Safe Patient Care Staffing, Retention of RNs Key Issues At Kaiser LA Medical Center, Providence Torrance, Santa Monica

Thousands of California registered nurses will be on strike this week, including RNs at three major Southern California area hospitals in Los Angeles, Torrance, and Santa Monica who are among some 5,000 California RNs who will join walkouts on those days.

RNs are calling on hospitals to stop endangering patients by implementing safe staffing levels and taking steps to retain experienced RNs. They are also demanding policies that give RNs a stronger voice in patient care delivery. 

Thursday – RNs begin a two-day strike at Kaiser Permanente’s Los Angeles Medical Center.

Friday – RNs hold a one-day strike at Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Torrance and Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica.

While talks are scheduled today at Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Torrance, RNs were doubtful that hospital officials had much desire to resolve differences after hospital officials surrounded the facility with fence barricades on Monday.

National Nurses United and its California affiliate, the California Nurses Association, are calling the strikes.  RNs will also be on strike Thursday in Northern California at five hospitals operated by the Sutter Health corporate chain.

Los Angeles Area Strike Locations, all picketing begins at 7 a.m.:

• Los Angeles Medical Center (Kaiser Permanente).  April 30, May 1. 4867 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles Ca. Rally at 12 noon, both days.   
• Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center Torrance, May 1. 4101 Torrance Blvd, Torrance, CA. Rally, 8 a.m.
• Providence Saint John’s Health Center, May 1.  2121 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA. Rally, 8 a.m,

RNs Speak Out: Why We’re Striking

“We are striking to improve the quality of patient care and improve staffing,” said Susan Fong, an Operating Room RN, one of 1,100 nurses at Kaiser LAMC.  “Kaiser needs need to invest in staffing so that the nurses can adequately care for the large increase in patients.”

 “As the healthcare industry continues to change, the role of the RN remains the same, to advocate for our patients.  We want patient safety regulations and protections added to our contract. Patients come first,” said Intensive Care Unit RN Heather Garrant, one of 700 RNs at Providence Health’s Little Company of Mary Torrance.

Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica is refusing to address critical patient safety concerns raised by the 520 RNs at the facility.  “Turnover has been huge at this hospital because we as nurses don’t feel we can deliver the kind of patient care we need to,” said Liz Wade, a Labor and Delivery nurse.  “The chronic short staffing, lack of break relief nurses and management’s refusal to respond seriously to our safety demands sends a bad message to RNs and the community.”

“We the nurses have been demanding more staffing for months but our desperate calls for help have fallen on deaf ears,” said Kaiser LAMC RN Tinny Abogado.  “The short staffing puts patients at risk through unwarranted delays in care.  We will not remain silent when our patients are facing undue danger and lack of care because Kaiser won’t invest in improving staffing so that we can provide safe, quality care for our patients.”

“Nurses want management to respect the nurses,” said Torrance surgical unit RN Ludy Chang. “We want improvement in safe staffing and the delivery of safe patient care. We are here for our patients, our colleagues and our community” and need to make sure we can deliver the highest quality of care for them all year long, Chang said.

Chris Busch, a Pre-Op Nurse with over 30 years at Saint John’s, said “We are saddened that Providence, with its vast resources, has ignored our warnings about the retention crisis – they cannot get and keep enough good nurses staff this hospital safely,” said Chris Busch, pre-op RN at Saint John’s.  “Below-market staffing and below-market compensation is a dangerous combination, and RNs are leaving for hospitals that staff and pay better.”

“A nurse is not a product or commodity, we are patient care providers,” said Torrance RN Maria Vazquez, who cares for cancer patients and patients on monitors. “The experience of each nurse must be valued because the safety for each patient depends on knowledgeable nurses. It's important to retain our newer nurses so they can become a well-rounded experienced RN. The strike vote will send a strong message to Providence that RNs are serious about fighting for patient care.”   

Media contacts:

• General questions: Charles Idelson, 510-273-2246 or Martha Wallner, 510-273-2264
• For Kaiser LAMC: David Johnson, 310-345-8237 or Roy Hong, 818-822-4318
• For Providence Torrance and Santa Monica hospitals: Desi Murray, 818-355-8314