El Paso Nurses Ratify Contracts to Enhance Patient Care and Staffing
The New Staffing Agreements Aim to Enhance Patient Safety and Nurse Retention in El Paso Hospitals
Nurses at Del Sol and Las Palmas medical centers in El Paso, Texas, have successfully voted to ratify new three-year contracts, which introduce key measures aimed at improving patient safety and enhancing nurse retention. The agreements, negotiated by the National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU)—the largest nurses union in the United States—promise significant improvements in patient care and working conditions within these hospitals.
"Our contract fight was all about making progress for us as nurses and for our patients here in El Paso," commented Julianita Garcia, a registered nurse in the post-anesthesia care unit at Del Sol Medical Center. "Our new contracts are all about making that progress. We won measures that are going to make our hospitals safer places with better care for our patients."
Key Provisions of the New Contracts
- Pilot program on break relief staffing: This initiative is designed to improve staffing practices, ensuring nurses receive necessary meal and rest breaks during their work shifts.
- Improved call-off protocols: The contracts impose new limits on management's ability to reduce shift staffing and enhance protocols for nurses who are called off.
- Nurse floating improvements: Measures are included to ensure nurses are temporarily reassigned to units that are in line with their specialized skills.
- Wage increases: Nurses can expect significant wage hikes, with some seeing increases up to 25% over the duration of the contracts, aiding in nurse recruitment and retention efforts.
- Inclusive documentation: Nurses can now use preferred names and include personal pronouns on their name badges.
"Everyone in El Paso deserves the best possible patient care when they come to our hospitals," stated Juan Anchondo, a registered nurse in the medical-surgical department at Las Palmas Medical Center. "We're patient advocates, and, at our bargaining table, we fought for what we need to take better care of you."
The NNOC/NNU represents a combined total of 850 nurses at Las Palmas and Del Sol medical centers. In addition, more than 8,500 nurses participated in negotiations with HCA management throughout 2024, as contracts at 17 HCA facilities across six states were set to expire. While nurses at HCA facilities had previously voted to authorize strikes if necessary, an agreement was reached without the need for such action.
NNOC/NNU, representing nearly 10,000 nurses nationwide at HCA facilities, includes members not currently negotiating new contracts. HCA, one of the largest and wealthiest healthcare systems in the U.S., has been the focus of these negotiations.
The National Nurses Organizing Committee is an affiliate of National Nurses United, the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States, with nearly 225,000 members nationwide. NNU affiliates also include the California Nurses Association, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.
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