The new chief nursing officer of Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester, Mass., is taking a "clean slate" approach in the wake of a strike that lasted more than 300 days and became the longest nurses strike in Massachusetts history, according to the Telegram & Gazette.
Jay Prosser, DNP, RN, was appointed permanent CNO of Saint Vincent in January after serving in the role on an interim basis since November 2021. He took on the permanent CNO role the same month that nurses represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association voted to ratify a new contract, officially ending the strike.
While he acknowledges the strike is still on the minds of workers at the hospital, Dr. Prosser said he is committed to a fresh start, according to the Telegram & Gazette.
"For me this is a clean slate. Minus whatever struggles may have been here, real or perceived, I have a clean slate, and everybody here has a clean slate," he told the newspaper. "My arms are wide open to welcome these nurses back and say, 'Let's heal from whatever may be dividing us and move forward with a vision for this hospital.'"
Nurses at Saint Vincent, part of Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare, began their strike March 8 and reached a tentative deal in December before approving a new contract Jan. 3. The agreement guarantees that nurses who went on strike can resume working in their previous positions, and returning nurses are now back at Saint Vincent.
Dr. Prosser told the Telegram & Gazette that reintegrating the striking nurses with replacement nurses and nurses who crossed the picket line is among the challenges the hospital faces amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and he is focused on stabilizing staff, reengaging nurses and "building that positive culture of nursing care."
Dr. Prosser previously served as the associate CNO for Brookwood Baptist Health in Birmingham, Ala. He also spent more than a decade in various nursing leadership roles at Huntsville (Ala.) Hospital.
Access the full Telegram & Gazette report here.