Editor’s Note: The following release was sent by an advocacy group.
News release from National Nurses United:
Thousands of registered nurse members of National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU) will hold actions on Thursday, Jan. 16 to demand the hospital industry ensure safe staffing levels and patient safeguards amidst the rapid introduction of artificial intelligence technologies. The nationwide protests – including nurses from HCA’s Mission Hospital – will highlight broad support among nurses for solutions that prioritize quality patient care over profits.In Asheville, nurses plan to rally starting at 4 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16.NNOC/NNU is an affiliate of National Nurses United (NNU), the largest and fastest-growing union in the United States with nearly 225,000 members nationwide. Standing united for their patients, their communities, and their profession, Mission nurses will demonstrate their resolve to fight for hospital policies that build healthy communities, building on the victories of their newest contract, which was ratified last year.Specifically, Mission Hospital nurses are demanding HCA implement schedules that meet patient needs and put patient care over profits, including guaranteed meal and rest break nurses. Nurses say HCA must stop threatening disciplinary action against nurses who miss breaks, due to their concerns over a lack of adequate nurses on the floor.“As nurses, we are dedicated to providing the best patient care possible,” said Hannah Drummond, RN, chief nurse representative at Mission Hospital. “But HCA’s relentless pursuit of profits forces nurses to work while tired, hungry, and without necessary breaks. HCA can do better for our patients and our community. We are committed to holding them accountable.”When:Thursday, Jan. 16, 4:00–5:00 p.m.Where:Mission Hospital, 509 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, N.C.On-the-ground contact: Brian Walsh, 828-318-9707Nurses say solutions, such as mandated nurse-to-patient ratios and guaranteed workplace violence prevention plans, will help address the hospital staffing crisis by bringing back nurses to the bedside. A new detailed analysis from NNU, using the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, shows that nationwide, there are more than a million registered nurses with active licenses who are choosing not to work at the bedside because of the hospital industry’s unsafe working conditions.“Patient advocacy is at the core of what we do as nurses,” said Nancy Hagans, RN and a president of NNU. “That’s why we’re demanding safe staffing and protections against untested technologies such as A.I. We see the harm that these cost-cutting schemes cause our patients on a daily basis.”In 2024, NNU released its Guiding Principles for A.I. implementation that promotes quality patient care, safety, and equity. Based on member reports from around the country, NNU has shared its deep concerns with the current implementation of A.I. with hospital employers, policy regulators, and the public. For more information on A.I.’s impact on the nursing profession, please refer to NNU’s resources here“We are committed to taking collective action as union members, through pickets, through rallies, and when necessary, through strikes, to win strong contracts that address our patient safety concerns and hold our employers responsible,” said CNA/NNOC President Michelle Gutierrez Vo, RN. “We stand in unity and solidarity with one another and in our commitment to our communities and patients.”NNOC/NNU represents more than 1,600 nurses at Mission Hospital and around 10,000 nurses at 19 HCA hospitals in seven states across the country.
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