Health, Safety & Workplace Violence — Kaiser Permanente — Northern California RNs & NPs

The Employer agrees to continue to provide a safe and healthy work environment for RNs which complies with all applicable local, state, and federal health and safety laws and regulations. • The Employer shall provide the protocols and personal protective equipment (PPE) based on the type and nature of any infectious disease diagnosis, according to applicable local, state, and federal requirements. • The Employer shall maintain a three-month supply of PPE which includes new: N95 respirators, PAPR or CAPR, Elastomeric Respirators, Isolation Gowns, Isolation/Surgical Masks, Eye Protection, Shoe Coverings. It is understood by the parties that in the event of a natural disaster, global supply shortage, government mandated supply acquisition, or other significant impact to supply availability, maintaining a three-month supply may not be possible. • Any RN assigned to a patient suspected of hav …

The Employer will have a workplace violence prevention plan in place at all times. • As part of the Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) the Employer shall establish, implement and maintain an effective workplace violence prevention plan (Plan) that is in effect at all times in every unit, service, and operation. The Plan shall be in writing, shall be specific to the hazards and corrective measures for the unit, service, or operation, and shall be available to employees at all times. The written Plan may be incorporated into the written IIPP or maintained as a separate document, and shall include but not be limited to: o Training to all employees regarding the Workplace Violence Prevention Plan at least annually; o Procedures to communicate with employees regarding workplace violence matters; o Procedures for responding to violent incidents and situations involving violence or th …

The Employer will provide the written Workplace Violence Prevention plan to local PPCs and consider suggestions raised through the PPC or local safety committees as to what modifications should be made in improving the Workplace Violence Plan and Policy, local Workplace Violence prevention procedures, and/or training content.

The objectives of the Professional Performance Committee shall be: To consider constructively the practice of Nursing. To work constructively for the improvement of patient care and nursing practice. To recommend to the facility ways and means to improve patient care. To consider constructively the improvement of safety and health conditions which may be hazardous and provide input to the facility safety committee. The Professional Performance Committee shall select one member to be a representative of the Facility Safety Committee. To discuss constructively personnel utilization including assistive personnel.

The Employer will provide education and training on workplace violence to all nurses. Topics to be covered include, but are not limited to the following: • How to recognize the potential for violence, factors contributing to the escalation of violence and how to counteract them, and when and how to seek assistance to prevent or respond to violence. • Strategies to avoid physical harm. • How to recognize and respond to alerts, alarms, or other warnings about emergency conditions and how to use identified escape routes or locations for sheltering, as applicable. • How to communicate concerns about workplace violence without fear of reprisal. • How to report violent threats to law enforcement. • Any resource available to RNs for coping with incidents of violence or the risk of violence. • An opportunity for interactive questions and answers with a person knowledgeable about the workplace vi …

A Safety Committee with Registered Nurse/Nurse Practitioner representation shall study and make recommendations regarding all problems pertaining to the Health and Safety of RN/NP employees. Such attendance on safety committees shall not result in loss of pay to employees. Recommendations to facility administration shall be responded to in writing within thirty (30) days. If the Safety Committee is in disagreement, or if the facility does not act upon the recommendations within thirty (30) days following receipt of the recommendations, the matter may be referred by the Association to the Special Review Panel (Article XIV, Section G – Resolution of Disputes with the PPC), under the procedures of the Section. Patient Handling

Composition: Committee to be co-chaired by DONP and NP III or a NP II if there are no NP IIIs in the facility. Two (2) NP IIIs (one shall be a co-chair): If there are no NP IIIs in the facility, two (2) NP II peers shall serve on the selection committee. One (1) NP II who is actively involved in a professional NP committee, e.g. NPRC, local performance improvement committee. A nurse manager and a department chief from a department which employs Nurse Practitioners. Alternate: A substitute in the same category may be used as needed. Either the applicant or the committee may request an alternate if there is a direct line relationship between the applicant and a committee member or a vacancy on the committee. A large number of applicants may necessitate use of additional alternates. A content expert may be called if the committee has limited knowledge of the applicant’s specialty area. This …

board access shall not be unreasonably denied. A designated Association representative shall be responsible for posting material submitted by the Association, a copy of which shall be furnished to the Employer before posting. The Association agrees that no controversial material shall be posted. It is further agreed that the Employer shall post position vacancies as provided in Article IX of the contract on such bulletin boards. ARTICLE V – PERSONNEL CATEGORIES Section A – Probationary Nurses Regular Registered Nurses may be discharged without recourse to the grievance procedure within the first ninety (90) days of employment. Short- Hour, Temporary and Per diem Registered Nurses may be discharged without recourse to the grievance procedure until such Nurse has been employed for six (6) months or worked three hundred (300) hours, whichever comes first. Section B – Regular Nurses A Regula …