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Mercy Health Partners-Hackley Campus RNs negotiate new contract with emphasis on patient safety

MUSKEGON – The registered nurses at Mercy Health Partners-Hackley Campus have negotiated a new contract that improves patient-to-nurse staffing and creates a safe environment for nurses and patients. “Nurses know how many patients a nurse cares for at one time makes a difference in how well that patient can be treated,” said Cindra Bringedahl, an RN working in the Endoscopy unit. “Having appropriate staffing means that we will have enough nurses to take care of our patients.”

The approximately 400 nurses at Mercy Health Partners-Hackley Campus are represented by the Michigan Nurses Association.

“Being required to care for patients when a nurse is exhausted is unfair to both patient and nurse,” said Tom Goodman, an RN working in the Emergency Department at Mercy Health Partners-Hackley Campus. “We’ve also improved our contract to make sure that our nurses have an adequate rest period between shifts. The result of the new agreement means that patients will have rested and replenished nurses to care for them.”

“Collective bargaining has made all the difference for the patients who use Mercy Health Partners-Hackley Campus,” said John Karebian, MNA Executive Director. “With the ability to meet across the table and negotiate together, the nurses have been able to truly advocate for their patients.”

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The Michigan Nurses Association is the state’s largest and most effective union and professional association for registered nurses, representing more than 10,000 RNs statewide and advocating for them and their patients.