Nurses at George Washington University Hospital seek to form union – WTOP News

Nurses at The George Washington College Hospital say they wish to kind a union, citing affected person care and staffing considerations they are saying have gone unaddressed by hospital administration.

“We’re pushed by a want to offer the most secure, most compassionate and most patient-centered care attainable,” a information launch from the District of Columbia Nurses Affiliation asserting the transfer mentioned. “Sadly, repeated makes an attempt to work personally and straight with hospital management have didn’t yield lasting systemic enhancements.”

Edward J. Smith, govt director of the DCNA, advised WTOP his group was first contacted by a bunch of nurses a number of months in the past about the advantages of forming a union.

“A number of the points raised had been staffing considerations all through the hospital,” he mentioned, including nurses felt like they weren’t “in a position to actually do their jobs in a fashion that may present the very best quality affected person care.”

He mentioned the challenges are much like what nurses throughout the nation — and the world — are going through three years into the COVID-19 pandemic: A well being care workforce crunch and stretched-thin employees.

At GW, “it’s all through nearly each unit within the hospital that there’s considerations about not having correct staffing,” Smith mentioned.

That features what are known as ancillary employees, individuals to reply telephones, clear loos and alter bedding. Retaining nurses on the hospital can be a priority.

“There’s been an exodus — from what I perceive, anecdotally — from the hospital previously six months or so … it’s not any completely different than what we’ve seen in different hospitals all through the nation,” he mentioned.

The George Washington College Hospital, which has practically 400 staffed beds in D.C.’s Foggy Backside neighborhood, is certainly one of three hospitals within the District whose nurses will not be organized in a union. The others are Sibley Memorial Hospital and MedStar Georgetown College Hospital.

Hospital: Extra flexibility, ’empowerment’ with out union

GW’s hospital is owned by Common Well being Companies. The corporate, one of many largest for-profit hospital firms in the USA, beforehand held an 80% stake in possession of the hospital however grew to become its sole proprietor final spring following a restructuring.

In an announcement, a hospital spokesperson mentioned the hospital acknowledges that nurses have a federally-protected proper to both help or oppose forming a union.

“Nevertheless, we strongly imagine that remaining union-free — preserving the direct relationship between our nurses and the hospital, and all the flexibleness and particular person empowerment that it offers — is the important thing to each our nurses’ capability to thrive of their skilled follow and our persevering with profitable partnership with them in offering the absolute best care to our sufferers and our neighborhood. ”

The assertion went on to say, “Such a major resolution must be an knowledgeable selection primarily based on the info about unionization. We welcome this chance to share info and interact in substantive discussions with our nurses on this concern.”

Smith, with the nurses affiliation, mentioned nurses at GW have already raised points with administration.

“There’s been repeated makes an attempt over the previous few years for our nurses to speak straight with hospital management, and attempt to tackle staffing and day-to-day considerations … their voices will not be heard,” he mentioned.

He added, “I imagine that it’s actually simply coming to a degree the place these younger people have gotten activists.”

Smith mentioned the nurses fascinated with forming a union at GW watched with curiosity as nurses at two main New York Metropolis hospitals final month went on strike — a transfer that ended with hospital administration agreeing to raises, a promise to rent extra nurses and measures to implement agreed-upon staffing ranges.

Final 12 months, greater than 300 nurses at Howard College Hospital — which can be represented by the D.C. Nurses Affiliation — and different hospital employees went on a one-day strike over wages and staffing considerations.

Smith estimated that about 750 nurses could be eligible to hitch the union. He mentioned the marketing campaign will proceed, and when prepared, the group will file a petition with the Nationwide Labor Relations Board to hunt an election.

He mentioned the group is ready for a battle.

“This firm, we suspect with a excessive diploma of certainty, is not going to comply with voluntarily acknowledge the union, so we’ll very probably should go to an election.”

Nonetheless, he mentioned the group can be looking for a conciliatory strategy to start out.

“We expect the collaboration will result in safer affected person care, in getting ample staffing, enhancing coaching applications and growing nurse retention … we wish to work with this hospital.”