The Russell County Hospital Board of Directors approved a nurse retention plan at Friday’s board meeting.
The board approved a plan that would move overtime shifts in the emergency room for nurses from time-and-a-half pay to triple pay for the remainder of the six-week scheduling period.
That was endorsed by RCH Nursing Director Judy Withers, who said more than 30 E.R. shifts remain open during the scheduling period.
The board also approved a $2,000 “retention bonus” for nursing staff who remain employed at the hospital after 13 weeks, which would end June 30. This would affect about 56 employees.
Withers brought another plan to the board aimed at nurse retention, which would give nurses at the facility a $4/hour raise.
That plan raised concerns from the board members, specifically as the hospital is in a transition period with the CEO position. New CEO Scott Thompson takes over May 1.
Withers said the $4/hour raise idea came after talking to some of the nurses who said they could go to another facility and make $4/hour more, although higher salary amounts were available at other nearby hospitals.
“Four dollars was the lowest number I heard,” Withers said.
Withers told the board earlier last week that something needed to be done to address a critical nursing shortage at the hospital.
“I’ll be honest, if we don’t do something today, we’re losing more nurses and more techs,” Withers said Friday.
“I’ll be blunt about this, our employees feel like they’ve been slapped in the face,” Withers added later. “Because all around us, every hospital is doing an initiative or something to try to keep their employees, plus recruiting new employees. We’ve given a couple bonuses and they were very appreciative of that. Some people cried when they got that. But they work their butts off in a very stressful environment and they’re anxious and now we’re without a CEO, and on top of that, some questions about PTO and sick time… They need something because the morale right now is horrible.”
Board member Steven Fletcher said the key to this plan is flexibility.
“This allows us to do something now while still giving the CEO the ability to come in and work with you all on other things that can be done,” Fletcher said.
Fletcher made the motion for the $2,000 retention bonus, seconded by Winfrey Bates and unanimously approved.
“I just hope the CEO comes in and takes a look at it really quickly because it is a really critical situation,” Withers said.
