National Nurses United

O C T O B E R | N O V E M B E R | D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 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 13 well as persistent problems with hospital- issued phones that nurses use during their shift for communication. Staffing issues: In Wichita, at St. Francis and St. Joseph hospitals, management's unsafe 'floating' policy means nurses are assigned to units where they do not usually work and may not have the training or expertise to care for those patients. In Austin, at ASCMA, management is propos- ing that labor and delivery nurses with as little as 18 months of experience be assigned to 'charge' roles, which are typically given to experienced nurses in safely-staffed hospi- tals as they are responsible for the smooth functioning of their units and act as resource nurses. "We are constantly running out of clean hospital gowns, thermometers, and even blankets for newborn babies," said Taylor Critendon, RN in the intermediate care unit at ASMCA in Austin. "We are also dealing with broken IV pumps and hospital-pro- vided phones are often not working properly, which can delay vital communica- tions between staff in situations where timely intervention is crucial. Ascension should use its vast resources to invest in the equipment we need to care for our patients. Then we don't have to spend the time we should be caring for our patients hunting for essential supplies and working equipment." "We are striking because management continues to float nurses to units where they do not usually work and where they do not necessarily have expertise or experience," said Lisa Watson, a medical ICU RN at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis in Wichita. "You wouldn't send a cancer patient to a pediatric doctor so why would you send a pediatric nurse to work in oncology? But this is what Ascension is doing with nurses at St. Francis. We want to ensure that nurses are only assigned to units where they have expertise." After each strike in June and December, Ascension management locked out nurses for three days, preventing them from returning to work. The RNs condemned that decision by management as an appar- ent ploy to intimidate nurses from speaking out against the conditions driving their deci- sions to strike. "By locking nurses out for three days, Ascension is sending the message, once again, that providing patients with excel- lent care is not their priority," said Kris Fuentes, RN in the neonatal ICU at ASMCA in Austin. "As nurses, we are very focused on our patients and winning a con- tract that sets the stage for optimal care. It is high time for management to prioritize patients and reach an agreement that accomplishes this." —Lucy Diavolo, Michelle Morris, and Chuleenan Svetvilas

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