State officials said Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo, a 449-bed behavioral health hospital, reversed an unpopular 'no breaks' rule for employees Monday, reports The Pueblo Chieftain.
The rule required employees in understaffed units to stay on the job throughout their shift, without breaks. Multiple employees reached out to The Pueblo Chieftain to express their opposition to the rule. The hospital's acting superintendent, Kim Nordstrom, reportedly reversed the rule this week following talks with state officials, according to the report.
"We received assurance that it is appropriate for staff to take up to 30-minute breaks as long as they aren't back-to-back and we monitor for outcomes," a Colorado Department of Human Services spokesperson said in an email to The Pueblo Chieftain.
The rule's reversal comes as CMHIP employees have claimed staffing issues continue at the hospital, which faced the possibility of losing Medicare funding earlier this year. The hospital was able to get in good standing with CMS after making adjustments, such as launching a recruitment campaign and emergency personnel plan, The Pueblo Chieftain previously reported. The publication reports this personnel plan resulted in mandatory overtime for most employees and cut any leave as the hospital works on hiring efforts. Employees continue to claim they are overworked.
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