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MOVINGFORWARD—PEFnursesandorganizersoftheDOCSnursessubcommitteeposeforaphotoatLakePlacidlast
May.(L-R)DonnaChristie,DOCSCommissionerBrianFischer,PattyMcFadden,PEFL-MChairatDOCSTomDonahue,
BarbaraTouron,PEFNurseOrganizerNancyWolff,DonnaBakerandTimQuain. — Photo by Lorraine Wood
NursessubcommitteemakesprogressatDOCS
ByDEBORAHA.MILES practice with the state Office of begin your shift. The officers have a
Nurses who work for the state Mental Health, and other health care time frame too, so you have to work
Department of Correctional Services policies and guidelines,” said Barbara closely together to make everything
(DOCS) are getting ahead in resolving Touron, PEF Division 322 council meet,” Quain said. “We always have to
their issues. leader and subcommittee chair from be certain of the way we do things
Instead of raising them at the Odgensburg. because of licensing. DOCS is
general labor-management table At some of the facilities, Touron realizing we are nurses first and have
where other concerns are on the said agency nurses were given to work within the confines of our
agenda, a special labor-management preferential shifts. After this issue was licenses.”
subcommittee was formed. raised, DOCS distributed guidelines The subcommittee was also
“The union has a good working for utilization of agency nurses. successful in getting DOCS managers
relationship with DOCS, and the Another issue making headway is to understand the importance of the
department was very receptive to stopping the use of the Fuzeon geographical differences in pay.
forming a special subcommittee and syringe. This particular syringe does “We are at the point where
getting information about nurses’ not have an adequate safety device Commissioner Fisher wrote to the
issues directly from the field,” said and presents a danger for a possible commissioner of Civil Service,
Tom Donahue, PEF labor- needle-stick injury. conveying our frustration of working
management chair at DOCS. Tim Quain, a committee member in facilities that are continually short-
The subcommittee encompasses all and nurse at Clinton Correctional staffed,” Quain said. “Pay is always a
DOCS facilities across the state and, Facility, said DOCS managers big issue, as well as respect.”
so far, the meetings have been addressed the problem with this Touron added, “The subcommittee
productive. syringe at the last meeting. wants all our nurses to know they are
Donahue credits DOCS “Most of the facilities were told not not alone. We are in this together. We
Commissioner Brian Fischer for to use the Fuzeon syringe,” Quain will keep the discussion going and
helping to establish the subcommittee said. move forward.”
and allowing it to work in a Another issue, according to Quain, DOCS nurses are encouraged to
cooperative manner to identify and concerns improving the working contact committee members with their
address specific issues. relationship between nurses and issues. Other committee members
“Some of the issues we have DOCS security. include Donna Baker (Albion), Patty
discussed are geographical differences “Sometimes, there is not enough McFadden (Cape Vincent), Donna
in pay, mandatory overtime, staffing time to prepare for a medication run, Christie (Downstate), and Nancy Wolff
problems, the DOCS agreement and because of when you are scheduled to (PEF nurse organizer).
Page12—TheCommunicatorApril2009 PEFInformationLine:1-800-553-2445
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