DC nurses ratify new contract

MedStar Washington Hospital Center RNs win commitment to hire 1,350 nurses

By Chuleenan Svetvilas

National Nurse Magazine - April | May | June 2023 Issue

In March, registered nurses at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C., voted overwhelmingly in favor of ratifying a new three-year contract, winning protections to improve patient safety and nurse retention. National Nurses Organizing Committee represents more than 1,800 nurses at the facility.

“We are proud to have a strong contract that will help recruit and retain nurses,” said Mentwab “Mimi” Dinka, RN in the hospital’s float pool and a member of the bargaining team. “With MedStar management’s commitment to hire 450 nurses each year, we will have optimal staffing so we can provide our patients and community with the care they deserve.”

The new agreement includes a commitment to hire at least 1,350 RNs by 2025 as well as improvements to workplace safety, such as new workplace violence language and increased security in the emergency department. The nurses also ensured that there are no contract takeaways.

The nurses also won across-the-board wage increases over the term of the contract, ranging from 15 to 33 percent.

“We have been fighting to ensure that nurse preceptors are compensated for mentoring and training new nurses,” said Stephanie Sims, RN in the neonatal intensive care unit at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and a member of the bargaining team. “For the first time in our contract, our preceptors will be paid for their valuable role in training the next generation of nurses.”

Chuleenan Svetvilas is a communications specialist at National Nurses United.