(MEDFORD, Ore.) – Local nurses announced plans to hold a community-wide informational picket of Providence Medford Medical Center April 10. The nurses, who are represented by the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA), made the announcement today. Ninety-eight percent of nurses voted to authorize an informational picket. The vote follows months of failed attempts to get hospital administrators to reach a fair contract agreement with nurses to improve patient care and address the hospital’s chronic staffing and retention problems.
Nearly half of all new nurses leave Providence Medford Medical Center within their first 12 months on the job. The hospital’s severe turnover rate forces local nurses to shoulder an unhealthy workload and can jeopardize patient care.
ONA represents nearly 300 registered nurses at Providence Medford Medical Center.
“When there aren’t enough nurses at the hospital, patient care suffers. Constant staff turnover creates longer waits for patients and lowers the quality of health care we can provide,” said ONA leader and nurse at Providence Medford Dan Richmond. “Nurses believe every patient deserves safe, high-quality health care. We’re asking the hospital to work with us to reach a fair agreement that improves patient safety and increases local staff retention and recruitment.”
Local nurses’ have been meeting with Providence administrators since early November 2017 to try to reach a fair agreement. Nurses are asking Providence administrators to take action to reduce staff turnover, adopt consistent, predictable schedules for workers, and provide appropriate backup so nurses and other staff can take short, legally-mandated breaks during their 12-hour shifts. Nurses have already been working without a contract for nearly 4 months.
Local nurses filed a notice to hold an informational picket on April 10 after a March 29 mediation session between nurses and hospital administrators failed.
Nurses' informational picket will be held on April 10 from 7 – 9 a.m. and 3:30 – 6:30 p.m. at the intersection of E. McAndrews Rd. and Crater Lake Ave. outside Providence Medford Medical Center
“Our community deserves to know what’s happening with their health care,” said ONA leader and nurse at Providence Medford Christalyn Matlock. “We’re inviting our neighbors and community members to stay informed about what Providence is doing and stand together with nurses on April 10 to ensure everyone in our community receives the care they deserve.”
An informational picket is a peaceful community demonstration that allows the public to engage with local nurses and share information about how to improve residents’ local health care. An informational picket is not a strike or work stoppage. ONA nurses will participate in the informational picket during their breaks or other non-work time.
Learn more about local nurses’ work to reach a fair contract agreement at: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/supportnurses
The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) is the state’s largest and most influential nursing organization. It is a professional association and labor union which represents nearly 15,000 nurses across the state. ONA’s mission is to advocate for nursing, quality health care and healthy communities. For more information visit www.OregonRN.org.
