Hundreds of nurses at Shasta Regional Medical Center in Redding, Calif., plan to strike June 23, according to a June 22 news release from the union that represents them.
The California Nurses Association represents nearly 350 nurses at Shasta Regional, which is owned and operated by Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare.
Union members cite concerns about staffing, working conditions and patient safety.
"We are here for the patients. We are community members, and we want to deliver the safest care possible," Lisa Doms, RN, who works in the operating room at Shasta Regional, said in the release. "But we are stretched beyond our limits with the number of patients assigned to us. We're not staffed enough to be able to safely take a break from our duties during our shifts, and that increases risks to patients."
Shasta Regional and the union have been in negotiations since May 2021. Nurses voted May 4, 2022, to authorize a strike and issued a strike notice thereafter.
The hospital will continue providing high-quality care to the community during the strike, Prime said in a statement shared with Becker's.
"We thank our dedicated colleagues who make Shasta Regional Medical Center one of the highest ranked hospitals the nation for safety, as reflected in our recent 'A' Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade for Spring 2022, for putting patients first and coming to work to ensure their continued health and safety," the statement said.
Prime added: "We look forward to returning to the negotiations to establish an agreement that represents the best interests of patients, nurses, employees and the communities served by Shasta Regional."
The strike is scheduled to begin at 6 a.m. Pacific time June 23 and run through 6 a.m. June 24.