From Left to right: OT Staff - Morrissa Archibald, Melissa Bailey, Helina Toppie Walker, Laurel Ifill Gordon & TTRNA President - Idi Stuart
Registered Nurses and Enrolled Nursing Assistants of the Operating Theatre (OT) of EWMSC, gives a vote of confidence as they thank their nursing union (TTRNA) for intervening on their behalf to rectify a longstanding issue.
RNs and ENAs have been disadvantaged over several years at the NCRHA, for failure to pay the approved rate of specialization allowance of:
1. $420/month for RNs with post basic qualification.
2. $150/month for RNs who are not specialised but works in the area.
3. $280/month for ENAs who are qualified Scrub Technicians.
4. $150/month for ENAs trained in Theatre Techniques.
5. $95 /month for ENAs who are not specialised but works in the area.
Although miniscule benefits for highly trained staff, the region still did not find it necessary to pay nursing staff what is their just due. After TTRNA was informed of this ongoing issue, TTRNA and the EMPOWERED AND UNITED STAFF of OT, took decisive and firm action in February 2018.
TTRNA was pleased to be informed from the staff that by March 2018, nursing personnel started receiving their entitled allowances and retro-active back payments that were owed.
TTRNA must also acknowledge the effort and commitment put in by the Industrial Relations Manager, who gave a commitment that once the staff were due for the payments, he will take responsibility that they will be paid. TTRNA hopes more senior management officials will take their job seriously as this gentleman did by not ‘passing the buck’ onto someone else. Managers must genuinely endeavour to ease the burden of employees in the workplace, so they can be mentally freed to focus exclusively on patient care and less on the injustices being perpetrated on them by the employer.
TTRNA will also like to prise the professional and dedicated OT staff of EWMSC, as it is always easier and faster for TTRNA to overcome great challenges in the workplace when the staff, themselves are united and have a common vision of betterment.
TTRNA: Improving Healthcare from Within, Nurses Empowering Nurses
