Registered nurses at Doctors Medical Center in Modesto, California are raising serious concerns about patient safety due to chronic understaffing. A public picket is scheduled for Tuesday, July 30, as nurses affiliated with the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU) advocate for improved staffing levels at the Tenet Healthcare-owned facility.
For months, nurses at Doctors Hospital Modesto have witnessed a decline in patient care conditions, directly attributed to hospital management’s persistent failure to adequately staff nursing units. The situation reached a critical point last week when management actions forced registered nurses to end their shifts early. This decision resulted in an even greater patient load for the remaining nurses, stretching resources thin across nearly every department within the hospital.
Lynn Warmerdam, a case management RN at Doctors Medical Center, emphasized the gravity of the situation. “When Doctors Hospital Modesto rations nursing care, patients are inevitably put at risk for increased complications and even preventable deaths,” Warmerdam stated. “As registered nurses, we are bound by our professional ethics to champion the well-being of our patients and openly challenge this injustice. The administration at Doctors Medical Center continues to prioritize profits over the people we serve, and as nurses, we are united in our stand against this unacceptable practice.”
The informational picket, open to media coverage, will take place on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. Nurses will gather outside Doctors Medical Center, located at 1441 Florida Ave, Modesto, CA, on the public sidewalk.
Nurses at Doctors Hospital Modesto have consistently filed Assignment Despite Objection (ADO) forms, documenting instances where they believe staffing levels compromised patient safety. These unsafe working conditions have contributed to an exodus of experienced RNs, leaving a significant gap in mentorship for newly graduated nurses and further destabilizing the nursing workforce at Doctors Hospital Modesto.
The California Nurses Association represents approximately 1,200 registered nurses working at Doctors Medical Center. CNA/NNU is recognized as the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association for registered nurses in the United States, representing over 100,000 members in California and nearly 225,000 RNs nationwide.
