National Nurses United

Management got so much pushback that by 6:09 p.m. that same day, the hospital rescinded its waiver application! It was a resound- ing victory for the nurses. At Sutter Delta Medical Center in Antioch, about 15 miles away from John Muir, nurses held a "hands off our ratios" rally on July 16 in response to the CDPH all-facilities letter. The following day, the RNs learned that their hospital had applied for a waiver. "We put out a flyer, sent texts, emailed nurses, and held a shift change action on July 21," said Mari Ward, an RN in the neonatal ICU at Sutter Delta and chair of the PPC. "We were out there for two hours and we had many supporters, too—receptionists, CNAs, housekeeping." At the end of that action, the nurses unanimously agreed to hold an info picket on Aug. 5, National Nurses United's national day of action. On the morning of the picket, Ward said their labor rep received an email from the human resources director denying that they applied for a ratios waiver. The nurses still went ahead with the picket. "We were out there on the streets again for two hours demanding 'hands off our ratios,' universal testing, and no recycled PPE," recalled Ward. (As of Oct. 5, Sutter Delta's waiver is still listed as pending.) The nurses felt empowered after doing the actions. "It felt like these actions really unified our facility," said Ward. "Nurses are speaking out more. We're drafting petitions. We have better communication. Nurse reps are getting more calls. We have a lot of solidarity now." Chuleenan Svetvilas is a communications specialist for National Nurses United. Communication is key "What we really found was that frequent and honest communication with membership was our best policy," noted Kate Thurston-Mobeen, RN at John Muir Medical Center. "That's how we were able to get the word out to membership and how we were able to put a stop to the waiver. The pandemic has changed things for us. We meet on Zoom once a month. At first it was awkward, but eventually you get into a groove. People are able to ask questions they may not have been able to ask before. Some just come and listen and we give updates. It's so important for nurses to stay informed." Erin Bennett, RN at Sutter Lakeside Hospital, wholeheartedly agrees on the importance of communication. "Make sure you talk to each other and that all are heard, whether it's private Facebook groups, emails, or texts," said Bennett. "People have to speak up for our profession. We have to continue to advocate for our profession." Stand together "We all have to understand that the more we stand together, the more empowered we will be," said Mari Ward, RN at Sutter Delta Medical Center. "It can be frightening to do, but at end of the day, our license and our patients' lives are at stake. We shouldn't be standing by and allowing it to happen." "When we act collectively," said Bennett, "it lets management know you can run a hospital without administrators, but you cannot run a hospital without nurses. We are not expendable." Advice for nurses outside of California "In a pandemic it's hard to stand strong," said Kate Thurston-Mobeen. "In some hospitals, there's an unsaid rule for ratios. Don't put yourself in a situation where you won't be able to protect yourself, your license, and your patients. No hospital has that right. Know what your limits are going into this. Know your absolute limits and don't let any hospital overstep that limit. You don't want patients to suffer and no nurse wants to look back and say, 'What if I hadn't done what the hospital said?'" —Chuleenan Svetvilas J U LY | A U G U S T | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 0 W W W . N A T I O N A L N U R S E S U N I T E D . O R G N A T I O N A L N U R S E 21 Tips on Fighting Back

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