The California Nurses Association announced that its members plan to picket Sharp Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside Tuesday morning, prompting an immediate rebuttal from Sharp HealthCare, stating that the demonstration is related to ongoing contract negotiations.
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Scheduled to run from 6 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. outside the hospital at Vista Way and Thunder Drive, the event is billed as designed to “demand accountability” for what the union says are “deteriorating hospital conditions,” which are “affecting patient safety.”
“Our increase in patients in both the inpatient and outpatient units is now a cause for concern because management is not providing safe staffing and resources to ensure patient safety at all times,” said Astrid Warner, an infusion nurse and a member of the hospital’s professional practice committee.
Workers also cited instances when some employees, including one of their pregnant colleagues, have been unable to take breaks during 12-hour shifts due to understaffing. The union also cited missed meal breaks, requests to leave direct patient care to perform company training and an effort to eliminate the hospital’s team that lifts patients as reasons why they intend to picket.
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Sharp noted that the picket is not a strike — workers will continue filling their scheduled shifts — and pushed back against any notion that the facility, which it took over in July after voters approved a long-term lease in the June primary, is not meeting standards.
“Sharp Tri-City remains fully staffed and is continuing to provide the high-quality care our community members need and deserve,” Sharp’s statement said. “We remain committed to a fair and responsible contract for our nurses.”
The union, which is an affiliate of National Nurses United, represents 500 nurses at Tri-City Medical Center.
