Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we'll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
Registered nurses (RNs) who are members of the California Nurses Association/NNU (CNA/NNU) at two hospitals in San Jose ratified a new contract earlier this month with provisions designed to improve patient safety. Management agreed to hire 34 more full-time RNs to provide meal and rest breaks for nurses. CNA/NNU members say this will improve patient care, as studies show that nurses who are exhausted are more likely to make errors.
“Providing quality care demands not only a great deal of physical energy, but enormous amounts of emotional and mental energy as we deal with our patients’ ever-changing needs,” said Mary Jean Dimapasoc, a registered nurse and member of the bargaining team from the San Jose Regional Medical Center. “It is very important to have a bit of downtime to unplug from the work and to relax and regroup so we can be fully there for all our patients.”