Nursing's Personnel Policies Committee
Unique Committee Lets Nurses Help in Creation of Policies
“We believe that if nurses
can help make the policies for
Nursing Service they will sup
port them, and this has proven
true over the years,” said Miss
Lelia Clark, director of the ser
vice, in speaking of the Person
nel Policies Committee that
comes under her direction.
In the late forties, nursing
personnel problems arising from
the lack of job descriptions and
discrepancies in vacation allow
ances led Dean Florence Wilson
of the School of Nursing to push
for the formation of a person
nel policies committee for Nurs
ing Service. It was formed and
functioned under the dean’s di
rection until the following year,
1949, when it became the re
sponsibility of the new director
of Nursing Service, Miss Clark.
“The purpose of the commit
tee is to get the overall picture—
the prevailing attitude or opin
ion—for the other nurses,” said
]Mrs. Arlene Park, who com
pleted this fall a two year term
as committee chairman. “It is
a committee to recommend solu
tions to certain problems,” she
added.
Policies In Perspective
It is also felt that the com
mittee serves not only the nurs
ing staff in general, but also its
members in particular. Miss
Clark feels that serving on the
committee is an important part
of in-service education, since it
helps the nurses view the over
all policies Avith more perspec
tive.
Ten nurses serve on the com
mittee, each for two years, with
five new members being ap
pointed each year. When a
committee member’s term ends,
she may suggest a replacement.
When possible, the applicant is
interviewed by the committee
chairman. Pinal appointment is
subject to the approval of the
applicant’s immediate super
visor.
“We try to have all levels and
all services represented on the
committee,” said Miss Clark.
The committee has several
functions.
Deals With Knotty Problems
One of its major functions, as
its name implies, is the frequent
review of personnel policies in
volving the graduate nurse
(E.N.). “The committee deals
with some of the more knotty
problems that come up concern
ing the policies,” said Miss
Clark. Often changes are rec
ommended.
To keep abreast of tends in
benefits and personnel policies
found in other medical centers,
a survey is conducted every few
years. Many recommendations
have been made, based upon the
results of the surveys. Recom
mended salary increases is an
example of such a recommenda
tion.
The committee also serves
staff nurses in other ways. It
studies, reviews, and defines
qualifications, functions and
standards of the graduate nurse,
the assistant head nurse, and
head nurse. Applications and
credentials are reviewed and
recommendations made for the
promotion of nurses.
“It is unique, I think, for the
nurses to be given a voice in
recommending appointments for
head nurse and assistant head
nurse positions and policy
changes,” said Mrs. Joanne Mc-
Lees, present committee chair
man. “And there have been
very few times when our recom
mendations have not been ac
cepted,” she added.
In addition, special requests
are considered by the commit
tee, such as requests for vacation
not covered by existing policies
and also requests for leaves of
absence.
Sometimes subcommittees are
created to deal with special prob
lems. It was a subcommittee
that developed the scholarship
program for graduate nurses,
which entitles them during the
first year of employment to six
hours of course instruction in
any subject at any area institu
tion (pending admission to the
school) and twelve hours there
after. (Last year twenty-seven
nurses participated in the pro
gram. ) Another subcommittee
was created to study the 40-hour
week, and in recent years several
subcommittees have been ap
pointed to work on time prob
lems arising from the number of
nurses who can work only on
a part-time basis.
More Coffee and Money
It is because of the commit
tee ’s recommendations that night
nurses have coffee, salaries have
been raised, certain nursing po
sitions have been created, time-
scheduling for different shifts
lias been studied, nursing posi
tions are better defined, and that
requests for countless leaves of
absence, vacations, promotions,
appointments, and job reloca
tions have been granted.
“The committee has done a
great deal in ways and means of
improving the work situation for
the graduate nurse at Duke,”
said Miss Clark.
Often “sticky” problems are
brought to the committee for
discussion. Numerous ward com
plaints are discussed. Some
times Miss Clark feels the need
for committee discussion of a
problem with which she is faced.
Doctors, too, sometimes present
problems for discussion.
It is emphasized that staff
nurses are encouraged to bring
nursing problems—personal or
otherwise—to the attention of
their committee representative.
Only the problem is revealed to
the committee, not the source
of information. All committee
discussions are considered con
fidential.
Considering a Swimming Pool
At the present time, the com
mittee is working on recommen
dations for a personnel policies
handbook; fact-sheets describing
the different nursing areas to be
used in the recruitment and
orientation of new nurses; and
a high-rise apartment building
for staff nurses which will in
clude one- and two-bedroom
units, a swimming pool, and
laundry facilities.
Committee members and the
nurses they represent are: Mrs.
Joanne McLees (chairman) and
ilrs. Elizabeth Kendall, Medi
cine; iliss Gloria Stevens, Pedi
atries; iliss Nancj' Burris and
]\Iiss Shirley Scott, Surgery;
Mrs. Pat Brady, OR; Mrs.
Barbara Bovender, Psychiatry;
Mrs. Mary ilcColm, supervisors;
Mrs. Shirlianne Kostyo, OPD;
and iliss Norma Griffith, Ob-
Gyn.
Take a sticky problem, add a dash of diplomacy and a lot of discussion, sift with perspective and you have a meeting
of the Nursing Service Personnel Policies Committee. It is to this committee that problems faced by registered nurses
on the wards, in the clinics, and in other areas of the hospital are brought for>vard for discussion and a recommended
solution. Shown above discussing a problem at one of the committee meetings are (from left): Mrs. Elizabeth Ken
dall, Mrs. Mary McColm, Mrs. Shirlianne Kostyo, Miss Norma Griffith, Mrs. Joanne McLees (chairman), Miss Gloria
Stevens, Mrs. Barbara Bovender, Miss Lelia Clark, and Miss Nancy Burris.
INTERCOM - 10
VOL. 13 NO. 8/1966