Registered nurses at San Joaquin General Hospital in French Camp, Calif., have scheduled a strike for next month, according to the union that represents them.
The California Nurses Association, which represents 740 nurses at the hospital, said in a news release that nurses issued a 10-day strike notice on Feb. 24. The walkout is scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. March 5 and end it at 6:59 a.m. March 7.
They cite staffing issues as one of their concerns.
"The nurses at San Joaquin General Hospital know what it is like to face a dangerous nurse staffing crisis, as we lived through it in the not-so-distant past," said Kelly Mertz, a registered nurse in the trauma department. "We worked with the county to improve working conditions, and we have seen those protections translate into better retention and recruitment of experienced nurses who are serving our community. Unfortunately, the county now wants to eliminate many of these improvements, and we know these changes will drive away experienced nurses, which has a negative impact on our patients."
News of the planned strike comes as San Joaquin County nurses have been negotiating with San Joaquin County management and the board of supervisors for 15 months.
The union said San Joaquin General Hospital's proposal would require nurses to work in units outside their expertise. Nurses said the hospital also has struggled to retain experienced nurses partially due to wages.
Becker's Hospital Review reached out to the hospital and county will post additional details as they are available.