Mission Hospital Nurses Ratify Contract Enhancing Patient Care and Safety

The New Contract Enhances Patient Care and Supports Nurses at Mission Hospital

In Asheville, North Carolina, registered nurses at Mission Hospital have successfully ratified a new three-year contract aimed at bolstering patient safety and improving nurse retention. The nurses, represented by the National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU), the largest nurses union in the country, have reached an agreement with HCA management that promises to enhance both patient care and working conditions.

"We are excited to have this new contract and ensure that our hospital is on a path to taking the best possible care of our patients and community," remarked Huns Brown, an RN in the pulmonary progressive care unit. "The devastation Hurricane Helene brought to our region underscores how Mission being the best possible version of itself is more important than ever."

Key Provisions of the Contract

  • Wage Enhancements: The contract includes significant wage increases to aid in recruiting and retaining nurses, with some receiving raises of up to 29% over the contract's duration.
  • Break Relief Staffing Pilot: A new program designed to improve staffing practices, ensuring that nurses can take their necessary meal and rest breaks during shifts.
  • Improvements in Nurse Floating: Measures will be implemented to ensure that nurses are reassigned only to units similar to their regular specialty.
  • Inclusive Documentation: Staff have the option to use preferred names and include personal pronouns on their name badges.

Hannah Drummond, an RN in the Mission catheterization lab recovery unit, emphasized the hospital's vital role in the region, stating, "Mission Hospital is so important to Asheville and all of western North Carolina. This contract is another step forward to making Mission the hospital it needs to be for our patients. Nurses are the backbone of Mission Hospital, and this contract adds steel to our spine."

The NNOC/NNU represents over 1,600 nurses at Mission Hospital and more than 8,500 nurses involved in negotiations with HCA management as contracts expired at 17 HCA facilities across six states. Although there was authorization for strikes by nurses if negotiations stalled, a resolution was achieved without resorting to strikes. NNOC/NNU, representing nearly 10,000 nurses across HCA facilities nationwide, underscores the influence of HCA as a major player in the U.S. healthcare system.

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 California Nurses Association, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.

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