SPOKANE -- Dozens of nurses gathered outside Sacred Heart Medical Center Tuesday morning, picketing the hospital and hoping to raise awareness to what they're calling 'issues critical to patient safety'.
The Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA) says contract negotiations have stalled over several key issues including the ability to take uninterrupted rest breaks, inadequate nurse staffing levels, and changes to retirement benefits.
WSNA represents more than 1,500 registered nurses at Sacred Heart Medical Center.
The nurses are demanding that the administration continue providing them with a 15-minute uninterrupted block of time for their rest breaks. They say the administration has proposed switching to intermittent breaks. They interpret that to mean brief interruptions in work activities, such as going to the bathroom, getting a sip of water, or talking with colleagues, would constitute a break.
WSNA says research shows nurses working long hours have decreased alertness and vigilance which leads to an increase in medical and medication errors.
"We're out here today because we care about the safety of patients at Sacred Heart. As a nurse, I'm constantly managing critical life and death situations for my patients. I want to be at my best when I care for you or your loved ones. Towards the end of a 12-hour shift when I haven't had a break, I've been on my feet all day, and I've maybe had just enough time to grab a snack on the go, I'm concerned about my ability to concentrate and provide the excellent patient care I strive for every day. Intermittent rest breaks will create a fatigued work force ripe for medical errors and near misses," said Kathy Ormsby, a registered nurse at Sacred Heart.
KREM 2 News has also scheduled an interview with administration personnel at Sacred Heart Medical Center for later Tuesday. We'll tell you what they have to say about the contract negotiations and the informational picketing later today.
