CRONA
Committee for Recognition of Nursing Achievement
Area Representatives and Membership Meetings
December 4 and 6, 2007

The Board decided to use December as a time to review some of the topics that have been of interest this year. The following topics address answers to some of the questions that are repeatedly asked by members. If you would like us to address other topics, please email crona@crona.org.

Sunny Balson, Secretary

Peer Evaluations
Lorie Johnson, President
Peer evaluation is a tool that can be a force for good or great harm. It can serve as a learning exchange or a judgmental assessment. The motives and honesty of the evaluator are of great influence. Are we really trying to be helpful or are other motives at play?

Patterns of behavior are much more important than isolated incidents. A pattern of incorrect behavior indicates a need for change more than an isolated mistake. Negative feedback should focus on these patterns of recurring incorrect behavior if they exist. If we have something negative to say (more commonly called “areas needing improvement”), we need to say it directly to our peer at the time of the incident and in the sincere spirit of helpfulness.

Positive feedback is equally if not more significant. It highlights and reinforces the strong points of our peers. We gain more from positive reinforcement and we need to use this type of feedback more often.

The next time we are asked to complete a peer evaluation, let us place ourselves in our peer’s shoes.

Mandatory Classes, CEU’s and Educational Benefits
Bonnie Balfour, Executive Vice President
When CEU’s are offered with mandatory classes, those hours will be charged against your educational hours (B time) only if you choose to take the CEU’s. For classes like Epic at SHC, your education hours will be charged if you choose to take CE credits. Unless you need CE credits to meet a deadline, we suggest that you use your education hours (B time) for classes other than mandatory classes. You will be paid if you attend a mandatory class even if you do not choose to take CE credits.

Materials and fees are paid by the hospital and not charged to your education funds whether or not you choose to take CE credits. For more information about educational benefits, log on to crona.org. Click Contract: Selected Topics.

Healthstream
John Green, Legislative Representative
Healthstream is a hospital requirement and adequate time should be allotted to complete the modules during regular working hours or on your own time with pay. If you work on a unit that does not allot adequate time to complete your Healthstream (HLC) during your regular shift, you will get paid for all hours spent to complete the required courses outside of work time. The pay should not be taken from your education hours.

Take Control and Check Your Paycheck
Jolivette Enriquez, Treasurer
Did you know that paycheck errors run between 70-140 a pay period at SHC alone? Could one of those errors be you? Are you getting paid your night differential? How about your Resource Nurse differential? Are you getting paid your yearly Step increase? How about your Staff Nurse Level promotion pay increase? Don’t rely on computers to make sure you get paid correctly. Take control and check your paycheck.
Follow these steps:
1) Log onto https://econnect.stanfordmed.org/lawson/portal
2) Type in your user ID: (employee number without the zeros)
3) Type in your password: (last 4 digits of your SSN, plus your birth month and day)
4) Click on “pay” in the left hand column
5) Click on “pay checks”
6) A list of your paycheck dates will appear
7) Click on the Diamond next to the paycheck to view the paycheck details

Your paycheck details will be available on Friday through econnect. The paper paycheck stub you receive in the mail will occasionally have an “others” column. This is due to the limited space available on the paper form. To view full details of your paycheck, please go to econnect. Still not sure what some of the codes mean? Contact payroll at 650-725-4700. You work hard for your money; don’t be the victim of payroll errors.

Weingarten Rights
Paul Cole, Nurse Advocate
None of us wants to turn what we think is a collegial conversation with our manager— one that we believe is aimed at mutual problem solving—into a confrontation. So, over and over again, we fail to assert our rights to union representation in any meeting (read “conversation”) with a manager, that might lead to disciplinary action. These conversations include those that may occur in the hallway, at the bedside, or even over the telephone while a nurse is off duty.

While CRONA does not advocate that our members enter any conversations with our managers in a confrontational mode, we do recommend that all of our members approach such conversations politely, professionally, and in a spirit of cooperation, but with a degree of reasonable caution. In the event a nurse perceives that a conversation has taken a turn that could lead to disciplinary action, s/he should immediately ask if the conversation could result in disciplinary action. If so, the conversation should end until the nurse can secure union representation.

Discipline
Geralyn Martinez, Nurse Advocate
The word “discipline” is derived from the Latin word for “to teach”. The hope is that we can learn our jobs and what is appropriate before an action evolves into a verbal or written warning. Formal disciplinary action in the parlance of the Hospital policies and the CRONA contract may have consequences for our personal/professional lives.
Some words of advice regarding discipline: – Avoid it if possible! —Make inquires if expectations are not clear or if something seems amiss. – Contact CRONA early if you have issues or questions. – Be aware of your labor rights as defined by the Weingarten rule. – Counseling is not discipline and can help avert a formal disciplinary action.
-Clear and effective communication is always key.

There is no time more fitting to thank you for your support during the past year and to wish you and everyone close to you happy holidays and a healthy new year.