More than 400 healthcare union members return to
Sacramento during Nurses Week in a
direct appeal to elected leaders: Fix education backlog and
staffing issues that impact patient care.
Rally at California State Capitol: West Steps,
10th Street and Capitol Avenue, Sacramento
Tuesday, May 7, 2024;
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Call to schedule onsite interviews with nurses attending
rally.
Photos and video of the rally will be
available for media after the event at
www.unacuhcp.org/backlog
SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 6, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Experts predict that more nurses will leave the
bedside in the next 10 years and that other healthcare
professionals may follow suit. (See Facts:
www.unacuhcp.org/backlog). UNAC/UHCP members throughout
California will return to
Sacramento, urging solutions that
will lead more students to remain in their communities for their
healthcare careers, and empower them to enforce safe staffing in
their hospitals.
Organized during Nurses Week, the rally highlights the urgent
need for investment in nurse education and support for all
healthcare professionals struggling with too many patients and
insufficient staff to provide the safest care.
"Getting my nursing degree at my local community college was the
path that allowed me to pursue my dream of becoming a nurse without
going into debt," said Charmaine S.
Morales, a registered nurse and president of UNAC/UHCP.
"We cannot ignore the impact of the education backlog on hospital
staffing and patient outcomes."
Morales added that current nurses and care providers feel their
staffing complaints have fallen on deaf ears: "We need to improve
how our state agencies handle short staffing. We cannot fix this
crisis alone."
Union members will urge elected officials to prioritize the next
generation of caregivers by passing legislation to expand advanced
degree programs to community colleges and increase clinical
placement opportunities for nursing students. The supply of nurses
heavily relies on the state's higher education system, particularly
California community college
nursing programs, which train and supply a sizable proportion of
California's nurses.
UNAC/UHCP members will visit their local representatives in
Sacramento to discuss current
proposals. We are asking elected officials to:
- Increase funding for nursing programs at community colleges
in the state: California
leaders can directly address nursing shortages with a $60 million budget proposal to expand nursing
programs hosted by more than 70 community colleges in the
state.
- Expand access to Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees:
By making advanced study programs available at the community
college level, legislators can ensure students receive the
necessary training to deliver high-quality, culturally competent
care in their communities. (Senate Bill 895-Richard Roth)
- Expand clinical training for nursing students: Nursing
students must complete clinical placement hours, but placements are
not always available or accessible. With this legislation to
increase hospital capacity to offer this training, more nursing
students can graduate and enter the workforce. (Assembly Bill
1577-Evan Low and Senate Bill
1042-Richard Roth)
- Improve how the state provides information on safe staffing
enforcement: When the California Department of Public Health
(CDPH) finds a substantiated violation of licensed nurse-patient
ratio rules and informs a general acute care hospital of the
actions the agency plans to take, CDPH must also transmit the same
information to the person who filed the claim of violation and
their collective bargaining agent or representative, if any. The
bill also mandates that if the department does not impose a fine,
CDPH must send a statement explaining why to the person who filed
the violation claim and any collective bargaining agent or
representative. (Assembly Bill 2899-Jesse
Gabriel)
United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals
(UNAC/UHCP) represents more than 35,000 registered nurses and
health care professionals in California and Hawaii, including optometrists; pharmacists;
physical, occupational and speech therapists; case managers; nurse
midwives; social workers; clinical lab scientists; physician
assistants and nurse practitioners; hospital support and technical
staff. UNAC/UHCP is affiliated with the National Union of Hospital
and Health Care Employees and the American Federation of State,
County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO.
@unacuhcp for Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
Anjetta Thackeray |
press@unacuhcp.org | 909-455-5146
Jeff Rogers |
press@unacuhcp.org | 909-263-7230
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SOURCE United Nurses Associations of California / Union of Health Care
Professionals