Wilcox Medical Center nurses have officially voted to ratify a new contract. The contract covers approximately 160 Hawaii Nurses’ Association nurses at Wilcox.
“We are so pleased to reach an agreement with our nurses,” said Jen Chahanovich, president and CEO of Wilcox Medical Center. “They are an integral part of the care we provide, and we are proud of the work they do alongside our entire medical team to care for our community.”
The agreement includes:
- Across-the-board pay increases that average approximately 3.5% annually over nearly four years.
- Longevity pay increases for registered nurses who have five, 10 and 15 years of experience at Wilcox.
- An innovative, collaborative and flexible staffing model that consists of the following:
- An agreed upon staffing matrix for registered nurses in every unit that includes flexible staffing levels that are based on the severity of our patients’ individual medical conditions and needs.
- Staffing guidelines that are evidence-based and aligned with national professional nursing organizations, including the:
- Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN)
- American Nurses Association (ANA)
- American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses (ASPAN)
- Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN)
- American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)
- A Staffing Council made up of Wilcox nurses and nurse leaders who will meet regularly to work collaboratively together on staffing issues and needs.
- Our nurses will be able to use an innovative staffing tool that incorporates workload and acuity to help determine scheduling for each unit based on the ever-changing health care needs of our patients.
- A commitment to ongoing recruitment and retention programs aimed at bringing in new nurses and providing support for current nurses.
“The Wilcox team is ready to move forward and focus on what matters most to us – our patients,” Chahanovich said.