San Joaquin County RNs to Protest for Improved Patient Safety Measures

San Joaquin County Nurses to Demonstrate Over Safety and Staffing Issues

Registered nurses from San Joaquin County are organizing an informational picket at San Joaquin General Hospital in French Camp, California. The demonstration, scheduled for Tuesday, November 19, aims to highlight management's inaction on their demands concerning patient safety and the retention and recruitment of skilled nurses, as reported by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU).

Nurses have been engaged in contract negotiations since March, pushing for enhanced measures in workplace violence prevention, safe staffing levels, and safeguards against the misuse of technology. Despite eight months of discussions, the county has yet to address the challenging working conditions that contribute to nurse attrition. The previous contract lapsed on April 30, 2024.

Stacey Lo, a registered nurse in the Family Maternity Center, explained the pressures nurses face: “We have charge nurses, the nurses who oversee the flow of patients and nurse assignments, doing the work of two to three nurses, which means they are no longer available as a resource to other nurses in the unit. We have nurses who cannot take meal and rest breaks during our 12-hour shifts because there are no dedicated break-relief nurses. This is unacceptable.”

Event Details:

Who: San Joaquin County Nurses

What: Informational picket for safe staffing and patient safety

When: Tuesday, Nov. 19, 6:00 a.m.-8:30 a.m.

Where: 400 W. Hospital Rd. French Camp, CA 95231

Kelly Mertz, a trauma unit nurse at San Joaquin General Hospital, shared her perspective on the negotiations: “Throughout negotiations, our goal has been to address the working conditions that affect the recruitment and retention of nurses. Unfortunately, the county’s most recent responses at the table fall short of addressing these issues. We are fighting to have dedicated break-relief nurses so we can take meal and rest breaks during our 12-hour shift.”

The CNA represents over 1,000 registered nurses throughout San Joaquin County, including those in public health, county jails, and at San Joaquin General Hospital.

The California Nurses Association/National Nurses United stands as the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the U.S., with a membership exceeding 100,000 in more than 200 facilities across California, and nearly 225,000 RNs nationwide.

---
Read More USA Works News