Nurses at Providence Alaska Medical Center held a press conference on Wednesday, October 30 to speak out against impending reductions in bedside nursing staff and to announce the filing of an Unfair Labor Practice charge against the hospital.
The nurses, who are members of the Alaska Nurses Association (AaNA), oppose a plan by Providence that nurses say jeopardizes patient safety. Under its “co-caring” plan, Providence will add virtual nurses and reduce the number of bedside nurses on each shift in two units at Providence Alaska Medical Center: the Progressive Care Unit and 4 North, a medical-surgical unit. Nurses on these units will each be tasked with caring for an additional patient – more patients than is considered safe by healthcare experts and researchers.
Providence will soon require nurses to care for five patients each on the Progressive Care Unit and six patients each on 4 North. Backed by patient safety experts, California and Oregon have set a legal limit of three patients per nurse in progressive care settings. On medical-surgical units, the gold standard of care is four patients per nurse; the legal limit in California and Oregon is five patients per nurse, and Oregon will reduce this limit to four in 2026.
Miranda Balowski, an AaNA member who works as a registered nurse on the Progressive Care Unit, stated that “the addition of a fifth patient to our assignment will overwhelm our already heavy workload and, most critically, jeopardize our patients’ safety.”
“I often find myself working shifts where hours go by without a moment for rest, food, or even a bathroom break, as I strive to provide the most attentive care for my patients,” Balowski explained. “Imagine if you or a loved one was my fifth patient. Could you expect the best possible care from me when my existing assignment is already stretching me to the limit?“
“Alaskans deserve more than this, especially from a Magnet-status hospital. Bedside nurses deserve the chance to provide quality care that fosters the safest patient experiences and the best possible health outcomes,” said Sean Foreman, an AaNA nurse who has worked on 4 North for 20 years.
“Increasing nurse to patient ratios is a failed experiment played out by hospitals across the country. The research is clear: safe staffing saves lives,” stated Madison Eckhardt, an AaNA member who works as a charge nurse on the Progressive Care Unit. “Quality care does not begin with fewer nurses at the bedside.”
At the press conference, Senator Forrest Dunbar delivered remarks in support of the nurses. Also in attendance were Senator Bill Wielechowski, Representative Zach Fields, and Representative Genevieve Mina.
“In Oregon, where Providence operates 8 major hospitals, or in California, where Providence has 17 hospitals, giving a bedside nurse this many patients would be illegal. Why is it OK to do this here in Alaska?” Sen. Dunbar remarked to the gathered crowd.
In closing the press conference, Terra Colegrove, president of the Providence Registered Nurses bargaining unit of AaNA, announced that the union has filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge against Providence, which has refused to recognize nurses’ legal right to bargain over the matter and plans to unilaterally implement the staffing reduction in the first week of November.
“Today, we filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board,” said Colegrove. “We are fighting for safe patient care, and it begins with safe staffing.”
Watch the Press Conference
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Media Coverage
Alaska’s News Source – New virtual nursing model at Providence raises concerns for some nursing staff – 10/30/24
Anchorage Daily News – Providence nurses say Anchorage hospital’s plan for ‘virtual’ teams puts patients in danger – 10/30/24
Your Alaska Link – Anchorage nurses’ union takes action against hospital over virtual nurses concerns – 10/31/24