Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer, Mass., part of Boston-based Steward Health Care, has cut two nurse full-time equivalent positions in the emergency room, according to a Nashoba Valley Voice report.
Here are six things to know about the cuts.
1. The hospital adjusted the ER staffing schedule by two nurse full-time equivalents out of 132 nurses.
2. The cuts affect two 36-hour a week nurse positions and one 24-hour a week position.
3. The cuts come three months after the nurses, represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, and hospital settled their first-ever contract, the union said in a news release.
4. According to the report, supporters of a petition to save the nurse jobs, including community members and nurses, delivered a petition to Sal Perla, president of NVMC, Jan. 26. The petition had approximately 900 signatures, the union said.
5. The MNA estimates the cuts will result in the remaining nurses seeing an increase in their patient assignments of between 25 to 33 percent at any moment.
6. However, Doug Rubin of North Wind Strategies, a spokesman for Steward, said in a statement the cuts are "to efficiently and safely care for our patients and in full conformity with the collective bargaining agreement with the Massachusetts Nurses Association."
"We are confident that this adjustment of two nurse FTEs out of 132 nurses is manageable and prudent and in no way will impact the exceptional care we provide to our patients," he added. "We look forward to working with the MNA to continue promoting the outstanding quality care we provide to our patients every day at Nashoba Valley Medical Center."
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