HPAE to declare “CODE RED: Understaffed. Overworked. Unsafe for Everyone.”

Healthcare union’s position paper will detail how stress and burnout is causing exodus of workers from New Jersey hospitals

HPAE President Debbie White, RN, will be joined by unionized nurses and healthcare workers from across the state at a press conference in Cherry Hill on Wednesday. Nearly 7,000 healthcare workers represented by HPAE are bargaining this year for new contracts with their employers. They are calling on hospital administrators and NJ policymakers to mandate safe patient-to-staff ratios in New Jersey hospitals.

WHEN: 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 3, 2024

WHERE: Double Tree by Hilton, 2349 Marlton Pike W, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002

WHO: Unionized nurses and healthcare workers, led by HPAE President Debbie White, RN; HPAE Local 5118 President Doris Bell, RN; HPAE Local 5118 Registered Nurses at Cooper University Health Care; and HPAE Local 5105 President Sheryl Mount, RN; Cooper University Health Care Oncology Nurse Carolyn Ali; Cooper University Health Care Emergency Department Nurse Patrick Kevlin; Cooper University Health Care Cardiac Cath Lab Nurse Brittany Cucunato; and Cooper University Health Care Emergency Department Nurse Tess Ianni

WHAT: Nurses and healthcare workers will share experiences of how understaffing is causing the healthcare workforce to leave their profession in record numbers. HPAE will release a new position paper: CODE RED: Understaffed. Overworked. Unsafe for Everyone. Voices from direct patient care staff calling for mandated staffing ratios in New Jersey’s hospitals, which details how the impact of stress and burnout is driving current healthcare workers out of their profession.

“Two decades of research shows understaffing in hospitals leads to increases in negative patient outcomes such as readmissions, hospital acquired infections, and death,” White explained. “Safe staffing has been, and will continue to be, the top priority at the bargaining table, as it is also the only way to solve the ongoing retention crisis in our hospitals.”

The Patient Protection and Safe Staffing Act (S2700 and A3683), sponsored by Senator Vitale and Assemblywoman Quijano, includes staffing ratios for nursing and non-licensed assistive personnel, with ratios set based on the needs of specific medical units.

For more information, contact: Michael Allen, (646) 436-7556.

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