Nurses with Stanford Health Care and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital rallied Wednesday morning, calling for "fair contracts" that they say would make nursing a more sustainable profession and improve patient care at top hospitals.
After what they called "a grueling two years" of dealing with COVID-19 on top of everyday patient care, the nurses are proposing staffing procedures that reflect patient acuity, time to rest and recover and competitive wages and benefits.
The nurses say they're looking for new policies that will resolve burnout and shortages at the hospitals and provide a model for the rest of the industry.
They pointed to a recent survey that showed nearly 45% of respondents believed they were likely to leave the hospitals within five years. The survey was conducted by the Committee for Recognition of Nursing Achievement, which represents about 4,800 Registered Nurses at Stanford Health Care and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital.
Hospital management released the following statement in response to the nurses' rally:
"At Stanford Health Care and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, we are proud to offer nursing pay rates that are among the highest in the nation, comprehensive health and wellness benefits, and generous paid time-off programs.
"In our contract talks with CRONA, the union representing our registered nurses, we have offered proposals that increase our investment and preserve their place among the highest compensated and best supported nursing teams in America.
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"We’re committed to good faith negotiations with CRONA and will keep our focus on the work ahead at the bargaining table as we seek to reach agreement with the union on new contracts for our nurses."
The nurses say they would like to reach an agreement with management before their current contracts expire on March 31.
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