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It all came to a head for Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center nurses during the pandemic, when they found themselves fighting their employer for protection all while working on the front lines under already stressful conditions, the Health Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE) report says.
"Working conditions at Jersey Shore University Medical Center during the pandemic led to many nurses leaving the hospital, exacerbating a staffing shortage across the hospital that has now grown into a full-blown crisis," the report reads.
"Nurses raised concerns about this mass exodus with management only to find management impervious to their concerns. So, the JSUMC nurses conducted a survey of their members."
A statement from Hackensack Meridian Health called the report "a self-serving propaganda piece timed to coincide with their current contract negotiations.
"The truth is that Hackensack Meridian Health has invested millions of dollars into our team members and opened negotiations early to get that money to the union members. Our nurses mean everything to us. They are true American heroes who deserve our utmost respect and gratitude."
Here are some of the findings:
- 54% said they would not feel safe being treated as a patient at JSUMC
- 58% said they do not feel safe at JSUMC as a staff member
- 67% said JSUMC is not a good place to work
- 84% said they are more likely to make errors in tense or hostile situations
- 88% said that hospital management is not doing a good job
"Hackensack Meridian Health has managed to portray themselves as a worthy investment and yet there is little accountability for how they have invested in improving worker and patient safety in their facilities," the report concludes.
"In actuality, it is a billion-dollar, highly profitable corporation that capitalizes off the labor of overworked underpaid staff, while the corporation is rewarded with record profits.
"It seems HMH has its priorities skewed... It is past time for HMH to do the right thing."
HMH said several strategies to ensure highly qualified bedside registered nurses have been put in place, and implemented a 3% compensation increase for all team members, added retention bonuses to stabilize critical areas and moved up salary ranges to be competitive in the market.
"We stand by our proven record of protecting all of our team members and our patients, especially during the most challenging health crisis our nation has faced in a century," the statement reads. "Our team members are the backbone of our organization and have been on the front lines of this crisis. We will continue to do everything we can to protect them and lead the way in the fight against COVID-19."
Click here for the full report.
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