Union Alleges Critically Low Staffing Levels at Hca Healthcare Hospitals in Las Vegas

AS VEGAS, Nev. (702 Times, NV Globe) – The HCA healthcare system, which operates a number of hospitals in the Las Vegas valley, is the target of the union SEUI. According to the union, the healthcare provider prioritizes profit over patient care.

According to SEUI, there are 34% fewer employees working in the Nevada HCA Hospitals, which comprise Sunrise, Mountain View, and Southern Hills, than the national average.

According to the union’s survey, 80% of frontline employees at HCA Hospitals throughout the nation have seen patient care put at risk due to understaffing.

“You did your best, but your best wasn’t enough because there wasn’t enough of you,” pediatric nurse at Sunrise Hospital Jody Dominec said. “That’s really demoralizing and unfortunately, we’ve seen lower retention numbers. It’s scary sometimes what you’re responsible for to keep the patient safe, and how little time you have to do it.”

The local branch of HCA Healthcare claimed they disagree with the union’s claims despite the accounts from nurses like Dominec.

“The reality is, against the backdrop of a national nursing shortage, exacerbated by a pandemic and continuing patient surges, our staffing is safe, appropriate, and in line with other community hospitals and applicable regulations,” Sunrise Health System accordance. “The labor union’s report cherry picked the CMS cost report data that supported its narrative and simply ignored the data that did not. Our hospitals are proud to have received many recent recognitions from Healthgrades including each one being recognized as one of the Top 250 hospitals in the country.”

Nurses are urging HCA to prioritize high-quality patient care, increase staffing numbers, and increase compensation.

“HCA needs to protect us so we can continue to protect our patients,” Dominec said.”

The HCA-unaffiliated Desert Springs Hospital announced this week that it will cease operating as a hospital. The lack of employees was one of the causes.

The Las Vegas valley loses 282 beds and 34 additional ICU beds, according to the Nevada Hospital Association. Inpatient services at Desert Springs will end in March.

Credits: fox5vegas