The nurses claim short staffing at the hospital — particularly in the critical care unit and the perinatal department — has lead to nurses being requested to work 16-hour shifts or skip meals and breaks.
According to the nurses, the labor and delivery unit lost 24 experienced nurses in the past year and only one third of the positions have been filled, all with new graduates.
To address the patient safety issues that arise from being short staffed, the Watsonville nurses urged the city council to support their demand that the hospital restore safe staffing levels, resume accepting nurses’ documentation of unsafe patient care conditions and agree to fair and safe contracts with the nurses.
Watsonville Community Hospital did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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