The University of New Mexico Sandoval Regional Medical Center is not only breaking state law but also jeopardizing the care of its own patients by refusing to allow some of its healthcare workers to be members of a union and have a voice in patient care.
University of New Mexico Health System, of which UNM SRMC is one of its facilities, is treating certain nurses, techs, therapists and other hospital workers as second-class citizens, denying them the same rights afforded other employees, in this case the right to be in a union and have a say in patient and working conditions.
These employees, known as PRNs (Latin for pro re nata, as the need arises), are identical to other full-time and part-time employees with one minor difference—their work schedules are slightly more variable than other employees. UNMH is claiming that this scheduling difference should deny these employees the right to be part of a union. Because of this, contract negotiations between UNM SRMC and the union representing its workers, the United Health Professionals of New Mexico, have ground to a halt.
The fact is, the state’s labor board has ruled that New Mexico law allows PRNs to form unions. That means UNMH is breaking the law with impunity.
This directly affects patients because unions such as UHPNM want to meet hospital officials at the bargaining table to discuss ways to improve patient care. UNM SRMC is suffering from a devastating staffing shortage, and instead of supporting its employees, it has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars waging a war against them. Since the union formed more than two years ago, it has urged the hospital to negotiate and collaborate on solutions to improve patient care.
PRNs provide the thread that holds the healthcare system together by helping ensure adequate staffing. Patient census ebbs and flows, and PRNs pick up shifts when needed and relieve workers when they are burned out.
Whether they’re full-time permanent employees or they take on more limited shifts, RNs are RNs, respiratory therapists are respiratory therapists, radiation techs are radiation techs—they all are committed to doing the same work to take care of patients. PRNs work side by side with non-PRNs and do the same jobs with the same integrity, but UNMH insists they are “lesser than.”
PRNs are staff employees who live in the hospital’s community (unlike expensive fly-in traveler nurses). They don’t have set hours, but they are required to work a certain number of shifts. They are not freelancers or temporary employees. They have a direct and ongoing relationship with the hospital and should be treated the same as staff nurses and other employees. And they should be part of the union.
While UNMH is defying the law allowing PRNs to be union members, other hospitals around the state permit PRNs in their union, including at Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center in Santa Fe, Holy Cross Medical Center in Taos and Alta Vista Regional Hospital in Las Vegas. They are represented by District 1199NM, the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees, and are proud to have a respected voice in their workplace. We support UHPNM and its parent union, the AFT, in their fight to get union representation. Across the country, public hospitals like UNMH also welcome PRNs into their union, including at Oregon Health and Science University, Seattle Children’s Hospital in Washington state and Rutgers University Hospital in New Jersey.
By excluding PRNs from the bargaining unit, UNM SRMC (and other UNMH facilities) is cutting off its nose to spite its face. Just like their full-time permanent colleagues, PRNs are on the floors, know the problems workers and patients are facing, and have ideas about how to improve conditions.
It’s malpractice for the hospital to be holding up negotiations—and the opportunity to improve its care—over an issue like this. Why wouldn’t it want to do what’s necessary to provide better care for its patients and hear from trusted nurses and others? Why wouldn’t it want its Medicare quality rating to bump up from a miserable two-star rating (out of five)?
There’s a staffing crisis at UNM SRMC, whether the hospital wants to admit it or not. Fixing it would go a long way to improving patient and working conditions. It’s nonsensical to give up this opportunity over a fight about PRN eligibility.
This is pure greed by the hospital . Putting profits over patients. High turnover of RNs, maybe give them a contract !