SEATTLE — Nurses with Virginia Mason Franciscan Health in Seattle are picketed Tuesday to demand better staffing, higher wages and more protections against workplace violence at the hospital.
The 650 nurses represented by the Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA) picketed from 6 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and then again from noon to 2 p.m.
The picket comes after 15 bargaining sessions with the hospital.
Workers allege that their concerns over low staffing and workplace violence are being ignored by management. One nurse was stabbed in the face with a butter knife and another nurse missed being hit in the head with a claw hammer, according to the union.
The nurse who was stabbed in the face spoke with KING 5. He said he was stabbed in July by a patient who was already showing aggressive behavior and had security called on him the day before. Due to the patient acting aggressively, Rathke had asked for someone to watch the patient, but there was not enough staff available. When Rathke came back to the room, the patient asked for him to check his back, but Rathke did not know the patient had hidden a butter knife under his gown.
“He stabbed me in the face, it rocked my jaw back and I was bleeding and we called security,” said Brad Rathke, the Med Surge nurse who was stabbed. “I think it could have been prevented if we had enough staff to make sure he didn’t hide anything.”
Rathke said he did not need stitches but had to receive some treatment and get a tetanus shot. After being treated for about four hours, Rathe had to go back to work due to low staffing. Rathke said he is concerned about what could happen at the hospital if security measures are not increased.
“It’s only a matter of time before someone gets seriously injured or killed,” Rathke said.
Safety is a major concern of nurses at the hospital. They are asking for metal detectors, canines, and more security personnel as they say violent incidents have been increasing and weapons are making their way into the hospital.
“One of our departments three days ago had a gun,” said Kimberly Travis-Carter, who is an ER nurse. “Perhaps if we had a metal detector, we could have stopped that from happening.”
Travis-Carter said she has worked at the hospital for 10 years and has seen several nurses leave the profession due to safety concerns. She has even considered leaving herself, despite her passion for the job.
“We’re not trained to be security guards, we are trained to be nurses,” Travis-Carter said. “But in the emergency room, we are security guards.”
Nurses presented a proposal on Sept. 23 to the hospital suggesting increased safety measures, like limiting public access to certain areas of the hospital, introducing metal detectors and dogs and having an effective and responsive security team. These measures are in place at other hospitals and have been recommended by the American Hospital Association. Virginia Mason moved the proposal to an advisory task force, according to WSNA.
Nurses' workloads at the hospital have been increasing. At times there will be six or seven patients to one medical-surgical nurse, which is a ratio that's even higher than it was during the pandemic. Staffing gaps are being filled by travel nurses. Between July and August of 2023, the hospital lost 60 nurses, representing 9.5% of its workforce.
“We have daily short-staffing at the hospital," said Michael Salters, who is a Critical Care nurse. "We will be short 10, 15, 20 nurses at a time forcing the nurses who are there to take patient loads that feel unsafe."
Salters said it is rare for nurses to take breaks due to patient loads and that they can sometimes go 13 hours without eating.
Several nurses expressed concerns about unsafe staffing levels, saying it is bad for nurses and patients.
“Staffing is safety," Rathke said. "If we don't have staffing, then no one's safe at the hospital."
In a statement, the hospital said nurses play an invaluable role in caring for patients and the community and that Virginia Mason is committed to ensuring a safe and high-quality workplace that attracts and retains employees. The statement went on to say:
We address any safety issues immediately as they occur and work to ensure a secure environment is provided for everyone. We respect the collective bargaining process and are participating in good faith. As we move forward with the negotiation process, patients can expect to receive uninterrupted, quality care.