EVERETT, Wash. — Tensions were apparent during day three of the nurses' strike at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett.
As rally cries reverberated around the perimeter of the building, hospital executives inside the building spoke proudly to media about their ability to stay open and serve patients in the absence of 1,300 nurses.
"I'm really pleased to reassure you that [Providence] Everett remains open and continues to operate smoothly," said Kristy Carrington of Providence Swedish North Puget Sound.
Carrington told KING 5 they have managed to usher in hundreds of replacement nurses from elsewhere in their hospital system, and maintained their level of care.
"We have admitted 177 patients, which includes six patients that we've accepted as transfers for higher level of care to our hospital. These volumes actually reflect our normal operations and ability to keep our services open to our community," said Carrington.
Providence Everett is a hospital that was already short-staffed before the strike, however, and nurses described it's effect on them in their picket line demands.
“What do we want? Safe staffing! When do we want it? Now!” they shouted.
The picket line turned into a large gathering at a nearby park Thursday night, where nurses like Juan Stout took to the podium to say they’ve had enough with picking up the slack when there aren’t enough nurses.
"I’ve worked for you for 15 years," said Stout. "They’re not meeting our standard.”
He said the emergency room gets backed up when staffing issues upstairs create a lack of available beds for emergency patients to be transferred to.
"Just a trickle-down effect," he said.
He said it's led to the nurses being overworked.
"Myself, on a typical 12-hour shift, I get one 15-minute break and my lunch sometimes," he said.
Carrington said hospital leaders look forward to Sunday morning when the five-day strike is over.
"Our current operations would not be sustainable in the long-term basis," Carrington said.
Stout’s response to that is less than sympathetic.
"We could have bargained 10 days straight if that's what it took to get things done so that we didn't come to this point," he said.
One big thing the nurses are asking for is more money. In order to be competitive with new contracts being offered at area hospitals, the nurses' union wants a 30% increase over three years.
Hospital executives said they’ve offered them a 21.5% increase.