According to the release, the hospital’s management no longer accepts Assignment Despite Objection forms, which are used in reporting unsafe patient care conditions. However, nurses still complete them, and believe they are necessary for proper patient care.
“It is absolutely imperative to us as nurses to advocate for and win quality care for our patients…,” Sandra Martinez, RN, ICU, said in the release. “We will not back down until we know we have accomplished that. That’s what our patients expect from us and of course that’s what they deserve.”
Linda Sarrat, RN, Telemetry/Step Down Unit, shared the same view as Ms. Martinez. She said, “My nursing license requires that I speak up about patient care conditions in the hospital.”
Ms. Sarrat also complained she had been retaliated against for initially speaking up regarding the issue. “When management tries to stifle RNs voices, dangerous conditions can persist in the workplace.”
In response to the news release from the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United, the hospital expressed dissatisfaction with the situation.
“We are disappointed that California Nurses Association is considering asking our nurses to strike when we are committed to working with the union to reach agreement on a new contract,” the statement reads.
The nursing leadership at Salinas Valley Memorial is also commended in the statement as a group that “continues to focus on internal…processes to monitor staffing and quality concerns including follow up with staff and implementing change based on need and trends.”
As of Friday, no strike date had been scheduled, according to a news release.
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