufficient staffing can lead to employee burnout because of being allocated too many patients or working overtime to ensure there is enough staff to cover shifts. Given the quantity of work nurses are required to perform, I believe they were entitled to wage increases. How can we safeguard patients in terms of workplace safety if employees are not safe?