RNs demand better for nurses and patients

Nurses at MountainView Hospital in Las Vegas, Nev., will hold a rally on Monday, April 15, as they begin negotiations on a new union contract with HCA, one of the richest health care companies in the country, announced National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU). Nurses’ most recent/current contract will expire on June 30, and they say their key priorities for their new contract are intended to improve patient care and working conditions at their facility.

“The people of Las Vegas deserve the absolute best health care possible, and nurses deserve a safe workplace where we can provide that care,” said Nicole Taylor, RN in the labor and delivery unit at MountainView Hospital. “HCA always tries to put profits before patients, but nurses won’t let them, and a strong contract helps ensure our patients come first.”

• Who:     Nurses at MountainView Hospital
• What:    Bargaining kick-off rally
• When:   Monday, April 15, 8 a.m.
• Where:  MountainView Hospital, 3100 N. Tenaya Way, Las Vegas, Nev.

“HCA acts like they care, but we know all that really matters to them is their own bottom line,” said Lauren Helfman, RN in the post-anesthesia care unit. “But NNOC/NNU nurses are going to remind management that hospitals are about taking care of people, not taking money to the bank.”

In a new NNOC/NNU survey of nurses involved in HCA bargaining, 68% of nurses said they infrequently or never had enough staffing coverage to take their meal and rest breaks. Additionally, 84% said their assignments and responsibilities had increased in recent years, while 72% said patient care quality had decreased.

“This is a historic year for thousands of nurses at HCA hospitals across the country, as NNOC/NNU will be bargaining at 18 hospitals in six states,” said Cathy Kennedy, RN and California Nurses Association/NNOC president. “These Las Vegas nurses won’t be alone as nurses in Florida, Texas, North Carolina, Kansas, and Missouri will all be at the bargaining table in the coming months.”

HCA, the largest health system in the country, advertises over 180 hospitals in its network. The company self-reported over $5.2 billion in profits in 2023 but regularly shuts down vital health services at its hospitals. According to Securities and Exchange Commission filings, HCA has reported over $31.7 billion in profits since 2018 and executive compensation totalling hundreds of millions of dollars.

HCA co-founder and major shareholder Thomas Frist, Jr., who has extensive experience serving as an executive at HCA, currently ranks at 32 in the Forbes 400 Richest Americans and at 57 in Bloomberg Billionaire Index of the world’s 500 richest people, with an estimated net worth of nearly $30 billion.

NNOC/NNU represents nearly 950 nurses at MountainView Hospital and nearly 10,000 nurses at HCA facilities nationwide.

National Nurses Organizing Committee is an affiliate of National Nurses United, the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States with nearly 225,000 members nationwide. NNU affiliates also include California Nurses Association, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.