Nursing Group Seeks Support

              Nursing group seeks support
By SALLY REESE
Times Medical Writer
Registered nurses at LSU Hospital
have petitioned Gov. Dave Treen, Cad-do
and Bossier legislators and the state
Civil Service director for support with
grievances about salaries, fringe bene-fits
and working conditions at the state
hospital.
On Monday, however, they met with
Hospital Administrator Robert C. Hall,
and he said both sides will meet with
acting Dean Perry G. Rigby next week
to go over the grievances "point by
point."
Grievances were stated in a letter
dated July 15 and mailed July 17, one
day after nurses received notice of pay
adjustments they said "only presented a
new grievance." It was signed by 86
nurses and doctors.
Copies went to the governor, acting
Vice Chancellor Ike Muslow of LSU
Medical Center in Shreveport, state
Sens. Richard Neeson, Sydney Nelson,
Bill Keith and Foster Campbell; state
Reps. Bruce Lynn, Alphonse Jackson,
Forrest Dunn, Robert Adley, Robert P.
Waddell, B.F. O'Neal, Arthur W. Sour
Jr., and Johnny McFerren; and Civil
Service Director George T. Hamner Jr.
Hall got a copy also.
"I have talked to the nurses, and they
are only trying to achieve the goals
stated in the letter," the hospital admin-istrator
said after emerging from the
Monday meeting.
Although it originated in the surgery
department, the letter was signed by
registered nurses throughout the hospi-tal,
though not all. Hall said LSU Hospi-tal
has 230 RNs.
The letter was circulated by a griev-ance
committee whose members re-fused
to divulge their identity to The
Times. A spokesman said, "My job is on
the line." At least 12 doctors endorsed
it, but their names were not disclosed
for publication.
The nurses blamed the LSU
salary/benefit package for a nursing
shortage that has produced long shifts,
"less than adequate patient care, in-creased
stress, decreased competence
and low morale for registered nurses
who have chosen to stay at Louisiana
State University Medical Center."
In the letter, the nurses said LSU
Hospital's starting pay for RNs is below
the local norm and, furthermore, com-pensation
is not in line with education
and responsibility.
They compared LSU salaries with
those of Bossier Medical Center, Veter-ans
Administration Medical Center,
Physicians and Surgeons Hospital,
Highland Hospital and Schumpert Med-ical
Center. However, they noted the
pay adjustment that raised LSU's start-ing
salaries for RNs.
Hall said the state Civil Service
Board, acting on the hospital's request,
has approved a special entrance rate
"to make our scale competitive in the
local market."
Under that scale, effective July 6, the
starting salary for an RN 1 (an inex-perienced
nurse) will go from $1,131 per
month to $1,256; for an RN 2 (nurse with
one year of experience or a four-year
degree) from $1,171 to $1,297; and for
an RN 3, from $1,316 to $1,484.
"The new grievance" presented by
that development involves the 10-step
system which, Hall said, Civil Service
has for all employees.
"The nurses are concerned about the
10-step system ... and we're concerned
for them. When they reach the 10th step,
that's the end of the scale, and they
cannot receive any more merit raises
until the entire scale is changed.
"It is difficult to change the pay plan
for RNs, but it is not a fixed thing. It has
been changed several times in the past
few years."
The registered nurses said LSU Hos-pital
pays lower shift differentials than
other local hospitals and none at all for
duty in specialty units, such as intensive
care and telemetry.
While it pays "low market salaries,"
LSU Hospital does not give its RNs
fringe benefits "that are almost stan-dard
to all other area hospitals," they
charged.
"Medical insurance benefits are paid
by the hospital for full-time nurses at
Schumpert Medical Center and P&S
Hospital... At Louisiana State Univer-sity
(hospital), the registered nurses
must pay one-half of the hospital cov-erage
through payroll deductions."
Hall said LSU is under the state
employee health insurance plan, which
pays half of the life insurance and half
of the hospitalization, which includes
major medical.
Other hospitals provide free parking
for their nurses, whereas after Aug. 15,
LSU nurses will have to pay for theirs,
They cited free retirement plans,
pharmaceutical and meal discounts,
tuition for continued education, "and
many other benefits not specifically
addressed in this letter, but which make
continued employment at Louisiana
State University Medical Center less
attractive."
Hall, on the other hand, said the
hospital has one of the best retirement
.plans in the country, discounts on
education in the Louisiana State Uni-versity
system, and liberal vacation and
sick leaves.
The nurses recommend that "the
salary/benefit package be re-evaluated
and amended to reflect current market
conditions."
Meanwhile, it was learned that J
Wing (pediatric surgery) on the fifth
floor has been closed for lack of nursing
staff. Hall said it was closed, "but only
temporarily."
He also said LSU Hospital is
searching for a nursing director to re-place
Mary Butcalis Bacall, who re-signed
May 18 to become assistant to
Schumpert's director of nursing, Sybil
Wood. Meanwhile, Lillie Basco is acting
director.