Providence Saint John’s Nurses to Hold Picket Over Safety Concerns

Nurse Turnover Raises Concerns Over Patient Safety at Santa Monica Health Center

Registered nurses at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, are voicing their concerns over high turnover rates and its potential impact on patient care. On Tuesday, December 2, the nurses plan to stage an informational picket to highlight issues surrounding recent contract negotiations, where they feel their concerns have been ignored by the administration.

"We called the picket because we are tired of working without needed supplies and resources to do our jobs safely," stated Laura Espinosa Bass, RN, from the Caritas Suites department. "Our department has been working years without functioning call lights for our patients. Our patients are given handheld bells to ring, and we are expected to be able to respond in an emergency to a patient dinging a bell. This is beyond unsafe for our patients."

Michelle Benvenuti, RN, from the post critical care unit, expressed her frustrations, "The hospital is rushing patients through from ER to the floors without providing safe patient hand-off reports to the nurse taking the admissions, sometimes before we even have doctors’ orders for their care. That’s because management is cutting corners and ignoring the basis for safe patient care."

Who: Registered nurses at Providence Saint John’s Health Center

What: Informational picket for patient safety

When: Tuesday, Dec. 2, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., rally with speakers at 12 p.m.

Where: Providence Saint John’s, 2121 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, Calif.; on sidewalk near the hospital main entrance

With a turnover rate exceeding 33 percent in some units, such as Labor and Delivery, the nurses are pressing for improvements in working conditions to enhance nurse retention. "Over the past year, our unit’s RN turnover exceeded 33 percent, meaning one-third of our nursing staff in Labor and Delivery left due to untenable working conditions," noted Liz Wade, RN. The high turnover has led to situations where nurses with minimal experience are responsible for training or leading departments, thereby increasing risks to patient safety.

The nurses are calling for Providence to invest in its workforce to ensure safe staffing levels and support from management. Over the past two years, 231 out of 640 registered nurses have left the facility. The nurses argue that without addressing retention, experienced nurses lack the time to mentor new staff.

Providence, a healthcare system operating 52 hospitals and based in Renton, Washington, reported revenues of $30.7 billion in 2024. Despite ongoing negotiations since August 2025, little progress has been made on crucial staffing issues, according to the nurses. They urge management to commit to a robust contract that addresses safe staffing, dedicated break relief, and a halt to the acceleration of ER admissions. The nurses informed their employer on November 21 of their intent to hold the informational picket.

The California Nurses Association represents more than 640 nurses at Providence Saint John’s Health Center.

California Nurses Association/National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the nation with more than 100,000 members in more than 200 facilities throughout California and more than 225,000 RNs nationwide.