National Nurses United

CALIFORNIA N urses at Desert Regional Med- ical Center (DRMC) in Palm Springs, Calif. participated in a public forum in March regarding the future of the public hospital, which is currently leased by Tenet Healthcare, a massive health care corporation worth more than $9 billion. At the forum, hosted by the Desert Healthcare District and Foundation, nurses spoke out about the failure of Tenet to properly maintain the facility, fix vital medical equipment, and staff units appropriately. California Nurses Association represents more than 850 nurses at DRMC. "Right now the people of Coachella Val- ley have an opportunity to weigh in on the future of Desert Regional Medical Center," said Lonnie Ducote, a registered nurse in the emergency room. "Now is the time to demand Tenet address the problems at our hospital, including leaks and pests, so our patients can get the highest quality of care." Nurses have been sounding the alarm for months about the persistent problems at the hospital, including inadequate staffing, bro- ken equipment, chronic plumbing issues, and rodents. In February, the nurses released video evidence of extensive leaking in the neurological intensive care unit and a cockroach infestation in the emergency department's break room. Shortly after, on Feb. 27, the Riverside County Department of Environmental Health closed down one kitchen after inspectors discovered "signs of active vermin infestation." The inspector noted: -Live cockroaches crawling on the floor, walls, and convection oven at the back cookline -Rodent droppings and signs of nesting in the fryer cabinets at the front cookline -Rodent droppings on the floor of the "disaster" storage room -Rodent droppings in the drawers by the coffee and tea machines -Operator-provided logs showing that this is an ongoing issue that Tenet was aware of. "Tenet tries to dis- miss and deny nurses' concerns about pests and the state of disrepair in the hospital, but we feel vindicated that an outside entity verified what we know to be true: Tenet is failing our community," said Caroline Ng'ang'a, a regis- tered nurse in the intensive care unit. "We hope our concerns will be taken seriously from now on and we encourage the public to become actively involved in the process of deciding our community hospital's future." DRMC is leased to Tenet Healthcare until 2027. In September 2023, Tenet proposed a deal to renew its lease and buy the hospital. Nurses are demanding that any decision on the possible sale of the public hospital be put to voters, who are the true owners of DRMC. "We have seen that our advocacy is mov- ing the discussion, as the district now seems to be leaning away from a sale to Tenet," said Deb Edwards, a registered nurse at Desert Regional. "We would like to push this con- versation even further, to call on the district to look for a partner who will be account- able, transparent, and responsive to the nurses and the needs of the community." —Rachel Berger MAINE M aine nurses recently moved safe staffing legislation the far- thest a state bill has progressed in the past 20 years. Pine Tree State RNs applauded the Maine Senate for passing L.D. 1639, The Maine Quality Care Act on March 27 but unfortunately did not make it to a vote in the House before the legislative session ended on April 17. Nurses vow to keep fighting for ratios. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Stacy Brenner and strongly supported by Maine State Nurses Association (MSNA), which is part of National Nurses Organizing Com- mittee, an affiliate of National Nurses United. "This is the most significant legislation for patient safety that has ever been pro- posed or passed in our state," said MSNA President Cokie Giles, RN. Sen. Brenner, a nurse and midwife with many years of nursing experience, stated in her floor speech before the vote, "Colleagues, I tell you with humility, that being in the Legislature feels like a relaxing hobby in comparison to working as a bedside nurse. The fear of near misses and possibly devastat- ing errors from working over capacity builds a sense of moral injury, one shift at a time." "All of us nurses know other nurses who have left bedside care because of the condi- tions we and our patients face in hospitals today," said Kelli Brennan, an RN at Maine Medical Center in Portland. "RN-to-patient ratios will bring nurses back to the bedside, keep the nurses we have, and protect the patients we are all committed to serve." In April, nurses publicly called on Gov. Janet Mills to support the bill and delivered a letter signed by more than 500 Maine nurses. —Chuleenan Svetvilas Maine nurses press on for ratios bill A P R I L | M AY | J U N E 2 0 2 4 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 7 Palm Springs nurses fight for hospital's future Desert Regional Medical Center RNs sound the alarm at public forum

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