On February 27, nurses from University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Health Mission Bay will hold a rally to shed light on worsening conditions inside the medical center that the university has continuously refused to address, California Nurses Association (CNA) announced today.

Rather than acknowledging and addressing their repeated concerns about dangerous staffing practices, nurses want to speak out about decisions from hospital leadership last week that suspended safe floating practices between hospital units, implemented staffing guidelines that ignore legally mandated nurse-to-patient ratios, and relegated patients to hallway beds. Meanwhile, instead of working with nurses to improve staffing and patient care at existing facilities, UCSF leadership is focusing on the acquisition of hospital property and power in the San Francisco community.

Who: Nurses from UCSF Health Mission Bay
What: Rally for Safe Staffing
When: Tuesday, February 27, 1-1:30pm
Where: Mission Hall, 550 16th St, San Francisco, California 94158

“On our adult surgical oncology unit at Mission Bay, the state-mandated staffing ratios go unmet on a regular basis, and I know that units across UCSF are similarly dangerously understaffed. This compromises our ability to provide quality care and puts patient safety at risk,” said Mari Roberts, RN at UCSF Mission Bay. “As patient advocates, CNA nurses will not stand by as the University of California chooses to put the acquisition of property and power over the delivery of quality care to our community.”

UCSF Mission Bay nurses who care for adult medical, surgical, and cancer patients have filed more than 60 complaints with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to alert the state that they currently lack the staff and resources necessary to provide safe care to their patients. Conditions have become so distressing for nursing staff that, over the last three years, the surgical oncology unit has seen a 33% rate of turnover.

CNA represents more than 4,700 nurses at UCSF Health.

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 nearly 225,000 RNs nationwide.