Florida Nurses Ratify Contracts to Enhance Patient Care and Conditions
Editorial StaffThe New Contracts Aim to Enhance Patient Safety and Nurse Retention
Registered nurses across eight healthcare facilities in Florida's central Gulf Coast have secured new three-year contracts. These agreements, approved this week, are set to enhance patient safety and improve nurse retention. The agreements, represented by the National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU), indicate positive changes in patient care and working conditions. Below is the list of facilities with the newly ratified contracts.
"Hurricane Milton underscored how important it is to have strong, safe hospitals in our communities," stated Collette Salomon-Belfond, RN, from the medical-surgical unit at HCA Florida Fawcett Hospital in Port Charlotte. "These new contracts are going to make working conditions at our hospitals better, and that means better conditions for our patients."
Key Aspects of the Contracts:
- Pilot Program on Break Relief Staffing: This initiative aims to enhance staffing procedures, allowing nurses to take necessary meal and rest breaks during their shifts.
- Nurse Floating Improvements: New policies will ensure nurses are temporarily reassigned to units that align with their usual specialties.
- Inclusive Documentation: Staff members can now use preferred names and add personal pronouns to their name badges.
- Wage Increases: The contracts include significant wage hikes, reaching up to 17.65% over the contract period for some nurses, aiding recruitment and retention.
"Nurses are patient advocates at the bedside and at the bargaining table," commented Sam Guy, RN, in the neurological intensive care unit at HCA Florida Northside Hospital in St. Petersburg. "Nurses' goal is always to take the best possible care of our patients, and these wins in our new contracts will help us do just that."
Representing nearly 2,500 nurses at eight Tampa Bay area facilities, the NNOC/NNU also includes over 8,500 nurses who engaged with HCA management throughout 2024, as contracts at 17 HCA facilities in six states expired. In the lead-up to the agreement, nurses had voted in favor of authorizing strikes if necessary, though a resolution was achieved before any strikes occurred.
Nationally, NNOC/NNU represents nearly 10,000 nurses at HCA facilities, encompassing those not negotiating new contracts this year. HCA stands as one of the largest and wealthiest healthcare systems in the U.S.
Facilities with Ratified Contracts:
- HCA Florida Oak Hill Hospital in Brooksville
- HCA Florida Largo Hospital in Largo
- HCA Florida Fawcett Hospital in Port Charlotte
- HCA Florida Trinity Hospital in Trinity
- HCA Florida Blake Hospital in Bradenton
- HCA Florida Sarasota Doctors Hospital in Sarasota
- HCA Florida St. Petersburg Hospital in St. Petersburg
- HCA Florida Northside Hospital in St. Petersburg
National Nurses Organizing Committee is part 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 include California Nurses Association, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.
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