Faculty members Jeff Shook and Nev Jones spoke to the media about the Western Psych nurses rally.
“In this county, the majority of people who are involuntarily committed are routed to or through Western Psych and there is an ethical imperative to handle civil commitments with the highest standard of care,” said Nev Jones, a Pitt professor of social work and a mental health researcher. “Without adequate nurse staffing, we will inevitably fall short." Read more on WESA-FM website.
Jeffrey Shook, a professor of social work at Pitt, has interviewed thousands of nurses and other health workers as part of a Pittsburgh wage study. He said he has uncovered “alarming trends,” where 90% reported that they did not have enough staff to handle their caseloads. Over half reported having to work more than they should, including overtime and much longer hours than were safe for patient care. Read more in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.