A group of emergency department night shift nurses at Birmingham-based UAB Hospital briefly refused to clock in for work Sept. 6 over what they say is a lack of equal pay and overwhelming work conditions amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to AL.com and CBS affiliate WKRG.
The workers refused to clock in as they protested outside the hospital, then eventually went back inside the facility.
About 20 emergency department staff began their night shift about two hours later than scheduled on Sept. 6, meeting with hospital leadership before beginning their shift, UAB Hospital CNO Terri Poe, DNP, RN, said in a statement shared with Becker's. Day shift nurses continued to work during the protest.
"We recognize the pressure COVID has put on our nursing staff. As a result, we have offered pay increases, bonuses and incentives as we have been able over the course of the pandemic, and we have continued to explore additional short- and long-term opportunities to reward employees for delivering world-class care to our patients," said Dr. Poe. "Many of these decisions have been and will continue to be informed by a dialogue with employees we encourage through councils and committees that include staff nurses, interactions with supervisors, town halls with administrators and other forums."
Lindsey Harris, president of the Alabama State Nurses Association, told reporters outside the hospital Sept. 6 that Alabama nurses, on average, are paid 8 percent less than their counterparts in surrounding states. She is referring to statewide numbers not specific to UAB.
Ms. Harris also pointed to pandemic-related stress among healthcare workers.
"Many of our patients that are coming in with COVID are unvaccinated. That has really increased patient load and stress on nurses," Ms. Harris said, according to AL.com.
"Our nurses are still heroes, our nurses are still resilient, they still come to work every day to care for people here in the state of Alabama," she added. "Nurses are tired. This is definitely a cry for help. I'd love to see equal pay; I'd love to see our nurses having that safe staffing."
One nurse told WKRG nurses "are here fighting for equal compensation" and "fighting for what we deserve."
Dr. Poe acknowledged the pressure healthcare workers are facing during the pandemic and said the concerns of emergency department staff "will help inform ongoing discussions about compensation as we adjust the rapidly evolving healthcare landscape and pressures of the pandemic."
"We continue to encourage the public to get vaccinated and to wear masks so we can end the pandemic sooner and relieve stress from our dedicated staff," she said.