The Oregon Nurses Association is accusing PeaceHealth Sacred Heart in Springfield of breaking the state’s safe staffing law.
In Oregon, a hospital’s staffing plan must be approved by a committee which is made up equally of management and frontline workers. However, nurses claim PeaceHealth went over their heads last week, imposing a plan without a vote.
Chris Rompala is a nurse at RiverBend. He said PeaceHealth has assigned nursing assistants to tasks rather than patients, meaning less collaboration and larger workloads for nurses.
“We had nurses and [certified nursing assistants] come in on Friday morning and be told that their work environment was drastically changed, with no warning,” said Rompala.
PeaceHealth's adjustments came just before June 1, when the state imposed new limits on how many patients a single worker can care for. In an email to KLCC, PeaceHealth spokesperson Joe Waltasti said the hospital is complying with those requirements.
“We will continue to work collaboratively with our Nurse Staffing Committee members on the implementation of this new law,” wrote Waltasti.
The ONA has now sent a cease-and-desist letter to PeaceHealth's CEO, and reported the provider to the Oregon Health Authority. The union also accused another regional healthcare provider, Providence, of similar violations.
“Certainly the OHA can take an active role in enforcing this law, and ensuring that patients are getting the health care that they need and expect,” said ONA Communications Manager Kevin Mealy.
In an email, Providence spokesperson Gary Walker said the provider is committed to making the state's new staffing ratios work.
