Instead of striking Tuesday, Bakersfield Memorial Hospital nurses will be voting on their new contract. The nurses and the hospital's management have reached an agreement.

But while both parties seem to have the same contract, hearing them talk about it would lead you to think otherwise.

For example, take the nurse-to-patient ratios.

The final contract says the hospital will follow the law, and the ratios are attached as an appendix. But if the law changes, "we'll then comply with the new changes," said Ken Keller, Memorial's vice president for physician and business development.

"They have to follow the law as it is appended," said Diane Hirsch-Garcia, contract negotiator with the California Nurses Association. "They don't get to change if the law changes."

Did the nurses get the "master contract" the other Catholic Healthcare West hospitals have?

In 2009 when this contract expires, Memorial -- if it is still with Catholic Healthcare West -- will become a part of the master contract, Hirsch-Garcia said.

Keller said the master contract is a possibility.

I haven't been able to get a hold of the actual contract. Keller said he had to run it past the hospital's lawyer first.

Will this confusion affect the vote the nurses are taking Tuesday to ratify the contract?

On another note, this new contract may help recruit and retain more nurses. The patient care protections, like the nursing ratios, will show prospective nurses how serious the hospital is about patient care, some of the nurses said.

To read "Strike avoided; nurses at Memorial to vote" in Thursday's Californian >>>