MOVING FORWARD — PEF nurses and organizers of the DOCS nurses subcommittee pose for a photo at Lake Placid last May. (L-R) Donna Christie, DOCS Commissioner Brian Fischer, Patty McFadden, PEF L-M Chair at DOCS Tom Donahue, Barbara Touron, PEF Nurse Organizer Nancy Wolff, Donna Baker and Tim Quain. — Photo by Lorraine Wood

Nurses subcommittee makes progress at DOCS

By DEBORAH A. MILES
Nurses who work for the state Department of Correctional Services (DOCS) are getting ahead in resolving their issues.

Instead of raising them at the general labor-management table where other concerns are on the agenda, a special labor-management subcommittee was formed.

“The union has a good working relationship with DOCS, and the department was very receptive to forming a special subcommittee and getting information about nurses’ issues directly from the field,” said Tom Donahue, PEF labor-management chair at DOCS.

The subcommittee encompasses all DOCS facilities across the state and, so far, the meetings have been productive.

Donahue credits DOCS Commissioner Brian Fischer for helping to establish the subcommittee and allowing it to work in a cooperative manner to identify and address specific issues.

“Some of the issues we have discussed are geographical differences in pay, mandatory overtime, staffing problems, the DOCS agreement and practice with the state Office of Mental Health, and other health care policies and guidelines,” said Barbara Touron, PEF Division 322 council leader and subcommittee chair from Odgensburg.

At some of the facilities, Touron said agency nurses were given preferential shifts. After this issue was raised, DOCS distributed guidelines for utilization of agency nurses.

Another issue making headway is stopping the use of the Fuzeon syringe. This particular syringe does not have an adequate safety device and presents a danger for a possible needle-stick injury.

Tim Quain, a committee member and nurse at Clinton Correctional Facility, said DOCS managers addressed the problem with this syringe at the last meeting.

“Most of the facilities were told not to use the Fuzeon syringe,” Quain said.

Another issue, according to Quain, concerns improving the working relationship between nurses and DOCS security.

“Sometimes, there is not enough time to prepare for a medication run, because of when you are scheduled to begin your shift. The officers have a time frame too, so you have to work closely together to make everything meet,” Quain said. “We always have to be certain of the way we do things because of licensing. DOCS is realizing we are nurses first and have to work within the confines of our licenses.”

The subcommittee was also successful in getting DOCS managers to understand the importance of the geographical differences in pay.

“We are at the point where Commissioner Fisher wrote to the commissioner of Civil Service, conveying our frustration of working in facilities that are continually short-staffed,” Quain said. “Pay is always a big issue, as well as respect.”

Touron added, “The subcommittee wants all our nurses to know they are not alone. We are in this together. We will keep the discussion going and move forward.”

DOCS nurses are encouraged to contact committee members with their issues. Other committee members include Donna Baker (Albion), Patty McFadden (Cape Vincent), Donna Christie (Downstate), and Nancy Wolff (PEF nurse organizer).