POSTED: Friday, October 14, 2011 - 10:21am
UPDATED: Thursday, October 20, 2011 - 11:37am
Over 50 nurses and supporters lined the streets in front of Rio Grande Regional Hospital this afternoon demanding better care for patients.
"Their care and their safety is the upmost importance to all of us," said Nancy Gonzalez, RN. "If we can't deliver the care they righteously deserve then we're doing something wrong."
The nurses say they're overwhelmed. They treat up to 7 patients at once which is over twice the national guideline. They say it makes it difficult to give the kind of attention they say the patients deserve.
These nurses say their demands have fallen on deaf ears and that staffing issues isn't only problem. Over 80 complaints have been filed against the hospital within the last year. The nurses are saying management hasn't taken any action. The nurses say conditions at the hospital are cause for serious concern.
We contacted officials Rio Grande Regional Hospital and they released this statement:
" At Rio Grande Regional Hospital (RGRH), our focus remains on providing the best possible care for our patients. It is unfortunate that the California-based union, that represents registered nurses at Rio Grande Regional Hospital, is attempting to call into question the great work of hundreds of Rio Grande Regional Hospital employees. Our nurses have chosen to work at RGRH, and have dedicated their careers to caring for our community members. We believe this planned picketing is not really about patient care, but rather about the union's inability to get what it wants at the bargaining table. The hospital is bargaining in good faith and hopes to reach an agreement on a contract as soon as possible. In the meantime, we will continue to provide uninterrupted, high-quality healthcare to our patients and the community we serve."