Sacred Heart nurses claim win on break issue

Sacred Heart Medical Center nurses say they won an important arbitration case that forces the large Spokane hospital to give 15-minute breaks for every four hours worked.

The Washington State Nurses Association said recent restructuring and thinned staffing levels at the hospital erased breaks in violation of union’s contract.

The decision ordered Sacred Heart to pay each of the registered nurses for missed breaks dating back to August 3, 2004, albeit without interest.

The hospital’s 1,200 registered nurses will be given claim forms to declare how many 15-minute breaks they have missed during the past 22 months.

Hospital spokeswoman Maureen Goins said the hospital received the arbitrators decision late Wednesday and was still reviewing it.

She emphasized that managers consider the hospital adequately staffed using national benchmarks to ensure enough nurses are working at any given time to meet patients needs.

The nursing union called missed breaks a patient safety issue.

The union said that average nurse at Sacred Heart is in her 40s and cannot work eight to 12 hours without breaks.

The decisions stated: “Simply drinking a glass of water or quickly using the bathroom does not suffice.”