JPH Nurses to Picket Over Staffing Issues, Warn Patient Safety at Risk

Concerns Raised Over Staffing Issues at Jackson Park Hospital

Registered nurses at Jackson Park Hospital and Medical Center (JPH) are set to hold an informational picket on Friday, July 31, 2026. The nurses aim to highlight concerns about staffing shortages that they believe are endangering patient safety, contributing to high staff turnover, and complicating efforts to hire new nurses. According to the nurses, hospital management has intentionally left critical support positions vacant, resulting in missed breaks, moral distress, and a heightened risk of errors that could harm patients. The nurses at JPH are represented by the National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU).

“As a registered nurse at Jackson Park Hospital, I know the residents in our community deserve quality care from units staffed safely,” expressed Jennifer Harris Goldsmith, RN. “It is deeply disturbing that management has shown itself unwilling to hire the nurses needed to maintain the staffing standards that have been proven to save lives.”

Who: Jackson Park Hospital nurses, community allies, and elected officials
What: Informational picket and rally for patient safety
When: Friday, July 31, 2026, picketing from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., rally with speakers at 10 a.m.
Where: Jackson Park Hospital, 7531 S. Stony Island Ave., Chicago, Ill.

Jackson Park Hospital serves some of the most vulnerable populations on Chicago's South Side. However, nurses report that inadequate staffing has led to delays in care and a lack of support for patients deserving of high-quality treatment. They further claim that the hospital frequently fails to meet staffing standards, causing nurses to handle more than twice the recommended number of patients at times.

Additionally, the hospital has not hired patient care support nurses, who are essential for providing relief during patient surges and allowing nurses to take necessary breaks. Meanwhile, the hospital's management is proposing significant increases in health insurance costs for nurses, effectively reducing their take-home pay. This move is likely to drive more nurses away and hinder efforts to recruit new talent.

“Our patients are already understaffed and at risk,” said Pamela Upton, RN in a medical-surgical unit. “And more nurses will leave because we know we deserve to have access to competitively benefitted jobs. So, we are asking Jackson Park Hospital to make a commitment to the community it serves by providing access to quality union nurse positions with good benefits.”

National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States with more than 225,000 members nationwide. 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.

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