WAIMEA, Hawaii (KHON2) — On June 25, nurses presented a petition for safe patient care at Queen’s North Hawaii Community Hospital.
The petition held more than 700 signatures of support from community members.
Nurses say the current nurse-to-patient ratios are unsafe and prevent patients from receiving quality care.
“The nurses in the infusion/oncology department at [Queen’s North Hawaii Community Hospital] administer hazardous drugs and blood products every day,” said Eizabeth Taipe, a registered nurse in infusion/oncology. “Per hospital policy, there must be dual verification of hazardous drugs and blood products. However, there are times when there are only two infusion nurses scheduled or employed.”
According to Taipe, the understaffing of nurses can impact patient care.
“On those days, patient care can be delayed because we don’t have adequate staff to check chemotherapy and blood products,” Taipe said. “Our unit needs safe staffing, and our community deserves the same.”
The Hawaii Nurses’ Association said hospital leaders have not addressed the pay and benefit inequities between Queen’s nurses on Hawaii Island and Oahu.
“We’re not just fighting for nurses,” said Saige DeMotta, a registered nurse in the hospital’s emergency department. “We’re fighting for our neighbors, our kūpuna and our keiki. Queen’s won’t commit to staffing ratios that protect patients, and they refuse to pay nurses a wage we can actually live on here/ That’s why so many of us leave, and why travel nurses come and go. Hawai’i Island deserves permanent local caregivers who are invested in this community.”
“Queen’s North Hawai’i Community Hospital greatly values our nurses,” said Darlena Chadwick, Chief Operating Officer of The Queen’s Health Systems.
“Our negotiations team continues to work collaboratively and in good faith with HNA to reach an agreement on a contract that respects our nurses and their profession, promotes superior patient care, provides competitive pay and benefits, and is sustainable for our organization,” Chadwick said. “We respect the negotiations process and look forward to our next bargaining session tomorrow, June 26.”