Nurses Rally Outside Antelope Valley Medical Center Over Staffing Concerns
Nurses at Antelope Valley Medical Center in Lancaster are speaking out against chronic short-staffing that they say is putting patient care at risk. Nearly 900 nurses rallied outside the hospital, claiming that management is not complying with California’s minimum nurse-to-patient ratios.
The California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU) represents the nurses at the hospital, and their contract is set to expire in May. The union alleges that nurses have had to care for more patients than the mandated ratio allows, leading to overwork and compromised patient care.
One nurse, Kellie Currie, was suspended for refusing to take on four patients in the Progressive Care Unit, which is supposed to have one nurse for every three patients. The union has filed complaints with the California Department of Public Health and nurses have been submitting documentation highlighting unsafe staffing levels.
Nurses like Mark Mosesian and Cindy Gillison have described the work conditions at the hospital as dire, with patients sometimes waiting hours for care due to understaffing. The union is calling for the hospital to invest in nurses rather than intimidating them into taking unsafe assignments.
Despite the threats of termination, nurses like Currie remain committed to advocating for patient safety. The situation at Antelope Valley Medical Center highlights the ongoing challenges faced by healthcare workers in providing quality care amidst staffing shortages.
