Modesto, CA – Registered nurses (RNs) at Doctors Medical Center (DMC) in Modesto, California, are set to hold a picket on Tuesday, July 30, raising critical concerns about patient safety and persistent understaffing issues. The action, organized by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU), aims to draw attention to what nurses describe as a deteriorating environment of patient care at the Tenet Healthcare Corporation-owned hospital.
Nurses at Doctors Medical Center Modesto report that over recent months, conditions for patient care have worsened significantly. They attribute this decline to the hospital administration’s ongoing mismanagement of registered nurse staffing levels. According to the nurses, the situation reached a critical point last week when management directed RNs to end their shifts prematurely. This decision forced the remaining nursing staff to manage a higher number of patients each, exacerbating an already strained system. Nurses indicate that almost every unit within Doctors Medical Center Modesto is currently facing staff shortages.
“When hospitals like Doctors Medical Center Modesto ration nursing care, it directly leads to increased complications and preventable deaths among patients,” stated Lynn Warmerdam, a case management RN at DMC. “As registered nurses, we are bound by a moral and professional duty to advocate for our patients’ well-being and to openly challenge this injustice. Doctors Medical Center Modesto management’s continued prioritization of profits over patient welfare is unacceptable, and we, the RNs, are taking a stand against it.”
The details of the picket are as follows:
- Who: Registered Nurses at Doctors Medical Center, Modesto
- What: Picket to advocate for patient safety, with media representatives welcome
- When: Tuesday, July 30, 2024, 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.
- Where: Doctors Medical Center, 1441 Florida Ave, Modesto, CA. Picket will be held on the public sidewalk outside the hospital premises.
Nurses at Doctors Medical Center Modesto have consistently voiced their concerns through official channels, filing numerous Assignment Despite Objection (ADO) forms. These documents formally record instances where nurses believe staffing levels are unsafe and compromise patient care. The challenging working conditions at Doctors Medical Center Modesto are reportedly leading to an exodus of experienced nurses. This attrition creates a significant gap in seasoned professionals available to mentor and train newly graduated RNs, further straining the hospital’s capacity to provide optimal patient care.
The California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU) represents approximately 1,200 registered nurses at Doctors Medical Center Modesto. As the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association for registered nurses in the United States, CNA/NNU advocates for over 100,000 members across more than 200 healthcare facilities in California and nearly 225,000 RNs nationwide. Their involvement underscores the widespread concern within the nursing community regarding the conditions at Doctors Medical Center Modesto and similar healthcare facilities.
