Nurses at Providence St. Mary Medical Center Apple Valley ratify new contract

Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press
·1 min read
Providence St. Mary Medical Center in Apple Valley was one of three California hospitals that received an "F" grade in safety, according to Leapfrog.

Registered nurses at Providence St. Mary Medical Center in Apple Valley have ratified a new contract with improvements for patient safety and nurse retention.

The California Nurses Association/National Nurses United, who made the announcement, stated that nurses are celebrating the win for patients and the community.

“The new agreement will uphold high-quality care in the community served by our facility,” said Registered Nurse Julie Schiele.

The nurses overwhelmingly voted to ratify a new three-year union contract with hospital management, the culmination of a campaign persuading Providence management to invest in patient care improvements at the hospital, the nursing group announced Saturday.

“This new agreement leaves us in a much stronger position to retain the experienced nurses our community deserves,” said RN Christian Diede, who works at the St. Mary catheterization laboratory. "We’re so proud to have fought for a contract that best supports our ability to care for patients."

The agreement includes contract protections for nurses to advocate for improved patient care, as well as improvements to wages and overall working conditions that will enhance staff recruitment and retention at the hospital, the nurses group said.

“Our nurse leaders and members have seen the power of what happens when we stand together advocating for what’s best for our patients,” said RN Stacy Teal, who works in the intensive care unit. “When nurses and our community unite, we can’t be ignored.”

The nurses group represents around 700 registered nurses at Providence St. Mary Medical Center in Apple Valley. They also represent nearly 3,500 nurses at Providence hospitals covered under a different contract.

Providence officials said they are preparing a statement regarding the contract.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Nurses at Providence St. Mary Apple Valley ratify new contract