Atlanta VA Nurses Rally for Safe Staffing Amid Budget Crisis Concerns

Atlanta VA Nurses to Protest Over Staffing and Budget Concerns

On Thursday, November 14, registered nurses at the Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta Veterans Administration Medical Center in Decatur, Georgia, are set to hold a rally. The protest, organized by the National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU), aims to address issues related to the VA's budget constraints, which nurses believe are causing staffing shortages, challenges in nurse retention, and moral distress.

"We have identified solutions that can support nurse retention at the Atlanta VA," stated Belinda Howard, a registered nurse in the cardiology unit. She emphasized the lack of transparency in budget management, which hinders nurses' understanding of how financial concerns are handled. Howard added, "If we were provided with adequate funding and a management team that communicated effectively, our hospital could become a much better environment for both veterans and nurses."

Details of the Event:

• Who: RNs represented by NNOC/NNU
• What: Rally against budget issues
• When: Thursday, Nov. 14, 7:30 a.m.
• Where: Atlanta VA, 1670 Clairmont Rd., Decatur, Ga.

The nurses argue that the budget crisis is affecting patient care by creating unsafe staffing levels and issues with vital medical equipment. They express that this situation leads to moral distress, which in turn exacerbates the problem of nurse retention, despite the existence of straightforward solutions. Over 70 nurses have left the Atlanta VA this year, highlighting the need for improved retention strategies.

"Atlanta VA nurses are glad to see newly recruited nurses coming through the doors," commented Teshara Felder, a nurse in the telemetry unit. "We want to speak out about this budget crisis to make sure we can keep those recruits long enough, so they become the experienced staff nurses who ensure high-quality veteran care."

Approximately 1,200 registered nurses at the Atlanta VA are represented by NNOC/NNU.

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.