RNs at PIH Health-Good Samaritan Hospital to protest declining patient standards, retaliation against nurses who speak out, and intimidation of community members

Registered nurses at PIH Health-Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles, Calif. will hold a rally on Friday, June 24, to highlight their deep concerns about patient safety, including chronic short-staffing, declining patient care standards, and the ongoing intimidation of RNs and local community allies, such as Clergy and Laity United for a Just Economy (CLUE), announced California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU) today.

Due to chronic short staffing, Good Samaritan is violating California’s safe staffing law, which sets minimum RN-to-patient staffing ratios. RNs are being assigned too many patients to care for and are unable to take breaks during their 12-hour shifts, forcing them to work overtime and take extra shifts. As a result, the hospital has been hiring licensed vocational nurses (LVNs), but there are not enough RNs to oversee them as required by California’s safe staffing law. RNs demand that Good Samaritan immediately address their patient safety concerns and take necessary steps to retain and recruit staff RNs.

“We nurses demand the safe conditions necessary to provide safe care to our patients,” said Calvin Xu, RN in the critical intensive care unit. “Recently, RNs have been reprimanded or terminated for speaking out about the unsafe work conditions and the ongoing intimidation.”

• Who: RNs at PIH Health-Good Samaritan Hospital
• What: Rally for patient safety
• When: Friday, June 24, 7:45 a.m.-8:30 a.m.
• Where: In front of PIH Health-Good Samaritan Hospital on the sidewalk (corner of Shatto and Witmer)

Nurses will be available to speak with media at the event.

“We are asking for what we need to safely care for our patients and community,” said Lissette Ulloa, RN in the Cardiovascular Definitive Observation unit (CVDOU). “We are demanding the hospital do more to retain and recruit experienced nurses and provide us adequate staff to meet patient care needs.”

CNA/NNU represents more than 600 registered nurses at PIH Health-Good Samaritan Hospital.

The California Nurses Association/National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the nation with 100,000 members in more than 200 facilities throughout California and more than 175,000 RNs nationwide.