A recent threat by a Union to report patient safety concerns to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services was triggered by frustrations resulting from a previous agreement to halt a strike, UW Health has said.
The Service Employees International Union’s nurses complain of long 16-hour shifts, participation in complex procedures, and the need to train new employees after working for only a few months, due to high staff turnover.
They also claim that 23% of the surgical department’s staff left between January and September.
However, UW Health disputes the turnover rates, stating that less than 10% of the staff have left. The nurses are planning to submit their documentation of concerns to the Department of Health Services this afternoon.
