RNs at West Anaheim Medical Center hope to stem the sharp increase in nurse turnover

Nurses at West Anaheim Medical Center (WAMC) in Anaheim, California will hold a one-day strike on Tuesday, August 12 to protest management’s refusal to address their repeated concerns about nurse turnover, which is impacting the quality of patient care, announced California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU).

“Our emergency department is often completely full with a large lobby of patients waiting to be seen,” said Liz Rivera, RN in the telemetry unit. “Having a strong, experienced, well-trained workforce in all units will make a huge difference in getting our patients timely and critical care throughout the hospital.”

WAMC RNs are striking to urge management to invest in nursing staff and agree to a contract that provides:

• Conditions for safe patient care
• Measures to attract and retain nursing staff
• Strict adherence to the legal requirements for nurse-to-patient ratios

“Because of the nurse turnover that management has refused to address, nurses are given assignments that can put our licenses in jeopardy,” said Raymond Tejada, RN in the direct observation unit (DOU). “For example, nurses are assigned to units where we do not have the appropriate level of experience. That means ICU patients often don’t get experienced ICU nurses, and DOU patients do not get experienced DOU nurses.”

What: 1-day RN strike for patient safety and a fair contract
When: Tuesday, August 12, 7 a.m. to Wednesday August 13, 6:59 a.m.
Where: West Anaheim Medical Center | 3033 W. Orange Ave. Anaheim CA 92804 
corner of Beach Blvd. and Orange Ave.

“Nurses’ ability to focus on our most critically ill patients is severely restricted by the hospital's perpetual cycle of new graduate hires, who we prepare to take full patient assignments but who leave soon after they’re fully trained,” said Heather Foy, RN in the ICU unit. “In my twelve years at WAMC, nurse retention has not been this dire. We are truly exhausted and need real solutions.”

In addition to burdening experienced RNs with training duties – in addition to their regular assignment of patients – management overloads RNs with supervisorial responsibility over non-RN nurse staff. These conditions create an unsafe work environment that could jeopardize safe patient care and have led experienced nurses to leave the hospital due to stress and moral injury.

West Anaheim Medical Center nurses have been in negotiations since February 2025 for a new contract with little to no movement on key issues. After months of negotiations and three days with a federal mediator, management has declared an impasse in negotiations. CNA disagrees with management’s position and had asked the employer to continue bargaining in good faith.

Nurses have given advance notice to the hospital for their strike, which was authorized by WAMC nurses and members of CNA in late spring.

California Nurses Association represents more than 360 nurses at West Anaheim Medical Center.

California Nurses Association/National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the nation with more than 100,000 members in more than 200 facilities throughout California and nearly 225,000 RNs nationwide.