Watsonville nurses protest possible increase of nurse-to-patient ratio amid COVID-19 pandemic
WATSONVILLE, Calif. (KION)
With COVID-19 cases still on the rise, nurses and staff at Watsonville Community Hospital say hospitals need to find alternative solutions to handle surges in patients.
On Wednesday, nurses and other community members in Watsonville held an hour-long caravan to protest the suspension of nurse-to-patient regulations brought forth by the California Department of Public Health.
So far, about 200 hospitals in California have applied for a waiver to suspend the nurse-to-patient ratio.
KION reached out to Watsonville Community Hospital officials, who have not yet confirmed if a waiver has been submitted to the state.
“We know that if the ratio changes it makes conditions much more unsafe, and the likelihood of a patient dying increased by seven percent each time you add on an extra patient," says Emergency Department Nurse, Quiche Rubacalva.
Hospital Board Chairman Dan Brothman says around 23 patients are currently being hospitalized at Watsonville Community Hospital and he adds, the number can change every day.
Hospital staff say many patients are also arriving for intensive care and are in need of additional care.
“We just wouldn’t have enough time to dedicate to our patients especially now that so many of our patients are critically ill, have trouble breathing, and they need to be on ventilators or BiPAP machines to breathe effectively," says Rubacalva.
Brothman says the hospital's main focus is to treat all patients coming in and adds the hospital is working with the county to continue distributing vaccines to medical workers.
“We’ve vaccinated over 600 people already including hospital employees, physicians and first responders in Santa Cruz County," says Brothman.
The nurses say they want confirmation from hospital administration as to whether or not a waiver was submitted; and for administration to work with hospital staff on a new safety plan rather than considering raising patient count.
