Management has created a culture on 8ACT in which the Registered Nurses (RNs) are responsible for breaking the Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) in order to save money. The RNs assigned to patients are responsible for the care of their patients, not providing breaks to other staff members.

Patient care and safety is already suffering from the lack of floor CNAs to assist in answering call lights and aid with ADLs/tasks. Management is just further damaging their care by allowing RNs to be pulled off the floor for hours of their shift to break CNAs/sitters. Furthermore, the RNs are suffering from burnout and are reaching their breaking points.

By signing this petition, you are imploring management to stop cutting corners with the budget and start staffing (at the VERY MINIMUM) a “Break CNA” each shift who is responsible for breaking the CNAs to ensure that CNAs get timely breaks and the RNs can stay on the floor to care for their patients. If management cannot staff a CNA to provide breaks for the sitters, then management will be responsible for breaking the CNAs or otherwise paying the CNAs for their missed breaks (as is the practice for RNs when there is no Break RN staffed).