Registered nurses at Oroville Hospital in Oroville, California, will hold an informational picket on Thursday, February 15, to protest chronic short-staffing conditions that jeopardize patient care and lead to high turnover and the loss of experienced nurses, announced California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU).

Last year, management at Oroville Hospital closed services and reorganized departments within the hospital. This reorganization has resulted in short-staffing across many units, including case management, the unit that handles patients’ discharge needs.

“Delays in discharging patients have a ripple effect across the hospital, creating delays in patient care,” said See Vang, a registered nurse in the case management unit. “When a patient is waiting to be discharged from the hospital, that means we can’t move a patient who is waiting in the emergency department for that bed to be available. In addition, because our patient loads have doubled since the reorganization, we often don’t have enough time to make sure our patients have the medical equipment, such as medical beds or lifts, on the day of discharge”

What: Oroville Hospital nurses informational picket and rally.
Where: Oroville Hospital 2767 Olive Highway, Oroville, Calif. 95966 
When: Thursday, Feb. 15 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., rally at 5 p.m.

Nurses say they recognize the hospital has invested in building a new tower but say staffing issues are critical and must be addressed immediately if patients are to get the care they need and deserve.

“We are excited to participate as Oroville Hospital grows with the community,” said Eric Smith, a registered nurse in the intensive care unit. “However, what is the true value of a new hospital tower if we don't invest in the nursing staff required to meet the needs of our patients?"

California Nurses Association represents 390 nurses at Oroville Hospital.

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