RNs Demand Patient Safety at Carondelet St. Mary's Amid Retaliation

RNs Speak Out Against Retaliation and Unsafe Conditions at Tucson Hospital

Registered nurses at Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital in Tucson, Arizona, are preparing to hold a rally on Friday, February 27, in response to what they describe as management's disregard for safe patient care practices. These nurses, backed by the National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU), have been raising alarms over unsafe conditions persisting at the hospital for the past three months. Despite their efforts, management has not implemented any of the proposed measures such as increasing RN staff numbers or ensuring a designated rapid-response RN is available for each shift.

The situation escalated last week when management dismissed Dominique Hamilton, a registered nurse with eight years of service in the intensive care unit and a well-known advocate for patients. Nurses across the hospital argue that Hamilton's termination was unjust and retaliatory, and they are calling for her immediate reinstatement.

"St. Mary’s is owned by a for-profit corporation, Tenet Healthcare, and Tenet puts profits before patients," stated Julia Marques, RN from the medical-surgical acute unit. "It’s on us as nurses to use our collective voice to speak out for our patients and demand the care for them that they deserve."

Event Details

Who: Registered nurses at Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital

What: Rally for Patient Safety

When: Friday, February 27, 8:15–10 a.m.

Where: Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital, 1601 W. St. Mary’s Hospital Rd., Tucson, Arizona (in front of the hospital)

In December, nurses brought their concerns regarding unsafe nurse-to-patient ratios to the attention of hospital management. They highlighted the negative impact these ratios have on patient outcomes, including increased mortality rates due to the overload on nurses. The nurses have continued their advocacy by submitting numerous Assignment Despite Objection forms to officially document these unsafe conditions.

Extensive research has consistently demonstrated the life-saving benefits of proper staffing. A study involving more than 11,000 patients across 75 hospitals in four states concluded that improved work environments and lower patient-to-nurse ratios were linked to higher survival odds after in-hospital cardiac arrests. Another study indicated that patient mortality risk increased by 7 percent for each additional patient assigned to a nurse.

The NNOC represents 300 registered nurses at Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital.

National Nurses United, with over 225,000 members nationwide, is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the U.S. NNU affiliates include California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.