Registered Nurse Nina Scott has worked at Holy Cross Hospital for over 26 years. "I love my job caring for critically ill babies and their families," Scott says. But in recent years, patient care safety at Holy Cross has declined to a level that has concerned many nurses who want to deliver the best care possible to their patients. For nearly a year now, the nurses have been organizing "to ensure that we have a voice in how we care for our patients," says Scott. She and her colleagues say that nurse-patient ratios have become unsafe, support staff positions have been cut, and the length of time for training/orientation for new novice nurses has been dramatically reduced. Meanwhile, Holy Cross -- a nonprofit organization -- made net profits in 2015 of $37 million. When the nurses started organizing, hospital management hired professional “union busters" and Scott reports that "many of the RNs, including me have been harassed, intimidated, retaliated against and surveilled while on the job." The nurses plan to rally with supporters at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring next Monday, February 13th at 9:30 am. "I hope you can stand and support me and other nurses," says Scott.
photo: Holy Cross Hospital nurses organizing a union with National Nurses United (NNU); they're standing by a statue of St. Joseph -- patron saint of workers -- located on the grounds of the hospital; photo by Korey Hartwich/NNU
photo: Holy Cross Hospital nurses organizing a union with National Nurses United (NNU); they're standing by a statue of St. Joseph -- patron saint of workers -- located on the grounds of the hospital; photo by Korey Hartwich/NNU