MUSKEGON – Registered nurses from Mercy Health Partners’ Hackley campus delivered a 6 foot high petition today to the office of Roger W. Spoelman, President and CEO of the health system. The petition boasted hundreds of signatures from Hackley nurses requesting safe care for their patients.
 
“As the only source of health care in Muskegon County, we know how important it is that the hospital has enough nurses for the number of admitted patients,” said Scott Nesbit, a nurse at Mercy Health Partners’ Hackley campus. “Each patient has his or her own complex needs and requires individual assessment and care. The registered nurses who care for these patients must be able to provide professional, quality individual care regardless of how many patients are admitted to the hospital. Hackley nurses feel they are being called upon to care for too many patients at one time. The residents of Muskegon and the surrounding community deserve better.”
 
Staffing issues are the primary stumbling block of the current contract negotiations taking place between the Michigan Nurses Association, who represents the Hackley nurses, and the MHP administration.  The Professional registered nurses want a voice in the care they administer to their patients.  Additionally, MHP is requesting numerous cuts to the nurses’ contract without financial cause.
 
“We’re committed to using our professional expertise and our knowledge to provide the best care possible to our families, our friends and our neighbors,” Nesbit said. “We stand united for safe, quality patient care.”

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The Michigan Nurses Association represents more than 10,000 registered nurses statewide.