RNs and allies at Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta VA Medical Center say short-staffing and workplace violence are linked

Registered nurses at Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta VA Medical Center in Decatur, Ga., will hold a vigil today following the deadly shooting earlier this month at a Georgia VA clinic that left a social worker and the suspected gunman, a VA patient, dead. Nurses say this horrific incident underscores the link between workplace violence and chronic short staffing that is making it difficult to get veterans the help they need in a timely manner. Community members are invited to join the Tuesday evening vigil, announced National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU).

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations, 34-year-old Nicholas “Nic” Crews was fatally shot while working as a social worker at the Veterans Affairs Clinic on East Church St. in Jasper, Ga. on March 17, 2026. Investigators say he was shot by a patient, Lawrence Charles Michels, who went to the clinic for a mental health consultation. Investigators say Michaels exchanged gunfire with police and an armed civilian as he was leaving the clinic before he was shot and killed by police.

Nurses say drastic staffing cuts and unfulfilled positions are compromising patient care services, including lack of mental health resources and protections from workplace violence.

“We are experiencing a severe staffing crisis at our facility, where we have far too few nurses and not enough ancillary staff to respond as quickly as we need to our veteran’s needs,” said Florence Uzuegbunam, a nurse practitioner and NNU chief nurse representative. “When we cut resources for veterans, we see an increase in frustration, untreated mental and physical illness. We don’t know what happened in this case, but we know that when our patients go without treatment, we see negative and even tragic outcomes. We demand that this administration respect the oath this nation made to our veterans and give us the resources we need to care for them all in a timely fashion.”

What:  VA RNs rally against staffing cuts and workplace violence 

When:  Tuesday March 31, 5-6 p.m.

Where: Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta VA Medical Center, 1670 Clairmont Road, Decatur 

A recent New York Times (NYT) investigation found the Trump administration has eliminated thousands of medical positions since January of 2025, despite repeated promises from Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins that only “non-essential employees” would be eliminated. Instead, the Times found that there are currently more than 1,500 physician openings and 4,900 nurse positions that have not been filled. The Times reporters also found that the VA lost some 200 psychiatrists in 2025.

“Those of us who remain at the VA are working from early in the morning to late in the evening to try and make up for all the nurses and practitioners we have lost,” said Uzuegbunam. “I know coworkers who get to the clinic at 5 in the morning, to try and get the paperwork done before they start seeing patients. Many others are working until midnight, doing work in hopes they can get things taken care of before the next day. We are in dire need of help. This is not fair to the veterans; they deserve better.”

National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States with more than 225,000 members nationwide. NNU affiliates include California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.