Nurses at Palmetto General Hospital joined thousands of caregivers nationwide on Thursday morning to express concerns over low staffing levels inside hospitals, the need for up-to-date equipment and quality health insurance.
The march was organized by the National Nurses United (NNU) to highlight broad support among nurses for solutions that prioritize patient care.
Intensive Care Unit nurse Lazaro Garcia, who has worked at Palmetto General for about a decade and is the union’s chief representative, said NNU contracts across the country are set to expire, with several improvements top of mind for Palmetto General staff.
“We’ve got [several] things going on inside the hospital with safe staffing, supplies, medical insurance that we’re trying to make better after this new company came in,” Garcia said.
Palmetto General is managed by Healthcare System of America, or HSA, which took over last year after the previous owner, Steward Health Care, filed for bankruptcy.
READ MORE: With owner in bankruptcy, union says Palmetto General staff struggles with patient needs
The nurses at Palmetto General Hospital are among 100,000 NNU members bargaining this year for new contracts.
Concerns for the nurses union in other parts of the country include safeguards for patients as artificial intelligence technology, or AI, gets introduced into hospital systems.
“This community deserves an excellent hospital,” said Barbara Garay, a registered nurse at Palmetto General. “As a nurse, I come in here and I give everything that I’ve got. But it makes it really hard when you don’t have the things you need.”
“I know that [the new owners] have a lot on their hands with this transition,” Garay said. “I’m just really hoping that they take into consideration how needed this hospital is for the community and that they do make these positive changes so that our hospital can be as great as we want it to be.”