<Chris wrote about nicu nurses and asked "How can I change attitudes?"
that is THE question isnt it? >

Chiming in from several months of lurkdom off and on. I'm not certain if
this may have been mentioned months ago. I was catching up on some
reading not long ago and came across this rather interesting article in a
spring issue of the newsletter from the Ohio Nurses Association. There is
one arm of this association which assists nurses with labor negotiations
with hospitals. I don't understand the terminology in the last sentence,
so this may not be the latest word and someone may have further info
about this situation at Case Western Reserve hospital:

<In a case arising at Western Reserve, ONA disputed the hospital's use of
nonunion lactation consultants.

The Western Reserve contract contains a provision saying the hospital
will not have non-bargaining unit employees "perform professional nursing
duties normally performed by nurses in the bargaining unit."

This language, said the union, barred the hospital from giving the
lactation work to nonunion employees, since the work had previously been
performed by bargaining unit RNs. Lactation was, therefore, a duty
"normally performed by nurses in the bargaining unit."

The arbitrator noted that while the nurses who had previously performed
the lactation work  were not doing exactly the same job as the lactation
consultants (emphasis mine), the consultants were performing the
lactation "duties" previously performed by the RNs.

The arbitrator awarded the union a make-whole remedy, but left it to the
parties to negotiate its specific content.>

Perhaps this may also have some bearing on other hospitals who will not
hire non-RN LC's. Historically, I can remember when respirators were
first introduced, "breathing treatment" were just one more treatment
performed by nurses, because as yet, the profession of respiratory
therapist hadn't yet developed. And I can remember nurses performing
social work for their patients about to be discharged, back when there
were no social workers working in the hospital. Maybe it's just a matter
of time till they "get it" that LC's have a place on the team!

Jean
************
K. Jean Cotterman RNC, IBCLC
Dayton, Ohio USA

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