Amid contract negotiations, Sutter Roseville nurses will protest staffing levels at vigil
Registered nurses at Sutter Roseville Medical Center will hold a candlelight vigil Thursday evening near the hospital entrance in protest of staffing levels that they say are putting patient care at risk.
“As nurses, we have been on the front lines fighting this pandemic for a year and half,” said Meredith Piggee, a registered nurse in the intensive care unit at Sutter Roseville. “With the ICUs filling up and not enough staff to care for the surge of COVID-19 patients, the nurses are showing serious signs of moral injury.”
A moral injury occurs when someone is forced to witness, commit or fail to prevent acts that go against their moral beliefs or expectations. This tyically happens during traumatic or highly stressful events, and it is associated with post-traumatic stress disorder.
In a prepared statement, Sutter leaders tied the action to negotiating that is now under way on a new contract, saying the union is attempting to gain leverage by by spreading misinformation. Sutter said the nurses, represented by the California Nurses Assocation, had agreed upon a contract extension as the talks continued.
In part, the statement read: “While few health care workers entered the health care field expecting to face a global pandemic, we honor their dedication to their chosen profession and their commitment to patient care, even when it demands more than they anticipated. Hospitals across the country are experiencing longstanding staffing challenges exacerbated by the pressures of the pandemic while also seeing increased patient volumes.”
Sutter leaders noted that they have taken steps to support the emotional and physical well-being of caregivers while working to recruit and retain staff by offering competitive pay and benefits, offering shift bonuses, bringing in contingency staff and recruiting voluntary transfers from within the company.
Labeling the labor action irresponsible, Sutter leaders said it could scare patients away from seeking care. They said that they stand by their commitment to patient safety and that Sutter hospitals remain able and prepared to care for the community.
Piggee and other nurses said the current work environment is unsustainable. They will be protesting outside the hospital entrance on East Roseville Parkway at 6:45 p.m. Thursday.
“We are advocating for increased staffing and resources,” Piggee said, “so we are holding a candlelight vigil to raise awareness on impacts of this surge on nursing staff who come in day after day to care for the people of our community.”
