On Monday, nurses and supporters lined the street in front of the Corpus Christi Medical Center (CCMC) on South Alameda Street. These are nurses a part of the National Nurses Organizing Committee (NNOC) and National Nurses United (NNU) upset with how their latest contract negotiations have gone.
The unions are in the process of bargaining with management company HCA Healthcare.
“The nurses are demanding that HCA come to the bargaining table and negotiate a contract that provides for a better future for the hospitals and outlying facilities. We want, we need nursing management to hear our voices,” Paul Hirvasoja said, a staff resident nurse at CCMC and the chief nurse representative for the unions.
Hirvasoja said the nurses are negotiating for safe staffing, retention of experienced nurses and breaks for nurses.
He said unsafe staffing happens when a nurse has to look after three patients instead of the standard two patients. He's seen this in the Intensive Care Unit he works in.
"If the nurse becomes tied up with a patient in one particular room, the other two patients are going to have to wait. A patient may be on a call light and may be asking for pain medication. They’ll have to wait,” he said.
Hirvasoja said his ICU has lost 12 experienced nurses over a year or two. Some have been replaced, others have been replaced with nurses with little experience. He adds there's nothing wrong with those nurses, and experience brings expert instincts to the floor.
“An experienced nurse is someone who can make a big difference in your care and your outcome as a patient here at the hospital,” Hirvasoja said.
Hirvasoja said HCA has only offered a 1% raise. He did say there is a tentative agreement on one term, but more is to be worked on.
CCMC issued this statement:
Throughout the bargaining process, our hospital will continue to put the health, well-being, and safety of our caregivers, colleagues and patients first. We value our nurses and are grateful for their dedication and the care they provide.
Our staffing levels are safe, appropriate, and compliant with both industry standards and regulatory requirements. Additionally, we continue to prioritize the well-being of our colleagues and their families by offering a generous and flexible benefits package, expanded family leave benefits, student loan and tuition assistance, a dependent scholarship program and financial wellness coaching. We deeply value our colleagues and are steadfast in our commitment to supporting their professional development and ensuring a fulfilling career experience.
As a distinguished healthcare provider in Nueces County and the South Texas region, Corpus Christi Medical Center (CCMC) stands as a leader in healthcare excellence. Recognized nationally as a major trauma center, CCMC has received numerous accolades for delivering quality care, including the esteemed 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals Award [ccmedicalcenter.com] from Fortune PINC AI and the America's 50 Best Hospitals for Surgical Excellence Award [ccmedicalcenter.com] from Healthgrades for the third consecutive year.
The nurses' union contract ends June 30 with CCMC.
According to a press release from the unions, NNOC/NNU represents about 745 nurses at CCMC, including at Bay Area Medical Center, Doctors Regional Medical Center, Bayview Medical Center, Northshore Emergency Center, ER 24/7 Northwest, and ER 24/7 Rockport. HCA is currently negotiating contracts with 17 hospitals throughout six states.
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