One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
Riverside Community Hospital Nurses Say They Are Understaffed And Don't Have Enough PPE
Nurses are on day two of protesting in Riverside. (Photo credit Erik Andrews/LAist)
Nurses are two days into a 10-day strike at the Riverside Community Hospital.
Rapid response nurse Erik Andrews says the nurse-to-patient-ratio has gotten worse since the pandemic. And now there aren't enough nurses to cover patients while others are on a meal or relief break. "No nurse is just going to walk away from their patients to go and take their lunch break. You have to actually be relieved by another nurse who has the same competencies that you do," Andrews told LAist.
Andrews says he often works 10 hours straight without food, water, or a bathroom break becuase no one is available to relieve him.
Riverside Community Hospital is operated by HCA Healthcare. Spokesperson Sunnye Owens-Garrett disputes the staffing complaint. "Now more than ever is the time when our patients and our community need Riverside Community Hospital the most. And we’re really frankly disappointed that the union has chosen this particular time frame [to strike]," he said.
The two sides also disagree on the adequacy of Personal Protective Equipment provided to nurses. At least 60 nurses at Riverside Community Hospital have tested positive for COVID 19 since the pandemic began. Two hospital employees have died.
Owens-Garrett says the hospital has brought in 400 contract nurses to cover the strikers.
Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter. To support our nonprofit public service journalism: Donate now.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
