Nurses Demand Safe Staffing Levels

The United States government estimates that a staggering 50,000 people die each year because of medical mistakes. That would make medical errors the single largest cause of death in the United States. Many of those mistakes are due to understaffed hospitals.

For the past several years, hospital administrators have been cutting costs by cutting staff, but with the passage of AB 394 (Kuehl), the Department of Health Services must listen to nurses and the public and draft rules for safe staffing. The rules will not take effect for two years, and during that time, it is crucial for nurses and the public to rally together in support of regulations that will have teeth to protect patients.

Kaiser RN Chapter President and 535 Southern California Vice-President Rhonda Goode, RN, is a member of the committee meeting with DHS to draft the regulations. These regulations will specify actual staffing ratios for types of units, procedures for implementation, and penalties for hospitals that don't comply. As a bedside nurse and a union leader, she is committed to making California's new staffing ratio law work for patients and nurses.

SEIU 535 and the SEIU Nurse Alliance have consulted members throughout the state. In addition, 535 mailed a questionnaire to over 8,000 non-union registered nurses in the Central Valley to get their ideas. Hundreds of nurses responded, many indicating that they not only have concerns about staffing, but they are interested in forming a union.

The union is working with a number of groups, especially Californians for Safe Hospitals, a committee of concerned citizens in the Central Valley led by Rev. Bob Baker; Andrea Espinoza, MD; Ann Ingram, RN; Lynn Jacobson, PhD; Rev. Bryan Jessup; James Kratzer, MD; Mimi Motts-Smithy, RN; and Gayle Ward, LCSW.

On April 27, 2000, nurses affiliated with SEIU, including AFN nurses, came from around the state to Sacramento to testify about the urgent need for mandatory staffing ratios. Representatives of hospital administration argued against mandatory ratios. However, Kaiser Foundation Hospitals supported the concept. SEIU and Kaiser are in a labor-management partnership and are attempting to resolve differences in a non-confrontational manner.

SEIU nurses also held a press conference about the need for unannounced hospital inspections. Currently, hospitals are given months of advance warning before inspections.

In addition, the Union is holding continuing education credit classes for nurses in the Central Valley to expose them to the union and to give them tools to protect their jobs and patient safety. Classes are conducted by Glenda Canfield, RN, Nurse Alliance Coordinator. So far, two classes have been held, one in Visalia and one in Fresno, both to sold-out audiences. Additional classes have been scheduled for August 11 (Visalia) and 12 (Fresno). For more information call AFN's Fresno office at (800) 525-0752.

Based on interviews with Central Valley nurses, patient loads are higher there than in areas that are more heavily unionized. Wages and benefits are substantially lower than in union hospitals. In March, two new organizers were hired in Fresno. Their assignments will include working with Central Valley RNs.