The new agreements bring improvements in staffing practices and patient care at hospitals in Kissimmee and Sanford.

Nurses at two Orlando-area facilities voted overwhelmingly in favor of ratifying a new three-year contract this week, winning measures to improve patient safety and nurse retention. Nurses represented by National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU), the nation’s largest nurses union, say the newly ratified agreement will improve patient care and working conditions at HCA Florida Osceola Hospital in Kissimmee and HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital in Sanford. 

“This is huge news for our hospitals,” said Marissa Lee, RN in the labor and delivery unit at Osceola Hospital. “We’ve been bargaining for most of this year, so getting a deal done is big, especially when we got some major wins on safe staffing.” 

Highlights of the contract include:

• Pilot program on break relief staffing: A new program that will improve staffing practices to ensure nurses can take their meal and rest breaks during their shifts.
• Nurse floating improvements: New measures will ensure nurses are “floated” (temporarily reassigned) to units similar to their normal specialty.
• Inclusive documentation: Staff can use preferred names and add personal pronouns to name badges.
• Wage increases: Substantial wage increases that will improve nurse recruitment and retention; up to 17.65% increases for some Florida nurses of the term of the contract.

“People across Central Florida deserve the best possible patient care,” said Adriana Cuazo, RN in the neurological/trauma intensive care unit at Osceola Hospital. “With a strong contract, nurses are in a better position to provide that care, so we’re excited to have this contract finalized with these wins.”

NNOC/NNU represents nearly 1,000 nurses at Osceola and Lake Monroe hospitals and, nationally, more than 8,500 nurses who were at the bargaining table with HCA management throughout 2024, as contracts expired at 17 HCA facilities in six states. In recent weeks, nurses at HCA facilities had voted in favor of authorizing strikes if necessary to resolve negotiations, but an agreement was reached before any strikes were called by nurses on bargaining teams. 

NNOC/NNU represents nearly 10,000 nurses at HCA facilities nationwide, including some not bargaining new contracts this year. HCA is one of the largest and wealthiest health care systems in the United States.

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.