Staff Say the Hospital Has Begun Investing in Short-Term Agency Nurses
By Zach Armstrong
Nursing staff at Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital voted in favor of striking over demands for improved staffing conditions and better patient care, according to Nurse.org.
The hospital’s staff reportedly are concerned over costs incurred on experienced staff and patient care after they say the hospital has begun investing in short-term agency nurses. In a news release, a registered nurse case manager in the Cedars-Sinai emergency room claims that while she has witnessed qualified nurses leave, “management resorts to staffing our hospital with temporary contract nurses, who often outnumber Staff RNs,” going on to say “We know the best nursing care comes from permanent RNs.”
After the nurses’ collective bargaining agreement with Marina Del Rey Hospital expired earlier this year, negotiations with the hospital have dragged. The union says hospital management demanded policies such as education benefits and paid time off be waived in collective bargaining rights. Union nurses say those measures are essential for retaining qualified staff and providing quality patient care.
According to the post by Nurse.org, Cedars-Sinai Marina Del Rey is a non-profit hospital with 133 licensed beds, ranks as the best hospital in California by U.S. News & World Report and had total revenues last year of $6.9 billion, an increase of $1.1 billion from the previous year.
“We really do think we’re close (to a finalized contract),” said Dr. Jeff Smith, CEO of Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey, in a statement. “I’m hopeful that with a little better understanding about the educational benefits, paid time off and leave of absence, we’ll reach an agreement.”
The hospital stated it intends to stay open and operational throughout the strike and asked staff to continue business as usual.
