National Emergency Nurses Week kicked off October 9 with a goal of bringing awareness to the chaotic and occasional dangerous job.
According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nurses are five times more likely to be the victim of violence on the job than the average private sector employee. Healthcare workplaces are the second most common place intentional injuries by another person are reported.
Nurses at Martha's Vineyard Hospital say they have authorized a strike over what the nurses' union says is a refusal by the hospital to invest in permanent nurses, leading to safety concerns. The approximately 100 registered nurses at the hospital voted this week to greenlight a potential one-day strike, according to a statement from the Massachusetts Nurses Union.
The CEO of Midland Community Healthcare Services said the health industry has been suffering from a nurse shortage for the last 10 to 15 years.
Several factors could be contributing to the shortage, including burnout, poor retention and possibly a lack of interest in the field. However, in the Permian Basin, one challenge is the lack of entry-level positions.
A little over a month after Mission Health registered nurses voted to authorize a strike, they announced on Oct. 9 that they have ratified a new three-year contract with HCA.
According to a news release, the contract will improve patient safety and nurse retention. Nurses, who are represented by National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU), said in the release that the newly-ratified agreement with HCA will improve patient care and working conditions at the hospital.
Nurses at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital, represented by the Service Employees International Union, have voted to authorize a strike.
According to the nurses' union, they have become alarmed by UPMC closing dozens of beds throughout the hospital due to understaffing, saying that their policies have undermined the ability to handle a growing mental health and substance abuse crisis in the Pittsburgh area.
Some 600 union nurses at Kapi'olani Medical Center today ratified a new, three-year contract that was ironed out after more than a year of negotiations with management, with the assistance of two federal mediators.
The union nurses had until 6 p.m. to vote today, with the majority voting to ratify the contract.
The new contract was agreed upon after two strikes, a lockout by management, and two rounds of negotiating efforts with federal mediators.