You can count on us to be here for you.
As Kauai’s largest medical center, we are committed to providing safe and consistent high-quality care for our patients and our Kauai community.
Our commitment to our nurses.
At Wilcox Medical Center, we value our nurses and the vital role they serve as part of our care team.
We are very close to an agreement with the Hawaii Nurses Association (HNA). Our current offer would provide our nurses with many improvements, including:
HIGHLY COMPETITIVE WAGES
- ✔ Across-the-board raises totaling 14% over approximately 45 months* for all Wilcox registered nurses, which would make them among the highest-paid experienced nurses in the state.
- ✔ Enhanced longevity pay for nurses who have completed 5, 10 and 15 years of service.
- ✔ Based on our current offer, by the third year of the contract, our registered nurses will earn a base salary between $138,000 to $161,000 for a 3-day work week. In addition to the base salary, our offer includes a generous benefits package and incentive pay.
AN INNOVATIVE STAFFING MODEL
- ✔ Staffing guidelines based on staffing levels from recognized national association standards. This includes a nurse-to-patient staffing matrix that provides the ability to adjust based on the individual conditions and needs of patients, which can change multiple times throughout the day.
- ✔ A Staffing Council that brings nursing leaders and Wilcox nurses together to collaborate, develop and maintain staffing standards.
- ✔ New ways to collaborate on staffing that would provide registered nurses with transparency and opportunities to participate in setting their schedules, as well as a role and a voice in the staffing process.
Staffing for Individualized Patient Care
When it comes to staffing, we are in agreement with HNA on staffing levels for every nursing area except the Medical Surgical unit. Under our proposal, each Medical Surgical nurse, with the support of our care team, would care for up to five or six patients. This range allows for the following:
- A patient’s condition can change at any time, as can the level of care needed.
- How many patients each nurse has will be determined by what is necessary for individualized care, which aligns with what HNA is asking for.
- As a community-based hospital, we make adjustments based on the unique needs of our Kauai community.
We believe our offer is fair and in the best interest of our patients, staff and community. We are committed to continuing our efforts to reach an agreement on a new contract so our nurses can benefit from the immediate and significant improvements our offer provides.
* Based on nurses ratifying a new contract in January
Last Updated: Jan. 20, 2025